The Mobitel Quarterly Corporate Newsletter
GIANT LEAP: Scoring another first
March, 2013
CONTENT 1. Editorial Team.
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2. Editor’s Note
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3. Company News
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4. Cover Story: Giant leap; Scoring another first with LTE
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5. The Ethical Employee by Glowreeyah Braimah
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6. Val in Mobitel (Photo Splash)
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7. Gadget Watch: How does the Nokia Lumia 920 compare to Apple's iPhone 5?
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8. The Customer is not dependent on us by Paul Peters E.
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9. The Books Page
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10. Social Diary: Weddings, babies and Birthdays.
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11. Back page.
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EDITORIAL TEAM
PUBLISHER & CHAIRMAN Johnson Salako EDITOR Sylva Ifedigbo CONTRIBUTORS Gloria Braimah Paul Peters-Ebhohimhen Laura Osima GRAPHICS DESIGNER Rotimi Onalaru.
MobiDigest is an in-house publication of the Corporate Communications & Group Research Unit of Mobitel Limited. All correspondences should be sent to corporatecommunication@mobitel.com.ng
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Editor’s Note Terms like 4G and LTE have been tossed around with abandon these past few years. Every operator is either touting their LTE network, or promising to launch one soon. The question on the minds of many is; what really is all this noise about? A brief history will suffice. As our needs for data consumption grew, there was an understanding that we would be reaching a tipping point for data at some point. Around the turn of the millennium, the International Telecommunications Union (or ITU, which governs things like radio frequency and spectrum) commissioned the 3GPP to study what could be done to improve existing networks. A few options presented themselves. First was WiMAX, a next generation technology already in place. WiMAX was good, but it was a network built from the ground-up thus pretty expensive to build and maintain. The next option, which was born of the study, was LTE. An LTE network would simply be a redesign of what was currently in place, so the cost was relatively low. As both CDMA and GSM had reached a plateau of sorts regarding data speed transmission, LTE seemed like the clear winner. It was cheaper, used current technologies, and could be implemented rather quickly. In 2004, the decision was made to go with LTE for the future of data transmission. After the normal bureaucratic red-tape associated with such ventures, the very first public LTE networks were available in Oslo and Stockholm December of 2009. The next Spring, the first commercially available phones would go on sale in the US — the Samsung Galaxy Indulge for Metro PCS and HTC Thunderbolt for Verizon. In Nigeria, Mobitel Limited in 2010 made history as the first to launch real 4G broadband service in the country. We are set to once again make history by being the first to transit and rollout service on LTE starting with a pilot billed for March 2013. This issue of our corporate newsletter sheds some light on this giant stride and the possibilities of the future. Like our company, we have also stepped up and have repackaged the newsletter to better represent our corporate identity and align more succinctly with the new direction of Management. This edition is packed with exciting, entertaining and informative content including company news, interesting articles, social diary and lots of pictures. Happy reading! Sylva Ifedigbo Editor.
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COMPANY NEWS Mobitel Appoints New Senior Management Staff
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n its continued drive to reposition the business by attracting the best talent available, Mobitel has announced the appointment of two new senior management staff to take charge of two key aspects of its operations.
