Not long ago, a mere 200MB cost a whooping N10,000! Today, with the removal of the data floor pricing by the Nigerian Communications Commission, your operator may be magnanimous enough to give you that same 200MB for free upon a successful airtime recharge. This is an example of how creating a professional public institution and giving it the right political backing can make a difference despite obvious challenges.
In a ‘Signature Research’ series, an industry leading perspective on telecoms technology, competition and market evolution released by Ovum in November 2011, analysts, without much equivocation, pointed at ‘customers’ and ‘cost reduction’ as the prime focus areas for telecoms service providers today.
They opined that if tackled correctly, these objectives are not mutually exclusive but are complementary. The Signature Research reflected the breadth and depth of Ovum’s coverage, including informed opinion, advice on how to capitalise on industry developments, and intelligence in the form of forecasts and market insight.
Analysts at Ovum noted that Telco customer service directors had identified that ‘addressing the customer service model’ was top priority, while CIOs had acknowledged that ‘improving the customer experience’ was a primary area for investment.
This demonstrates that Telcos recognise that their future lies with their existing customers. Customer service expectations have been raised by their experiences in other verticals, meaning that Telcos will need to work very hard to engage, retain, and satisfy their existing customers.
It seems the Telcos in Nigeria are borrowing a leaf from the Ovum’s perspective as they have recently engaged in ‘data price war’; a sort of cold war that has made the cost of data cheaper and more readily available. I am in the category of Nigerians who have to use all networks and the truth is that I have data in all of them, unlike before.
Beyond the ‘new data price regime’, however, there is a need to remind the Telcos that there are other nagging issues, such as customer care, which they must swiftly address.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. BabatundeFashola; and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission have been labouring to convince Nigerians to pay more for power to enable the electricity generation and distribution companiesto perform better. The argument of electricity consumers, however, has always been: ‘provide power and we shall willingly pay’.
With the Telcos and their customers, the case is a little bit different, because the Telcos seem to be covering their tracks by stuffing the mouth of their customers with price reductions. — Finish Reading on the Punch Website
