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Safaricom offers free selection on Bonga point buys

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A winner of a past promotion by Safaricom to boost its Bonga points loyalty scheme. Photo/FILE

Safaricom will in the coming weeks remove restrictions on its Bonga points loyalty programme to allow customers redeem items of choice as opposed to specific offers.

This is one of the features of a new point of sales (POS) system Safaricom is piloting ahead of a nationwide launch in September.

As of now Kenya’s largest telco periodically releases gadgets that can be acquired through the Bonga point promotions, lists that often omit customers’ preferred gadgets.

The new system that monetises (puts cash value) the loyalty points will now offer customers the freedom to buy whichever brand of phone or device they like as Safaricom races to reduce its Bonga points liability that last year grew 34 per cent to Sh3.2 billion.

“The new POS system will, among other things, allow Safaricom customers to redeem phones of their choice in the near future,” said Safaricom Consumer Business Unit general manager Peter Arina.

“Safaricom has been piloting the new POS system since mid-March and it is expected to be fully deployed in all Safaricom shops by the end of September 2014.”

Safaricom awards a Bonga point to its customers for every Sh10 spent on its network. Customers can also redeem points for data, SMS and MMS messages and free talk-time.

During periodical promotions, such as the ongoing one dubbed ‘Jisort na Bonga points’, customers redeem mobile phones, tablets, laptops and accessories like modems and routers.

Safaricom has recently added new redeeming options including air tickets and pay-TV subscription though.

In the current promotion for instance, you need 5,000 loyalty points to get a Tecno P3, Samsung Galaxy S3 Lite, Nokia Lumia and Samsung Galaxy Trend.

But subscribers have to top up with Sh3,999, Sh6,999, 7,999 and Sh8,999 respectively to acquire the phones. By redeeming points alone, 32,000 and 65,000 are worth a Huawei Ascend W1 and BlackBerry Q5 respectively.

This model of offering predetermined brands of phones has led to complaints by some customers who do not get a models they desire. This has seen some customers hold on to their points awaiting a better offer — a decision which is not in the interest of Safaricom.

“We encourage redeeming of Bonga points so that the programme can achieve its objective and also clear our books of accrued liability,” Safaricom told the Business Daily in a recent interview.

READ: Safaricom’s unclaimed Bonga points hit Sh3.2bn

Safaricom’s new POS system now allows subscribers to convert their Bonga points into standard value. Once the loyalty points are keyed into the system and converted into monetary equivalents, the customer can then pay for the balance (if any) with actual cash.

“Safaricom will define value for points regularly and using these points one can redeem a phone or any other merchandise,” said Mr Arina.

The new system being installed by Safaricom will also see the introduction of handheld POS machines that will allow customers to be served (including making cash payments) even while on the queue.

Customer care staff will now have real-time access to the stock numbers in their specific shops as well as in others. This will allow them to advise customers if they can get an item in the store and if not, direct them to the right outlet.

“The new POS system will give staff at the retail shops flexibility to seek information from the system on running offers and advice customers where the stock is available within the retail channel across the country,” said Mr Arina.

“With this level of efficiency we expect that time within the shops will drastically reduce giving us less queues and a better experience.”