South Island consumers will benefit from “greatly refined industry”

Press, 12 September 1988, Page 22

South Island consumers will benefit from “greatly refined industry”

As the fourth city to receive the Mobile Telephone Service, Christchurch can look forward to the arrival of a greatly refined industry than that which surfaced in the North Island last year.

By the official launch of the Mobile Telephone Service (M.T.S.) in Auckland in mid-August 1987, there were over 50 places in that city where one could obtain a mobile telephone. Variety was endless with over 35 different models on the market from 10 different manufacturers.

Needless to say, this situation was most confusing from the consumer’s viewpoint. With little or no experience of this new technology (not unlike many of the dealers and salesmen entering the in-

dustry) many wrong decisions were made as buyers were coerced into purchasing unsuitable, and often unreliable equipment, many at exorbitant prices on neverending finance agreements. Many less scrupulous dealers rubbed their hands together in glee at the easy profits then shut up shop and left their customers high and dry. The cowboy dealers have all but disappeared and those professional and competent companies which have been able to sustain growth in these troubled economic times have removed the major areas of customer confusion by promoting a smaller number of highly reputable product lines to prominence, thereby el-

iminating virtually all of the risks for prospective buyers. Having allowed the industry time to sort itself out, Telecom introduced the “Service Provider” principle wherein private organisations take over the responsibility for the billing of customers for M.T.S. charges. The move was designed to encourage professionalfem within the industry by encouraging all dealers to align themselves with a Telecom Accredited Service Provider (T.A.S.P.) and therefore ensuring self-regulation of conduct of the dealers and agents. Cellphone was the first appointed T.A.S.P. having the largest subscriber base of any mobile telephone company and an

impeccable record of superior customer service coupled with vast experience and product knowledge along with innovative high profile professional marketing techniques. The general manager of Cellphone, Mr Rick Smith; said that when the company looked at the South Island everything pointed in the same direction, Canterbury Communication Centre.

“Ben Rumble and Gary Batey are, without doubt, the telecommunications experts in the South Island with years of experience between them.

"I am convinced that their high standards andtotal commitment to solving customers’ requirements will raise the Cell-

phone profile above all others in the region.

“It has to be remembered that the top three M.T.S. companies hold over 60 per cent of the market and of the three, only Cellphone is muiti-branded. This is bound to give the customer more choice and because of our size we’re able to offer highly competitive pricing both for cash buyers and business renters.

Plus, dealing with Cellphone offers clients the ultimate one-stop service as they will receive their bills from us too. If people are in the market for mobile phones, not dealing with Cellphone could be a very costly mistake,” Mr Smith said.