Soon after inking a deal to sell a stake in Virgin Mobile SA to Middle Eastern mobile virtual network operator, the Friendi Group, a shake-up is on the cards at the local company. Virgin Mobile SA plans to reduce its store footprint to stores in key locations in each region, it says.
Over the next 18 months, it will roll out additional physical points of sale across SA that will be manned by customer service personnel.
Virgin Mobile, which piggybacks on Cell C’s network, plans to convert eight key stores from sales-focused franchise stores into full-service stores offering a full range of products and services, including sales, renewals, upgrades and customer service and advice. It will also offer online sales and service through a new website and is exploring alternative sales channels that “make sense for customers”.
The eight key store locations identified are Eastgate, Southgate, Key West and Cedar Square in Gauteng; Canal Walk in the Western Cape; Pavilion and Galleria in KwaZulu-Natal; and Mall of the North in Limpopo.
“Our company recently became part of the larger Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa (VMMEA) group,” Virgin says in a statement. “An important benefit of this change for Virgin Mobile in South Africa is a renewed focus on delivering a true Virgin customer experience at every customer touch point.”
The aim, it says, is to deliver an “improved and differentiated customer experience by leveraging VMMEA best practice and investment in improved systems and processes across all aspects of Virgin Mobile SA’s operations”.
“This initiative has already kicked off and is expected to conclude during the first half of 2013 and all activity is geared towards delivering a brilliant experience — in store, online or over the phone.” — (c) 2012 NewsCentral Media
