Smart opening more service centers

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc., the wireless arm of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., is putting up more service channels to efficiently address its growing number of subscribers as more customers shift to the service provider.

PLDT-Smart spokesperson Ramon Isberto said the company has welcomed a number of subscribers that have “switched” or have left their old service provider in favor of Smart resulting to high growth numbers particularly in its postpaid call and text business.

Data showed that Smart saw a 43.3 percent year-on-year growth of its postpaid subscriber base in the first nine months of 2012 after its postpaid business booked fastest rate in terms of revenue share with a 25 percent jump in the third quarter alone.

 â€œDiscerning users are no longer willing to wait for a promise that may or may not happen. With Smart’s 100 percent super-charged mobile network, Smart subscribers can enjoy superior, reliable, world-class services right here and right now,” Isberto said.

The PLDT group has completed its P67.1 billion network modernization program in September last year while Ayala-controlled Globe Telecom Inc. is set to finish its $700 million network upgrade and transformation project within the first quarter of the year.

Isberto pointed out that tests conducted by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) once again confirmed that the mobile network of Smart delivers superior service compared to competition.

 â€œIn the last series of NTC network tests we already scored 5-0. Once again, despite claims of competition of having caught up with our super-charged network, our performance numbers speak for itself,” Isberto said.

To service the needs of its 52 million subscribers, Smart opened seven additional Smart Stores and 51 accredited sales centers (ASCs) all over the country last year strengthening its suite of self-care channels so customers can fulfill their needs anytime and anywhere they want.

Smart sales and distribution head Florante Jimenez said the company inaugurated Smart Stores in SM Megamall, Greenhills, SM Cebu, Iligan, Ozamiz, SM Lucena, and SM Marilao bringing the total number of Smart Stores nationwide to 99.

Jimenez said the telco also has a service kiosk at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City and launched 51 ASCs in different parts of the country, from Laoag in Ilocos Norte to Koronadal in South Cotabato. ASCs are service channels operated by Smart’s distributor partners.