In the last week, telecom companies from a host of different countries have responded to the disaster in Turkey and Syria. The responses range from offering direct aid, providing free service for aid workers, and giving customers at home access to free calls and texts to Turkey and Syria. Responses have come from countries in and around the immediate area, as well as many from further away, including the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

While the specifics of each company’s offer varies, it’s abundantly clear that telecoms across the region and beyond have made a conscious effort to help with the catastrophe in some way.

Tarifica’s Take

The tragedy in Turkey and Syria is not the first instance of telecom companies responding in this way, nor is it the only crisis to which they are responding currently (for example, multiple companies have responded in similar ways to the war in Ukraine).

In addition to being a positive contribution to the global community, such efforts usually end up being beneficial for the company as well. Not only does helping during a major crisis reap positive PR for a company, it also engenders good will and loyalty among its existing customer base. Offers of freebies and/or discounts during a distressing situation aim to ease some of the pressure and anxiety existing customers may be feeling in the moment. And once the crisis has passed, the belief is that customers are apt to remember, and will therefore be less inclined to switch providers in future.