O2 makes ‘Fair Deal’ pledge to Customers

Today O2 announced that existing O2 customers, be they Pay and Go or on a contract, will be given the same handsets and tariffs as new customers when they come to upgrade – as well as being rewarded with O2 Treats to say “Thank you” for their loyalty.

Sally Cowdry, O2 UK’s Marketing Director, explains. “We want our customers to be the happiest and most loyal, so we listen to what they want and – crucially – act on what they tell us. They said ‘why shouldn’t existing customers get the same as new ones?’ And they’re absolutely right. All O2 customers should always get the best O2 has to offer, so that’s what we’re giving them. And on top of that, we want to say a big thanks to our customers for their trust and custom, so have something extra from us.”

One of the key insights from the research was that customers simply don’t trust that mobile operators are giving them the best deal, mainly because the multiplicity of offers is confusing and off-putting. Fair Deal cuts through all this. O2 customers, old and new, can be confident that they will be getting the same as new customers at upgrade time and for the duration of their relationship with O2.

Cowdry continues “Customers don’t have time to work their way through all the offers out there in the market place. From the outset, we promise our customers, old or new, ease and simplicity – all in all, a great experience. Fair Deal is available through all direct channels – online, over the phone and in all O2 shops – so that customers can guarantee that they’ll receive the best experience when choosing their phone, no matter how they want to shop with us.”

The move comes as part of O2’s policy of putting its customers at the heart of everything it does which forms part of the Customer Promise that was adopted two years ago after the company conducted a large-scale research exercise into customers’ wants and needs. This has been a great success, and contributed to the fact we now have over 17 million customers.

The Customer Promise has included O2 Rewards (the UK’s first loyalty programme for pre-pay customers that gives them 10% of top-ups back every three months, a response to the insight that this segment did not feel valued) and unique, differentiated offers for customers who shop direct, including the recent Long Weekends programme, where customers can get free calls through Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Thanks to these loyalty schemes, O2 is already making sure that existing customers get the same as new ones, and now Fair Deal extends this to handsets and prices.

Cowdry continues: “Our customers will know that O2 really do reward loyalty, and the longer you stay with us, the more value you get.” The offer will be supported by an above the line advertising campaign that launches on 29th January.