The new senior executives are Tolu Ojo and Stanley Dania who will function as Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Finance Officer respectively. Tolu is an experienced business manager with over 20 years of working experience in Telecoms, FMCG, Pharmaceuticals and Consulting. He has held various top management positions in various leading companies including being Director of Sales for Etisalat Nigeria, Head of Regional Commercial Operations for Celtel Nigeria (now AirtelNigeria), Project Manager for MTN Nigeria, Senior Consultant for Ernst & Young UK and Regional Business Manager for Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, UK. Prior to his engagement with Mobitel, he was MD/CEO of Tecgsm Nigeria a Telcom& ICT firm. Tolu Holds a BSc from University of Ibadan Nigeria and MBA from Henley Management College UK. Stanley who joined in February 2013 has extensive experience in investment banking and public entity financial reporting and governance. He has held senior level or CFO positions in Lagos, Johannesburg and Calgary with several companies including Superior Plus Corp, ARM Capital Partners, SAP and Nigerian-German Chemicals. Stanley has an MBA from IESE Business School, Barcelona and he is both a member of the Certified General Accountant’s Association of Alberta, Canada and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
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Mobitel Unveils New Website
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n Monday 7th January, 2013, Mobitel unveiled its brand new corporate website. The website is borne out of the company’s desire to improve the presentation, appeal and functionality of its web presence, better adopt social media engagement tools
and creating a uniform feel across all platforms with the view to better positioning itself to provide quality service to its customers. Speaking on the new site Mobitel’s Chief Executive Officer Johnson Salako stated that as the pioneer provider of true broadband service in the country, Mobitel aims to maintaining the leadership position in her segment by continuously adopting innovative solutions that enables her meet her vision of being the best in user experience in all aspects of telecommunications service delivery. "The new site coming live at the start of the New Year is very symbolical for us as a company. It is a peep at what is to come from us this year. Users will find that their experience on the site is seamless, a reflection of the kind of excellent service quality we are known for" he said. The website is built with many user friendly tools that enhance user experience allowing for customer engagement, easy purchasing and payment as well as prompt customer care. The site also offers recreational avenues as well as learning materials including latest developments in the telecoms industry locally and internationally which will enrich customers and technology enthusiasts alike. The website is available at www.mobitel.com.ng and is complimented with an active facebook , twitter and YouTube presence.
Mobitel Celebrates Valentine with Style. he 2013 Valentine Day will go down as a memorable one for all Mobitel staff as the Management treated staff to a surprise Valentine Day in-house party. The event which was put together by the Human Resources unit afforded staff the opportunity of sharing in the Tspirit of the season with food, drinks and general merriment. Staff members at all locations were part of the celebration and expressed happiness at the event and thanked Management for their amazing show of love and commitment to staff welfare. See page 11 &12 for pictures from the event at the HQ. 6
COVER STORY range of LTE access devices such as LTE
GIANT LEAP: SCORING ANOTHER FIRST WITH LTE Laura Osima & Sylva Ifedigbo
smart phones, USB dongles, Mobile Hotspots, Wireless router indoor units and Tablets.
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he Nigerian data market is clearly looking forward to LTE technology and Mobitel, a leader in this segment has positioned itself to pioneer this innovation in this country. In the light of this, Mobitel is planning to introduce LTE technology in Lagos, Abuja and PH in 2013 starting with a pilot launch in Apapa, Lagos scheduled for March 2013.
The network roll-out in Lagos will begin in Apapa in the first week of March 2013 where the network will be piloted for about eight weeks before the deployment begins in the other parts of Lagos. Apapa will be a test environment for the products and services to be launched with LTE. This pilot project will solidify Mobitel’s position as a top provider of true, high-speed broadband internet service in Nigeria and present her as an innovative leader in this segment dedicated to making advanced technology available to all the citizens who aspire to improve their lives and to
LTE which stands for Long Term Evolution is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. It is a superior broadband technology that offers downloadable speed of 100Mbps which is 10 times faster when compared to current 3G and 4G WIMAX services currently being used by operators.
function in society at higher and higher levels of effectiveness for their own personal benefit as well as for the benefit of society at large. Indeed, Mobitel will be “firstto-market” with the 4G LTE deployment in Nigeria.
LTE creates a whole new world of possibilities, offering capabilities for increased data, Voice, Digital content, IPTV and other Value added and Integrated Services. These will be available on a wide
Target Customers for the launch of the network in Apapa will be Corporate Organisations, SMEs, SOHOs, Residential homes or apartments and 7
high net-worth individuals who require internet access from static locations. The network will be launched with focus on indoor devices, that will be ‘LTE only’ enabled, which means that those devices will only be active in the LTE coverage areas with such services as data, digital content and IPTV being explored to be on offer.
steady foot fall of our target customers wishing to partake in the experiential component. What we shall be communicating is the benefits of the new technology to the user in whatever their activities are not the technological capabilities. We hope to benefit immensely from the expected word-of-mouth testimonials and advertising.
