By Pratap John
Vodafone is lowering its standard international calling rate to QR1.95 a minute from QR2.50 earlier and will further provide ‘promotional rates’ to countries, which customers call often.
Vodafone’s new international calling offers take effect on November 15.
Vodafone Qatar CEO Grahame Maher said every customer would receive ‘personalised special pricing’ on countries, which they call often.
For example, if a Vodafone customer frequently calls India and the US, he/she will get ‘special calling rates’ to these countries. The ‘special calling rates’ will be notified to customers through text messages from November 15.
Asked about the ‘special calling rates’ Maher said, “I cannot disclose more details now. All I can say now is that these will be significantly lower than the QR1.95/ minute we are offering on international calls regardless of the destination.”
Vodafone Qatar product manager Mike Button said the service provider would use its database to choose a customer’s ‘most frequently called destination’.
“If a customer calls four or five countries quite often, he will be offered special rates to each of these places. All our customers will be notified about ‘personalised special pricing’ through SMS,” Button said.
He said Vodafone customers do not have to do anything to avail of the offer.
“They don’t have to contact our call centre or send a message. We will offer them new rates through text messages and this will happen from November 15. While customers will receive an SMS giving them the rate to the country they call most often, they also benefit from the promotional rates that are on offer to all the other countries as well,” Button said.
All Vodafone customers – prepaid (Red) and post-paid (Freedom) will benefit from international calling offers, Maher said.
“We are thrilled to have helped many customers keep in touch with their loved ones all around the world through our very successful first international calling promotion, which ends on November 14. Vodafone recognises the importance of making it easy for all people in Qatar to keep in touch with their loved ones abroad. This is why we are introducing the new international calling promotion and reducing standard international rate in time for Eid al-Adha,” Maher added.
Vodafone products and services can be accessed at www.vodafone.com.qa, customer service centre (111) or any retail store at Villagio, Landmark, City Center, Al Khor, LuLu Hypermarket, Musherib Street, Industrial Area and Al Furousiya.
Response to Dh50 promo ‘overwhelming’
Vodafone mobile traffic hit 3.2mn minutes a day at the peak of its ‘Dh50 promotion’, product manager Mike Button said. “Customer response was overwhelming. This was why we had capacity constraints in the initial days. We are trying to get more capacity to meet our customer needs,” Button said. He said the average mobile traffic was 2.2mn minutes a day during the ‘Dh50 promotion’.
“This is much more than the average we have seen in the UK,” Button said. Vodafone Qatar CEO Grahame Maher said the service provider was in talks with ictQATAR and Qtel for extra capacity. Capacity is limited in Qatar because of just one landing station and a submarine cable. “We hope to have our own facility in place within two years,” Maher added. |
