Malaysian operator U Mobile is offering customers a chance to try its new and improved 4G/LTE network over a seven-day period via the #UCubaTry Money-Back-Guarantee campaign. The operator said it added over 2,000 new and improved 4G/LTE sites over the past year.
To enjoy #UCubaTry, customers must go to one of the operator’s retail locations to sign up. The weeklong trial enables customers to enjoy key offerings of its Unlimited Hero P99 postpaid plan. On top of that, customers may enjoy unlimited calls and 30 GB of data for mobile hotspot throughout the trial period.
U Mobile’s #UCubaTry campaign also consists of two other promotions: Customers who sign up for U Mobile’s unlimited-data postpaid plans such as Unlimited Hero P79, P99 or P139 will be able to purchase smartphones such as iPhone 6S 32 GB, Oppo F11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy A20, A30, A50, for MYR 0.99 (US $0.24). As part of the campaign, customers who port into U Mobile’s Unlimited Hero P99 and P139 postpaid plans will also receive a MYR 120.00 (US $29) rebate on their monthly fees over a period of one year.
Tarifica’s Take
Amid the profusion of plan offerings on the one hand and the promise of 5G technology on the other, one thing that is easy to lose sight of is network quality. Operators should keep in mind that this underlying feature is absolutely key in mobile markets, in terms of customer retention and acquisition.
U Mobile does business in the very competitive Malaysian market, where six MNOs vie for subscribers. By subscriber numbers, U Mobile ranks fourth, so it clearly has reason to work hard to boost its market share. While designing plans with appealing features is undeniably an a effective way to gain subscribers, plans come and go. Network assets, on the other hand, are a necessary precondition to the use of any mobile plan, and emphasizing the strength and reliability of an operator’s network is a strong method of driving uptake.
If an operator such as U Mobile has recently upgraded or expanded a network, that is the ideal time to advertise its merits. And advertising them by inviting participation and first-hand experience of their benefits is the most persuasive means of doing so. Therefore, allowing users to try out the improved 4G/LTE network is a savvy move—provided, of course, that the upgrades are genuine and can be easily experienced and assessed by the users in question. If the network has truly made a competitive leap, that fact should in itself bolster acquisition of new customer, upgrading of existing customers from 3G to 4G, and customer retention in general.
This offer involves payment for services followed by a rebate. If an operator felt it could afford it, a completely free introductory offer to sample the network’s strength would, of course, be even more persuasive, especially to those who are not currently customers of the operator.