The Marketing theme for the Apapa pilot is User Experience. The benefits and quality of the Mobitel LTE service are virtually unimaginable until experienced; once experienced, we expect customers to find it absolutely indispensable for advancing their lifestyle, business and general performance. Hence, our strategy emphasizes the creation of accessible experiential opportunities around the coverage area which supported by an aggressive PR and Marketing communication will ensure
The Pilot LTE launch in Apapa is a pointer to Mobitels’ new direction and strategic focus which perfectly fits into its mission if being the best in customer experience in all areas of telecommunications service delivery. Underlining this focus is the three value pillars or DNA of Mobitel which are Quality, Care and Simplicity.We look forward to exciting days ahead and the possibilities that this giant leap presents us both as individuals and as an organisation.
The LTE Advantage
Across board, LTE offers higher capacity than WiMax. For instance, Mobitel’s current WiMax base-stations have a capacity of 33 Mbps. Migrating to LTE, which at a minimum offers 80 Mbps, is a strategic decision that increases the networks capacity by many folds. Furthermore, given that co-location is one of the largest cost items in running a network, we can immediately see the potential savings that would accrue to the company by investing in LTE which will require a fewer number of base stations per unit area. LTE base stations are less expensive than WiMax base stations, which results in additional cost savings. It is expected that in the future the prices of LTE-compatible devices will be on a down slope as the large global operators migrate to LTE. Furthermore, the decline of global WiMax demand is expected to seriously erode vendor support, further exacerbating the cost picture and the service quality that operators could provide Since LTE can be SIM Card-Based, both operators and consumers would gain greater flexibility. Moreover, the availability of SIM cards benefits operators by bringing down 8 customer acquisition costs.
THE ETHICAL EMPLOYEE By Gloria Braimah
Whether you’re just starting out in an entry-level position or you’ve risen to the pinnacle of the higher echelons of Management, being an ethical employee requires balancing a variety of ethical obligations. These obligations include obligations to your co-workers, the company, clients, vendors, the general public, your family and most importantly, YOU!
Giving Credit
In Emily Post’s 1927 edition of her groundbreaking book Etiquette, she wrote (and I paraphrase)-the way we behave ethically matters in our day-to-day lives and that the way we treat each other reflects on who we really are, rather than who we appear to be.
In the business world, innovative ideas and strategies is the winning ticket to advancement. Taking credit for someone else’s ideas and strategies-passively or actively is a form of stealing. If you bring up a new idea that originated from someone else, quickly credit that person, whether or not he or she is present. Similarly, if you find out after the fact that someone has mistakenly credited you with an idea, go to the appropriate people immediately and tell them who actually generated the idea.
Etiquette is not some rigid code of manners. It is simply how persons’ lives touch one another. Far from stifling your personality in a straitjacket of do’s and don’t’s, etiquette gives you the confidence to handle a variety of situations with ease and aplomb.
Withholding Information
Some important etiquette for maintaining a good relationship between you and your coworkers include:
Holding back information from a colleague either to hurt that employee’s performance or to enhance your own is wrong. Do ask for information directly, if such information should rightfully be yours.
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Accepting Blame
Abusive Behaviour
A serious mistake has been made and someone must be held accountable. If the error was yours; it is incumbent on you to stand up at once and openly accept responsibility. Allowing another person to take the punishment for something that wasn’t their fault-or even running that riskis flatly unethical. Similarly, if someone blames you unfairly, you have every right to demand that your colleague sets the record straight.
You may dis-agree with the way a person is doing his job or dislike him/her for some reason, but that is never an excuse to berate or intimidate a co-worker. Abusive behaviour is an infringement of basic workplace rights. Feel free to politely tell anyone who behaves abusively towards you that their behaviour is inappropriate. If this continues, bring it to your immediate Supervisor’s attention and further on to the Human Resources Department.
Back-stabbing and undermining Objectively outline the positive and negative aspects of your colleague’s performance, if your boss or fellow employee invites your critique. Objectively outline the positive and negative aspects, while avoiding any overtly personal criticism.
Black and White or Shades of Grey? In any ethical dilemma, always ask yourself, ’Who will be helped by a given potential action, and how-and who will be hurt by it and how?’’ Consider the positive and negative consequences and weigh them carefully.
Respecting Privacy
True ethics means to hold yourself to the highest level of behaviour because you want to-not because you’re afraid of getting caught and punished for flouting a specific rule.
