Ethio-telecom rebrands service centers, introduces new channels

The sole telecom service provider, ethio telecom, began rebranding its service centers around the country this month for the first time in nine years. The telecom, which had 6 million active subscribers in 2010 is planning to implement a customer visit management system to improve performance and resolve previous complaints. The telecom also announced that it will pilot new shops to be opened at hotels and malls which have a high customer flow. The telecom have 41 41 million active subscriber.
A new brand positioning was also introduced as “potential enablers” replacing the previous one “sharing”, and new tagline called: “bringing new possibilities”.
In February 2012 the new logo that replaced the lion, a drum and sticks, was introduced upon the departure of the French telecom as the company transformed from ETC to the current structure. The new logo raised controversy as it was similar to one European company. The telecom removed the black background replaced it with lemon green.
“We now have white, blue and lemon as our brand colors and now we are injecting red and yellow to allow our brand evolvement,” said Worku Mulualem, director of trade and marketing at the telecom said. “We are implementing these new brand colors at our renovation projects. The black background of the telecom logo was replaced immediately based on the feedback which reflects it as depressing and controversial with our culture.”
The telecom recently removed the 3D effects of its brand icon because it was difficult to print or use in promotional materials.
The telecom has shops in many locations with varying degree of services. They are studying the current capacity of shops and plan to make changes. For example some should be able to handle more traffic. The Telecom will upgrade or down grade shops alongside with renovating the service centers. Medium, high, grand, grand plus are the status of the shops.
After rebranding its shops, the telecom will replace its existing furniture and add new brand colors. Many employees have complained of things like back pain or discomfort, according to Ephrem. The renovation of the service centers will take into account the opinions of employees and the customers.
The marketing department has conducted a survey all over the country sampling shops and recommending solutions.
The working hours of the service centers will be extended until 7 o’clock in the evening on weekdays and until 5:30 on Saturdays. The service centers will begin working over lunchtime at all Addis Abeba branches. The new Customer Management System which is going to replace the traditional queue will have a machine supported schedule for customers which report to one centralized system in the head office to control if the tailors are handling customers properly or not, according to the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer (CMCO) Ephrem Arefaine.
Currently, ethio telecom has 367 service centers all over the country where 116 are owned shops, 103 franchises, 42 were installed this fiscal year and six will be opened at hotels and malls. The telecom has 56 business enterprise shops, which give service only to companies with the additional 23 opened recently. The telecom had 272 service centers in the past fiscal year and reached 446 with the addition of 174 shops this year.
A delegate traveled to Dubai to survey state-of-the-art service centers of international operators and came back with ideas for shops with showroom service. The shops to be opened in the malls and hotels will have platforms for customers to experience new products other than using the previous traditional service, according to the CMCO.
“In the global expertise, service centers are not installed only to sell a few products but to represent the company’s image and to promote new products,” he said. “We will make our service centers provide satisfactory services by selling our image at its best.”

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