PTI: We’ll aggressively defend our market share

Aware of heightened advertising activities by rival phone companies, Pacific Telecom Inc. owner Jose Ricardo Delgado said his company is not sitting down but will “aggressively defend our market share.”

“We’re going to defend our market across all segment, whether it’s the price, packages. …We’ll do a proactive, aggressive marketing approach so as not to be outmarketed. We’ll keep our market share and ride out the cycle,” said Delgado in an interview on Saipan this week.

He said the company is set to do “many more things,” which he said indicates that “we are here for the long term.”

“We’re not just dressing up to sell it. We want to make sure that the public knows that we’ll keep our business. We will compete aggressively,” he said.

He said these marketing plans would mean lower rates, more freebies, and other special offers.

“In other words, we won’t just be sitting around for anyone that comes in. It’s going to be an aggressive campaign. We’re going to fight fire with fire,” said Delgado.

CONSUMER-FOCUSED

Delgado, whose company took over the operations of Verizon Micronesia in October last year, said there is now a “big shift in mentality” within the organization.

“In the past, it’s operating like an old telephone company. Now, we are trying to operate as a consumer-focused company. That’s a big shift in mentality. I’m trying to instill in our people the importance of customer service,” he said.

Delgado said he would visit PTI offices at different times to personally check on how the staff attends to customers.

So far, he said, he is getting good feedback.

“That’s what we want. A much improved customer service. I’m telling them that customers have choices. If we don’t go after our customers aggressively and take care of them, there’s a chance they’d go somewhere else,” he said.

Delgado, who is PTI’s chief executive officer, said that since the takeover, the company has completed an assessment of its customer service, listed down its weaknesses and identified strategies to address them.

“In the past, we’re not exemplary in managing customer relationship. …Now, we’re implementing different things to enhance the customer experience. It’s clear to our employees that we’re going to be extremely competitive unlike in the past. We want to defend our market share. We can’t be complacent,” said the official.

Although PTI owns the only fiber optic cable in the CNMI, other telephone companies and telecommunications-based businesses have also penetrated the market.

Among these are Saipan Cell, I-Connect, and lately Hafatel for mobile or wireless phones. All the competing companies pay rental fees to PTI for line connection service.