Avoid being privy to your co-worker’s personal correspondence, e-mails and phone-calls. In other words, don’t snoop! Keeping Confidences
Abiding by the six (6) core values of Equality, Truth, Honesty, Integrity, Cocooperativeness and Self-Regulation as listed by The Better Business Bureau, will guide you through even the thorniest ethical dilemmas and make you a more responsible, more employable person!
You are ethically obligated to keep personal and work-related information confidential. However, if this information is clearly injurious to anyone or the company, it is incumbent on you to flag the issue with the appropriate authority.
Gloria Braimah (aka ‘Glowreeyah’) is the Lead Manager, Legal/Regulatory Services with a dual role in Human Resources. 10
VAL 2013 IN MOBITEL PHOTO SPEAK
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GADGET WATCH
How does the Nokia Lumia 920 compare to Apple's iPhone 5? Design The Nokia Lumia 920 follows a similar design trend seen on the company's previous Lumia phones like the Lumia 900 and the Lumia 800. It's constructed from a single piece polycarbonate which is coloured all the way through in the manufacturing process, so any scratches to the surface won't be too noticeable.
The Lumia 920's design is a far different picture to the iPhone 5. Its feather light 112g weight is one of the best features of the device and Apple certainly deserves a huge amount of credit for managing to make the phone significantly lighter than its predecessor while increasing its overall footprint. At just 7.6mm, the iPhone 5 is also one of the thinnest smartphones on the market.
The colours on offer (particularly yellow, red, white and grey) are certainly bold and refreshing among a sea of boring, black or white slabs. However, the Lumia 920 is 10.7mm thick and weighs 185g, so it's far from the thinnest or lightest smartphone on the market. It doesn't compare favourably in girth or weight against the iPhone 5 or even the Samsung Galaxy S III and the HTC One X. Users who long for a thin and light phone are likely to be left a little disappointed.
Display If you're balancing size and weight with screen size, then the Lumia 920 immediately begins to look more appealing next to the iPhone 5. For starters it is larger than the iPhone 5 (4.5in compared to 4in) and it has a pixel density of 332ppi, slightly higher than the iPhone 5's 326ppi. In fact, the Lumia 920 has one
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of the highest pixel density ratings on the market, bettering most current flagship smartphones.
monitor, and a revamped backup system that now includes the ability to backup SMS messages.
That pixel density rating comes from a resolution of 1280x768. Previous Lumia devices were hamstrung by Microsoft's maximum allowed resolution of 800x480, so this is a significant upgrade if you're coming from an older Windows Phone. A unique feature is the fact that the Lumia 920's touchscreen can be used even if you're wearing gloves.
The Windows Phone platform is a smooth, effective and efficient OS. The interface is refreshing and different to anything else on the market and performance has been consistently smooth in most devices that have been released so far. The fact that the Lumia 920 will come with a dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM should ensure that performance will be competitive with the best smartphones on the market.
Nokia cites the use of PureMotion HD+ technology on the Lumia 920's screen, which it says will refresh pixels faster than many other LCD panels. Nokia also claims that the Lumia 920 has one of the brightest displays of any smartphone on the market and says it will automatically adjust the colour tone (and brightness) depending on the amount of ambient light. We'll have to wait until we get our hands on a review unit to put those claims to the test, but it certainly sounds positive.
The biggest issue for Windows Phone 8 will be thirdparty apps. The platform lacks both the number and the variety of apps when compared to both iOS and Android. If Nokia is to be successful with the Lumia 920, it needs to attract developers to build apps for the Windows Phone platform. The iPhone 5 has no such problems, with third-party apps one of its strongest advantages. Using the iPhone 5 is a very similar experience to previous iPhone's. Apple says its new iOS 6 software, which comes standard on the iPhone 5, has added over 200 new features to the platform.
The Lumia 920 certainly has its work cut out in competing with the iPhone 5's display, which is one of the best on the market. It's larger than previous iPhone's at 4in, but it's the same width as the screen on every other iPhone, only taller. Apple says the decision to keep the phone at the same width ensures that the span of a user's thumb can reach all the way across the display when using the phone single-handedly.
