Real-time loyalty insights: a live discussion with Roger Entner

Many U.S. airlines earn more profit from loyalty programs than from flying. Hotels and financial services companies are investing more in loyalty programs to address changing business models and consumer behavior. So what can telecom operators contending with commoditized connectivity learn from industries that have turned loyalty into a growth engine?

On the latest episode of Zero-Touch Live, Rakuten Symphony CMO Geoff Hollingworth sat down with Roger Entner, founder and lead analyst at Recon Analytics, to discuss what large-scale, near real-time research reveals about loyalty, differentiation and customer behavior in telecom.

📺 Watch the full replay below.

Following the data

“What once left operators running around for months can now be understood by the following Monday."

In the interview, Roger revealed what happens when market research matches the speed of disruption, taking viewers behind the scenes of a weekly process he undertakes to survey thousands of wireless and home internet customers. He shared how this continued cycle gives executives a way to test reactions to changes, ideas or announcements almost instantly. Instead of spending weeks wondering how a competitor’s new offer will land, they can see the results in near real time and adjust accordingly.

What the research reveals

As Geoff remarked, Roger fits the mold of a “data whisperer” who can hear what the numbers are really saying and surface meaning others might miss.

Roger’s research shows that loyalty programs don’t just drive retention, they often underpin entire profit models. Some key takeaways from his research, include:

• In some airlines, loyalty programs are the profit engine, with credit card mile sales alone generating enough to cover all profits.
• Telecom operators are already experimenting with similar models to flip negative, problem-driven interactions into positive touchpoints.
• Many benefits come at little or no cost to the operator because partner brands fund them as acquisition engines.
• By capturing total market responses across prepaid and postpaid, Roger’s research shows how these programs resonate across different customer segments, how competitor offers land and where churn risks lie.

AI and the role of networks

Roger also shared findings from a separate stream of research surveying more than 50,000 people on AI usage. The results are pointing to a reality that network type shapes behavior. On DSL or satellite, AI use is mostly mobile and limited to simple queries. On fiber, workloads expand to image generation and data analysis. On cable, lighter upstream capacity tilts usage toward writing and general analysis rather than heavier tasks.

“The lesson is that upload and latency are becoming critical factors in AI adoption. Far from being passive infrastructure, telecom networks are active participants in shaping how AI is used.”

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