Background information
«We’ve deliberately taken a new, out-of-the-box approach»
by Martin Jungfer
Why the customer service team behind our telecoms plans is based in Switzerland
27.3.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Christian Walker
Jeez, how old-fashioned! Would you believe the customer service team taking care of Galaxus’s mobile, internet and TV plans has opening hours? Well, as it turns out, there’s method to the madness.
Four hours in the morning, four hours in the afternoon. No earlier than 8 a.m., no later than 5 p.m. Strictly weekdays only. If you ever need to reach the customer service team taking care of Galaxus’s mobile, TV, and internet plans, that’s the schedule you need to bear in mind. Oh, and don’t forget they take an hour-long lunch break.
What is this, the civil service?! How do these «opening hours» square with the idea of a contemporary online shop and subscription-based services, set on transforming the market? With a package developed according to a «deliberately new, out-of-the-box approach»?
Noel Staub (top right) is the man who can – and should – answer that. In his role as Leader Support for Galaxus Mobile, Internet and TV, he manages the 20-strong team of employees tasked with handling any customer inquiries related to Galaxus plans. These queries cover everything from data roaming to setting up fibre-optic internet to the channels included in our TV package. Not only that, but the team also provides tech support and handles phone number porting.
The thing that stands out about Noel’s team? They all work together on the fourth floor of the Westpark office building on Zurich’s Pfingstweidstrasse. In Switzerland, that is. The country that other telecoms providers view as a kind of limbo for customer service teams. Still of the view that staffing costs in Switzerland are too high, companies in the sector often outsource customer service jobs to countries where wages are lower, such as Germany or Austria. Or maybe even Turkey, Estonia or Bulgaria (article in German). Call centres go wherever labour’s cheapest, taking jobs along with them.
The importance of proximity
At Galaxus, it’s a different story. «We’ve never actually calculated how much we could save by outsourcing,» Noel explains. He describes the decision to base the jobs created by Galaxus’s still relatively new business division in Switzerland as «crucial».
Maintaining close ties with business partners is important: «It allows us to take quick action and gives us a deep understanding of processes,» says Noel. This is huge when it comes to setting up internet connections, a process where any number of things could go wrong. Unlike changing mobile phone contracts, which today can be done almost exclusively online, switching internet service providers usually still requires a real person to do something. For instance, carry out some work at a control box. If that step’s forgotten, the new customer won’t have internet access. «Oftentimes, every last minute is crucial,» says Noel, «Which is why we pull out all the stops if something goes awry.»
Evidently, instead of wasting time thinking about outsourcing, the 26-year-old and his team have geared their entire focus towards customer satisfaction. «Our satisfaction rate’s currently at just under 90 per cent,» he says, proudly. The satisfaction score’s measured using ratings given by customers every time a case is resolved. If a customer hits the thumbs-up button, it has a positive impact on Noel’s team’s KPIs.
But the team doesn’t just count these virtual thumbs-ups. They’re also pleased to see Galaxus Mobile’s customer service consistently ranked among the industry’s top players, sometimes even beating them by a long shot (article in German).
Customer satisfaction comes first
This might be because the customer service team dedicated to Galaxus’ telecoms offering lives by its name, providing a «service» to «customers». Their number-one priority is solving the problem at hand – even if that means helping someone cancel their plan. (Although it’s really easy to do this in the customer Cockpit, some people still prefer to do it by phone.)
If you’ve ever tried to cancel a contract with a telecoms provider, you probably know what I mean. The process is complicated and a real pain in the butt. At least, it was when I tried to cancel a contract recently. I felt like the company had a secret plan to keep me on hold until I gave up. But I patiently endured their 15 minutes of hold music. Then, all I had to do was tell the employee I’d been transferred to that no, he couldn’t convince me to renew my contract by making me a new, «attractive» offer. Because believe it or not, I really did just want out of the contract. As was my right under its terms and conditions.
Even though it hurts to lose customers, Noel simply considers this part of the job. Sometimes, he says, people might not be satisfied. Say, because there’s poor signal where they live. Unfortunately, Galaxus Mobile doesn’t have the authority to build extra mobile phone masts to improve poor network coverage. «Why would we try talking someone into staying with us? That wouldn’t be genuine. It wouldn’t be aligned with who we are either,» says Noel. «No one on our team gets commission for concluding a new contact or preventing a customer from cancelling,» he explains.
Help for the Chief Marketing Officer
That means nobody’s out chasing deals or putting customers under pressure. Plus, as we’ve already covered, the team works according to pre-defined hours. Not being reachable by phone 24/7 is the downside of the Swiss customer service model. However, customers can still send messages to Noel’s team outside of official business hours. When they start their shift in the morning, they check the e-mails that have come in overnight and sort them according to priority. These queries – covering everything from 4G and 5G compatibility, to fibre availability, to weird flashing lights on the router – are then dealt with as swiftly as possible.
Of course, any reports of malfunctions or porting problems take priority. For Noel, one case in particular stands out in his memory: when Galaxus’s Chief Marketing Officer – of all people – was having Galaxus Internet trouble. One morning, when the CMO’s connection suddenly went dead, Noel talked him through the potential causes of the problem over the phone. He even started making arrangements to replace his router. In the end, the reason behind the internet outage turned out to be pretty trivial. While digging outside a neighbouring property, a construction worker had accidentally severed a cable that supplied our CMO. A technician on site had the problem fixed in no time.
Noel says laughingly that, if necessary, he would’ve dropped in to his colleague’s place himself, adding «He’s practically my neighbour.» Now that’s what I call proximity to your customers. Certainly more proximity than you’d typically get in the civil service.
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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