[kictanet] Number Portability - Baptism of fire

[robert yawe]

On the 1st of April when number portability became active I expected to see long 
lines at various providers customer service centres but shockingly there where 
none, at least not in the Nairobi CBD.

We expected that there would be huge full and double page advertisements in the 
newspapers and scantily dressed girls and over dressed boys shoving fliers down 
our throats, so why hasn't it happened?

Some of the offers made no sense and others might have had a negative effect, 
for example, Orange had a half page advertisement on a postpay offer yet when I 
called the listed number it went unanswered I then send an email to the address 
shown, it is 3 days later and I have had no response.  The mistake Orange keep 
making is assuming that they are competing with the rest, they need to 
acknowledge that they are the underdog and behave accordingly.  Safaricom can 
have a policy not to sell dual SIM phones but Orange do not have the luxury, 
they objective should be cannibalism.

On Sunday I passed by Orange's new customer service centre at the Sarit Centre 
and was received with the usual cold reception, after spending a minutes working 
round the very small shop I walked over to talk to a staff member who was seated 
at a desk "texting" away on a phone oblivious to her surrounding to ask about 
the new postpay advert that was in the paper.  As expected she had absolutely no 
clue of the advert or even the offer.  So why is it that organisations have 
e-mail and intranets if information from the ivory tower is sent to the branches 
and floors below using Postal Mail (postive for PMG)?

That is the problem with Orange and we do not really expect much better from 
them, but Safaricom needs to find its footing afresh as their product offerings 
and customer service is quickly becoming wanting.  There reaction to the number 
portability issue seems to have missed the mark, they are concentrating on 
attracting new subscribers instead of trying to retain the existing ones.

An associate of mine saw the N8 on offer and dragged me along as he applied for 
the new service, he is an existing postpay customer but because the offer is not 
available to existing postpay customers he had to cancel his existing contract 
to take up a new one so as to enjoy the phone offer.  I hope the exception 
report will be tabled at their Monday management meeting so that they can 
rethink the strategy.

I was tempted to do the same but realised it was actually easier to just apply 
afresh which will resulting in Safaricom making the mistake of thinking that the 
offer had brought in a new subscriber yet it the the existing ones who are 
taking additional lines.  Safcom will realise this when my bill next month for 
my main line drops by 90% and the difference in usage moves to the new number.

Well as is confirmed yet again, Kenyans are peculiar.

Regards
 Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya


Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
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