Smart expands reach with Expresscall agreement

SUBSCRIBERS of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) can now enjoy easier access to Smart products and services.

Smart provincial distributor Expresscall recently opened its first accredited sales distributor (ASD) outlet in northern Cebu, expanding the telco’s reach and allowing it to serve its retailers and subscribers more efficiently.

ASDs are service channels operated by Smart’s distributor partners. Being such allows Expresscall to render other services of the company, aside from selling Smart products like load cards, e-load, and SIM packs.

Expresscall serves all Smart customers and over 12,000 active retailers in northern Cebu, including those in the metro cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Danao and the municipalities of Consolacion up to Bantayan farther north, as well as the islands of Camotes and Malapascua.

With about a hundred Smart Stores nationwide, Smart wireless consumer division head and executive vice president Emmanuel Lorenzana explained that putting up additional service channels by turning partners into ASDs allows the company to expand its reach to customers.

Accreditation

“They believe in our products, they implement measures to develop retailers, and they make it easy for our customers to have access to our services. In return, we provide them the initial infrastructure and expertise,” he said, describing how Smart accredits its partners to become ASDs.

According to Lorenzana, Expresscall fits Smart’s accreditation requirements.

Lorenzana was guest at the recent ceremony marking Expresscall’s accreditation, held at its store in Parkmall, Mandaue City.

“With the training and access to systems that Smart provided to Expresscall, we can now accept payments for postpaid subscriptions and utility bills accepted by Smart, we can sell mobile phones and broadband devices offered by Smart, and even answer concerns of postpaid subscribers,” said Gloria Braña Uy, Expresscall owner.

Expresscall started out more than a decade ago as a dealer of telecommunication products and services, but became an exclusive provincial distributor of Smart in 2010, Uy said.

Since then, Expresscall and Smart have worked closely together to reward loyal retailers with various ‘perks’. These include invitations to “meet and greet” celebrity-brand ambassadors of Smart when they are in Cebu, getting prioritized in retailers’ promotions, and the chance to attend conventions.

Edward Arenasa, one of Expresscall’s loyal retailers, said he and his wife lost their jobs in 2001 when their respective companies retrenched employees. This prompted them to put up a sari-sari store to sell, among others, Smart prepaid load.

“We have been very happily doing business with Smart and Expresscall since then,” Arenasa said.

At the launching pf Expresscall as a Smart ASD, the telecom dealer also formally introduced its Mentoring Valuable Projects in the Community livelihood program, which Expresscall implements in coordination with retailers like Arenasa, and with the support of Smart. (PR)