The most significant change is the abolishment of Google's Maps application, which has been replaced with Apple's own Maps app. This is a change for the worse as the Maps app appears to be a half-baked, unfinished solution that lacks both the detail and the accuracy of the Google Maps app it replaced. The Nokia Maps application, which will come standard on the Lumia 920, is one area where the company can claim to hold a big advantage over the iPhone 5. It offers free, turn-by-turn navigation in 110 countries, compared to the iPhone 5's 56 and it also works offline, unlike Apple Maps.
In a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5's screen is slightly brighter at the full brightness setting. It also displays deeper blacks, most notably when watching video content. Software The Nokia Lumia 920 will be one of the first smartphones to ship with Microsoft's latest mobile OS, Windows Phone 8. We'll learn more closer to its release date, expected to be at the end of October. What we already know is that there's a completely new interface with support for small, medium and large home screen tiles, more colour customisation options, built-in Skype integration, a data use
Camera The Nokia Lumia 920 has a "PureView" camera but this isn't the same 41-megapixel sensor seen on the 808 PureView smartphone. Instead, Nokia is now marketing PureView as any feature or features that enable the camera to capture quality images.
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The 8-megapixel camera on the Lumia 920 has a "floating lens" which enables optical image stabilisation. Nokia promises this will improve photos in low-light and minimise out of focus photos and shaky, unstable video recordings. We're very keen to put this to the test, as Nokia says the feature will capture blur-free videos even if the camera is shaking.
card slot though, so users won't be able to physically add to that 32GB of storage. NFC connectivity is present and allows a range of accessories to be paired with the phone simply by tapping the two devices together. There's also 4G connectivity, too — the Lumia 920 will be sold through Telstra in Australia. One interesting feature that the iPhone 5 can't boast is built-in wireless charging using the Qi wireless power standard. Nokia will sell a range of charging accessories for the Lumia 920 including a wireless charging plate, a charging pillow, a charging stand and a wireless charging speaker by JBL.
The Lumia 920 will certainly need all that and more to better the camera on the iPhone 5, which is one of the best we've ever used on a smartphone. It remains at 8megapixels, but captures excellent photos with great detail and many of the shots produced are comparable to some dedicated point-and-shoot digital cameras.
The Apple iPhone 5 is powered by an updated A6 processor, has 1GB of RAM and comes with 16, 32 or 64GB of internal memory depending on the model you choose. Apple says the A6 processor is two times faster than the A5 chip used on the iPhone 4S and has two times faster graphics. There's no NFC capability but the iPhone 5, like the Lumia 920, is 4G compatible in Australia. The iPhone 5 also uses a new SIM card standard called Nano-SIM. It's a smaller SIM card than the Micro-SIM Apple used on the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S.
During testing, we found that the iPhone 5's camera consistently produced more accurate colours than the iPhone 4S. Macro performance is excellent, and the lens is quick to focus on close range subjects — an issue we found on the 4S. The biggest improvement on the camera is the ability to take better quality photos in low light conditions, though these images are still noisier than most good pointand-shoot cameras.
The Apple iPhone 5 is available now through all major Australian telcos. Nokia has confirmed that the Lumia 920 will be sold through Australian carrier Telstra. No pricing or specific availability has been announced but the Lumia 920 is expected to go on sale sometime in early November.
Internals The Nokia Lumia 920 has relatively impressive specifications. It's powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, has 1GB of RAM and comes with 32GB of internal memory. There's no memory
Culled from http://www.arnnet.com.au
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THE CUSTOMER IS NOT DEPENDENT ON US
By Paul Peters-Ebhohimhen
Mobitel Customer Care strongly shares the belief expressed by Helen Keller that: “A customer is not an outsider to our business. He is a definite part of it. A customer is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. A customer is doing us a favor by letting us serve him. We are not doing him any favor. A customer is not a cold statistic; he is a flesh and blood human being with feelings and emotions like our own. A customer is not someone to argue or match wits with. He deserves courteous and attentive treatment. A customer is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. A customer brings us his wants. It is our job to handle them properly and profitably – both to him and us. A customer makes it possible to pay our salary, whether we are a driver, plant or an office employee. Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much” In achieving our aim to be the best in customer service experience, serving the customer must be a total commitment not just for the front line or “customers care service staff”, but for every employee of Mobitel. From the gate attendant to the janitor to the president/CEO. Everyone has a customer to attend to. If it is not the external customer, then it is the internal customer. 1.
