The Philippines’ largest, fully integrated telco PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have unveiled their newest digital hub in Mindanao. Customers can now easily drop by the PLDT and Smart store which is now more strategically located at the ground floor of the Gaisano Capital Mall.
Ozamiz is a key city of the province of Misamis Occidental and is one of the major commercial hubs in Northern Mindanao. The new store makes it more convenient for families, businesses, and communities in the city and its neighboring areas to avail of PLDT and Smart services.
The newly renovated store features café-style aftersales counters and customer-friendly technologies. Store guests can make use of the Interactive Table to browse the internet, listen to music, watch videos, or log in to social media while waiting in queue.
The self-service InfoTouch machine also allows customers to view and print their bills, check their accounts, and request for repairs and other services. On the other hand, Broadband Visualizers also provide subscribers information on their data usage, helping them decide which broadband plan will fit their needs for their home or business.
The store will cater to aftersales transactions for Smart and PLDT, as well as payments for individual and corporate accounts. Customers can also apply for Smart Signature and PLDT Home Fibr plans.
“We are continuously expanding our presence through our digital lifestyle stores in Mindanao in order to serve our customers better,” said Alex Caeg, Senior Vice President and Head of the Consumer Sales Group at PLDT and Smart. “This first-ever digital store in Ozamiz City will showcase the seamless services that PLDT and Smart have to offer for its home fiber subscribers and mobile customers, powered by our nationwidest network and innovative products,” he added.
To ensure the safety of customers and employees, the store is equipped with protection barriers, sanitation mats, thermal scanners, and alcohols to guard against the COVID-19 virus. Safety reminders are also displayed in areas easily seen by guests, and routine sanitation are conducted to keep the areas virus-free. Customers are also encouraged to practice health and safety protocols in the store.
Best Experience in Northern Mindanao
Smart has fortified its lead in Northern Mindanao, winning in all categories in the latest Philippines Mobile Network Experience Awards[1] by independent mobile analytics firm Opensignal.
The report, which covers the period Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2021, showed Smart beating the competition across all metrics in three essential aspects of service: Coverage (4G Coverage Experience, 4G Availability), Speed (Download and Upload Speed) and Experience (Games, Video and Voice app).
Smart is the clear winner in Video Experience (57.8 pts), Download Speed Experience (13.1 Mbps), Games Experience (41.2 pts), Upload Speed Experience (3.8 Mbps), and Voice App Experience (71.5 pts), and scored a joint win in 4G Availability (80.5%).
Enabling these services is parent company PLDT’s fiber infrastructure, the most extensive in the country at over 478,000 kilometers as of end-March 2021.
The unveiling is part of the broader campaign of PLDT and Smart to continuously improve customer experience and cater to the technology needs of subscribers in Mindanao. This initiative also falls under PLDT's group-wide commitment to Awesome Customer Experience and Quality of Service, one of the seven pillars that comprise the company's sustainability framework. It is also aligned with PLDT's sustainability focus area of connecting everyone, everywhere through group-wide products and services.
[1] Opensignal Awards – Philippines: Mobile Network Experience Report April 2021, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period January 1 – March 31, 2021 © 2021 Opensignal Limited.
