Neotel has opened its first wholly-owned retail outlet in the Western Cape, as the second national operator slowly begins to expand its customer footprint.
The store, which is located in the northern Cape Town suburb of Bellville, at the N1 City Mall, is the second retail outlet after Neotel opened in the north of Johannesburg last year.
Neotel executive head of corporate communication, Wandile Zote, says the directly owned and operated Neotel store is seen as another channel for the company to make direct contact with its potential and current customers. It will continue to offer its products and services through Autopage and PostNet outlets.
Neotel refuses to say how many customers it has in the Western Cape or nationally for its retail offering; however, last year the number of 5 000 had been put forward by market observers.
“We have a significant customer base in the Western Cape, hence the decision to open the store,” Zote says.
Plans are afoot to open other stores in Durban and Pretoria by the end of March, but - for the time being - there will only be one shop in Cape Town.
Zote says: “For many consumers and small businesses, the concept of converged communications can be confusing. So, being able to touch and feel our various offerings, enables the customer, at an extremely practical level, to view just what the latest technologies can do and what cost and service advantages they gain by choosing Neotel.”
He says customers are already using Neotel's Web site, call centre, and a range of channel partners to order and purchase products, but it was felt they needed a Neotel standalone store option as well.
Zote says the Johannesburg store has proved that a retail outlet does drive brand awareness and it also understands that customers will use the store for more than just sales.
“In addition, customers are looking for technical advice and support. It's clear that even in a highly connected age, many still feel more comfortable meeting Neotel staff who are giving them advice or selling them a product,” Zote says.
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