a situational customer. This person may not always be the internal customer. They might be depending on someone inside the company at a specific time for a specific reason, maybe once a week or even once a year. An example of an internal customer may be someone in technical support who needs to carry out a presales visit to a potential customer and make a report to the enterprise sales team before they can make a proposal and close a deal that will bring income to the company. The technical support staff is an internal customer to the administrative department who needs to make a car and a driver available for the site
Internal Customer
So who is an internal customer? A simple definition of an internal customer is anyone within an organization who at any time is dependent on anyone else within the organization. The internal customer may be 16
survey visit, the technical support staff is also an internal customer to accounting and finance department who needs to approve funding for that task. The enterprise sales team is a customer to pricing and finance department who needs to provide advice on the appropriate profitable pricing structure before they can quote.
customers’ experience in the course of being served. In this article External customer services are grouped into 3 types: bad, good and excellent. a. Bad customer service - when a customer's needs or desires are not met; service to such customer is bad. Two things happens in such situation: It ruins the company's reputation and loses that person's business. According to Return on Behavior Magazine, an online source, seven out of 10 customers who switch to a competitor do so because of poor service. b. Good customer service is the interaction with a company representative that results in the customer receiving her desired expectation of service. While this type of service is regarded in a positive light, it is the least memorable. c. Excellent customer service: this is when customers receive the type of service that makes them feel that not only was their expectations met, but that they were valued. This can be as a combination of accuracy of information they got, courtesy received, honesty experienced, accurate advice etc. Excellent customer service produces customers who become "walking advertisements." A customer with
A critical appraisal of this chain of interdependent departments will show you that the efforts of the enterprise sales team to serve the potential customer that will bring income to Mobitel will be futile, delayed or become a disservice or bad media label for Mobitel if anyone should fail to serve their internal customers swiftly, accurately, effectively or profitably. A company where everybody treats their internal customers with an understanding of how their individual job role affects each other’s job function and ultimately the external customer and bottom line will earn herself excellent service reputation. 2.
External customer
The external customers are the individuals and corporate institutions who use/intend to use/pay for our products and services even though they have other options. External customer service is therefore "the ability of an organization to constantly and consistently give the customers what they want and need," states author and editor Remy Mauduit There are however different types of external customer service depending on the 17
this type of service will tell at least eight other people about Mobitel.
person speaking with you is speaking to Mobitel. Impress them with the level of excellence you display and you will guarantee your next salary and your kid’s school fees. 5. Empathy towards your customers: let every encounter with your customers whether internal or external give you the opportunity to show that you are a human being with flesh and blood. Show you care, show honest concern, show you truly want to help and do honestly help.
Key Elements of Excellent Service To achieve excellent customer service, the following must be a part of every member of Mobitel. The people who interact with any member of Mobitel classify that member of staff as Mobitel hence everyone needs the following key elements 1. Product knowledge: Every staff needs to make the efforts to know Mobitel’s products and services. This is a start point for excellent customer experience. 2. Listening skills: make the efforts to develop your listening skills. Don’t just hear when you meet people who are interested in Mobitel, listen actively before you speak. 3. Courtesy: show good manner and courtesy no matter the situation with a customer. Without the customer’s business, Mobitel cannot pay your wages. 4. Preparation: try to always have an updated copy of Mobitel brochure or flyer, ensure your phone works, have a pen or paper with you, have the phone number of colleagues from other departments, and know the customer care contact number 013200323 & 0700MOBITEL. The
Conclusion Everyone in Mobitel has a customer called the internal customer who makes it possible for Mobitel as a company to deliver on her service promise to her external customer who pays our bills. Don’t wait to be begged to do your job. Do your job with enthusiasm and honesty to the delight of all your customers be they internal or external customers so they can tell more people about their excellent experience in Mobitel. The 5 key elements above apply to all customer types. You are not doing your customers any favour, they are doing you favor by letting you serve them to pay you. Make your customers’ every second count.
Paul Peters E. is Customer Care Manager, Mobitel Limited.
