Optus cut ties with Woolworths MobileFrom this week, customers can no longer buy Optus $2 pre paid SIMs at Woolies, a rep confirmed. However, Woolworths Mobile customers will still be able to recharge their prepaid services for the foreseeable future.
The move is part of Optus’ retail rationalisation strategy, announced earlier this year, when it ditched prepay operator Boost Mobile.
“We’ve made a few third party exists”, an Optus spokesperson told CN.
When asked about other possible ‘exists’ the rep said: “we are still in the process of working through our distribution strategy”.
Australia’s telco No. 2 wants all retail channels integrated, with the same information available online, at call centres and instore.
The devil’s in the detail
Optus wants “better control of retail operation – from providing better training, and customers service. Its more difficult to work with 3rd party retailers, with different owners.”
The telco’s poor customer service has been a major issue for its customers. A 2011-12 telco ombudsman report showed complaints about Optus soared 50%.
However, the spokesperson did not speculate whether footfall, or sales has increased since Optus Yes stores have been jazzed up, and ties cut with non-Optus entities.
“Consumers are shopping differently – they research online and buy instore. But as channels get more integrated, they may choose to buy differently”, the spokesperson said.
However, the MNOV model is not “necessarily dead, there is a place for it…but it needs to be sustainable”.
Recently, Kogan Mobile’s third party mobile supplier, ISPOne, went bust. Kogan Mobile plans promised “unlimited” plans, but was forced to end service in August.
