The newly merged Australian networks, Vodafone and Hutchison, known as VHA, have paid a reported AU$80 million to bring 208 outsourced Vodafone branded retail outlets back under direct control. Vodafone Australia has historically outsourced the management of its retail outlets to four different companies, while Hutchison kept management control of its own outlets.
"We are doing this so VHA can provide a more cohesive, consistent Vodafone customer experience and we think we can achieve this by bringing the management of these stores and the employees in-house," a VHA spokesman told The Australian newspaper.
Four companies manage the retail outlets on Vodafone's behalf, Digicall (79 stores), First Mobile (79 stores), Inside Mobile (28 stores) and GSM (22 stores). The migration of the management control of the retail outlets will be phased in over the next three months, and will involve the transfer of some 1,400 staff to VHA's payroll.
Based on figures from the Mobile World subscriber tracker, the merged firm ended Q1 '09 with a shade under 6.5 million customers - representing 27.5% of the market. It will still be the smallest of (now) three operators in the country - close behind Optus' 7.9 million and Telstra's 9.9 million customers.
On the web: The Australian - Mobile World
Posted to the site on 22nd June 2009
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/38113.php