Earning an industry award is a milestone. Earning it three years in a row is a testament to sustained company-wide commitment. 2025 marks the third consecutive time Zayo has won the Business Intelligence Excellence in Customer Service Award, validating our commitment to exemplary service. For DJ Leckwold, SVP of Customer Success at Zayo, it’s a reflection of how we do business at every level.
“For us to win this award for Zayo, it’s a phenomenal feeling, because all of our employees’ hard work is paying off.” DJ reflects on the win, emphasizing, “it’s just a huge shout-out to all of our folks out there that have been working day in and day out to take care of our customers.”
This achievement stands out in the competitive telecommunications industry, where Zayo distinguishes itself by prioritizing exceptional customer service. In this piece, we’ll explore how Zayo is redefining customer success in telecom through unique performance indicators, targeted investment in advanced tools, and a world-class team.
Hear more about what makes Zayo’s Customer Success team thrive:
Redefining Customer Service in an Industry with a Reputation Problem
Prolonged delivery times, sluggish response rates, and overly complicated support systems have been the source of frustration for telecommunications customers for years. As DJ aptly states, telecom companies have “historically been known for being difficult to do business with.”
To disrupt outdated norms and reimagine what is possible, DJ and his team have made deliberate efforts to make Zayo stand out as the “anti-telco telco,” as he describes. The goal? To set a new standard for what stellar, proactive customer service looks like in the telecom industry.
Zayo’s success is driven by our team, which prioritizes a culture of alignment, leadership, and continuous improvement, all backed by data-driven insights from surveys and performance metrics. This focus on engagement and empowerment translates into exceptional customer experiences built on transparency, responsiveness, and ease of use—proof that Zayo is the “anti-telco” telco, putting customers first at every step.
Tracking What Matters: Measuring and Responding to Customer Experience
You can’t improve what you don’t measure—or what you don’t listen to. Rather than relying solely on industry-standard Net Promoter Score (NPS), we go further with a comprehensive approach that includes our unique Journey Score and Zayo Satisfaction Scores (ZSat). These metrics measure satisfaction at key milestones like buying, delivery, support, and renewal, providing a detailed understanding of how customers feel at every stage of their journey.
Targeted feedback surveys allow us to gather insights directly from customers at critical touchpoints. DJ explains: “We measure those moments in time to understand: Did they get the communication they needed from us? How was that individual doing servicing them?” This feedback drives actionable improvements, ensuring we address issues quickly and enhance service delivery across the board.
In 2024, this approach delivered measurable results. Our NPS increased by 16 points, Journey Scores by 7%, and ZSat scores by 4%, reflecting improvement across all areas of the customer experience. By engaging customers through surveys, focus groups, and client forums, we gain valuable insights to guide targeted actions that consistently elevate satisfaction.
“Our customers are the most experienced in terms of what doesn’t work, and it’s our job to listen,” DJ explains. By analyzing performance data and acting on feedback, we not only resolve issues but also anticipate customer needs. This disciplined, customer-first approach ensures we deliver a better, more reliable experience at every stage of the journey.
Investing Where It Counts: People, Process, and Technology
Improving customer service quality in telecommunications requires a strategic focus on infrastructure, innovation, and, above all, investing in people.
A Stronger, Smarter Network
A key to delivering a superior customer experience lies in preventing problems before they arise. By building a resilient, high-quality network, Zayo minimizes concerns about network reliability for its customers. Zayo’s approach to proactive network expansion and enhancement “ensures that we have a stable, high-quality network that customers can rely on,” says Leckwold.
In the past year, Zayo has expanded its North American network with over 800,000 newly added fiber miles, while continuing to invest heavily in advanced automation tools. These upgrades are designed to improve connectivity and optimize critical error response, ensuring a more reliable and seamless network experience. With advanced automation technologies, Zayo’s Customer Success teams can offer on-demand service delivery and proactive monitoring, detecting, and resolving issues before they affect customers.
Building a Team That Drives Growth
Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and our teams are truly world-class. With ongoing investments in training, leadership development, and cutting-edge tools, our Customer Success team is uniquely equipped to provide a personalized, exceptional experience in every interaction.
“At the end of the day, our folks are the ones who are there to take care of customers, to deal with any concerns our clients have, any issues they need resolved.” To elevate the customer experience further, our teams are equipped with cutting-edge communication and case management tools, keeping clients informed and updated at every stage.
2025 and Beyond: Raising the Bar for Customer Success
The 2025 Business Intelligence Excellence in Customer Service Award is not a victory lap; it’s a shining light on a longer path. “We’re just getting started,” Leckwold puts it simply. “We still have a ton of opportunity in front of us. We still look and see customers giving us feedback about things we can do better and differently.”
Zayo’s mission is to connect what’s next for its customers. The customers we serve are leading the way in transformation and innovation, and we want to ensure their networks are a catalyst to that innovation – not a roadblock. Zayo is committed to the continuing investment in the future success of our teams to deliver the highest quality products and support, allowing our customers to shape what’s next.
Connect with Zayo’s Award-Winning Team
Tired of the telecommunications industry’s mediocre customer service? You’re not alone. We’re here to change that by delivering not just a better network, but also a more personalized and impactful customer experience.