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THE BOOKS PAGE
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eaders they say are leaders. You might wish to ask yourself, when last you read a book. Knowing how life can be so busy that many of us have abandoned books and how for those who have the interest, picking what books to buy from a whole gamut at the bookshop might be a headache, we thought to introduce this page where we will give briefs on bestselling titles which you might wish to pick up. The Accidental Public Servant The Hunger Games (Trilogy)
Author: Mal Nasir El-Rufai Publisher: Safari (February 3, 2013) Pages: 641 About the book: This is a story of Nigeria, told from the inside. After a successful career in the private sector, Nasir El-Rufai rose to the top ranks of Nigeria's political hierarchy, serving first as the privatization czar at the Bureau for Public Enterprises and then as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In this tell-all memoir, El-Rufai reflects on a life in public service to Nigeria, the enormous challenges faced by the country, and what can be done while calling on a new generation of leaders to take the country back from the brink of destruction. The shocking revelations disclosed by El-Rufai about the formation of the current leadership and the actions of prominent statesmen make this memoir required reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of power politics in Africa's most populous nation.
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Author: Suzanne Collins Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 14, 2008) Pages: 374 About the book: The Hunger Games is a young adult novel written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, where the countries of North America once existed. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death.
On Black Sisters Street
Steve Jobs
Author: Walter Isaacson Publisher: Simon & Schuster (U.S.) October 24, 2011 Pages: 656 About the book: Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues— Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.
Author: Chika Unigwe Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, (Apr 26, 2011) Pages: 272 pages About the book: On Black Sisters Street tells the haunting story of four very different women who have left their African homeland for the riches of Europe—and who are thrown together by bad luck and big dreams into a sisterhood that will change their lives. Each night, Sisi, Ama, Efe, and Joyce stand in the windows of Antwerp’s red-light district, promising to make men’s desires come true—if only for half an hour. Pledged to the fierce Madam and a mysterious pimp named Dele, the girls share an apartment but little else—they keep their heads down, knowing that one step out of line could cost them a week’s wages. They open their bodies to strangers but their hearts to no one, each focused on earning enough to get herself free, to send money home or save up for her own future.
Jobs knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering. Driven by demons, Jobs could drive those around him to fury and despair. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Apple’s hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. His tale is instructive and cautionary, filled with lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values.
Then, suddenly, a murder shatters the still surface of their lives. Drawn together by tragedy and the loss of one of their own, the women realize that they must choose between their secrets and their safety. The book won the $100,000 worth NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature 2012.
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SOCIAL DIARY Weddings
Ikenna and Chioma Okoye On 1st December, 2012
At Woodridge Hotel Ajao Estate, Lagos. Ikenna is of our Field Sales Team
Adebowale and Abimbola Banjo (Nee Badejoh) On 8th December, 2012 At Grand Inn Hotel, IjebuOde, Ogun State Debo is of our Corporate Sales team
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Babies
Baby Somnwulianachi Shawnell Chiemezuo Samuel Akachukwu Ezih, a baby boy was born to Ken Ezih of our Billings Systems Unit on 29th January,2013.
Baby Adeposi Olagunju, a baby boy Born to Adedokun Olagunju of our Dealer Sales Unit on 6th January, 2013
Birthdays
Glowreeyah Braimah 28th February
Salama Giwa Osagie 26th February
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Who we are We are a foremost telecommunications firm in Nigeria focused on the delivery of next generation 4G broadband technology through the use of the 2.3GHz spectrum for enhanced user experience, faster speed, better broadband quality, and cheaper pricing. Mobitel is the pioneer provider of real wireless broadband service in Nigeria with speeds starting at 1Mbps with capacity to deliver up to 100Mbps. Mobitel differentiates on consistency and reliability of speed while also providing a unique array of innovative Value Added Services (VAS) to customers. Customer satisfaction is at the heart of what we do and his is driven by three core drivers which we describe as the Mobitel DNA; Care, Quality and Simplicity. Our Vision To be the best in customer experience in all aspects of telecommunications service delivery- Africa’s most successful 4G Network. Our Mission The innovative use of broadband to improve African socio-economic life.
WISHING YOU A HAPPY EASTER CELEBRATION
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