Comments on: PTCL - Coming Back Strong

By: Babar Bhatti

Babar Bhatti — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:18:52 +0000

Amir has made some very good points. I also see these gaps at PTCL and no real progress. On paper the scorecard and other ideas look good but can PTCL really deliver?

By: atif

atif — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:28:14 +0000

Dear Amir

I totally agree with you. Yes, holistic marketing approaches are customer value centric. this comes true in generic as well as practical implementation. Since the bottom line for any commelrcial entity is profitability & revenue growth, keeping the customer practically delighted, addressing their needs and providing solution to the core problems is of first and foremost importance. However, if we look at the positive side there has been a process of strategic change going on at PTCL, particularly in last one year. They have been lacking on SERVICE approach for a long time but now as they are positioning “THIS IS A CHANGE FOR BETTER……..” something like that, they have taken some strategic initiatives.
Further, there primry audience has always been residential and individual consumer segment. They are serving them since last 60 years and must know very well that how can they convert their core competence from non serving well to serving well. Moreover, it is a big segment out there who is there existing customer. Value of retention and repeat business is always tripple and capatalizing on such segment never goes wrong.
For, corporate business, PTCL is coming up with white label carrier class services and so far they have competence and infrastructural stregnth in networks to grab the bulk business and serve those customers. we are competing with PTCL for corporate business on daily basis and we know how well PTCL is already out competing Multinet, TWA & Wateen even without launching services in whole stregnth.

By: Amir

Amir — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 04:29:09 +0000

I tend to disagree with you, holistic marketing approaches are customer value centric.Generating customer value and converting those value to loyalty is the main objective for the holistic approaches.
But PTCL seems to be lacking on all these strategies. So far they haven’t show any big improvement in building the brand equity through Customer Value.
The main problem with PTCL is the core product if one doesn’t provide the core product at the customer perceived value its no point generating the diversification strategies or product augmentation it would be like building another level on the Picasso tower.
Customer value can not be generated by just opening up the service center, recruiting recent MBA graduates with the smiley faces, value is generated by providing the Total customer experience, if my phone
line doesn’t fix when I needed it doesn’t matter what sort of service provided to me.
The other problem with the PTCL is their focussed on the wrong market segment, the strategy by operators (with huge overheads such as PTCL) around the world is they are more focussed on the business customers, and generation of revenues through wholesale service by reducing the factor of overhead.
But PTCL is more focussed on the narrow margin customer (i.e. residential customer) and that’s why they have to come up with cheap marketing gimmicks such as the recent “Pakistan Package” which is still under hot discussion
at TGP.