PRLog (Press Release) –
HOUSTON, TX (August 27, 2007): Customers and retailers prefer new handsets and don’t like settling for refurbished ones, according to Airlink Mobile, a prepaid wireless company which has seen its growth rate climb nearly 800% since March 2006.
“New cell phone handsets provide increased revenue and a longer-term relationship with their subscribers than refurbished ones,” said David Stanek, CEO of Airlink Mobile. “Customers keep new handsets longer, and come back to the same store to buy more minutes and to get recommendations on new products.”
According to retailers’ experiences, as many as Three out of ten refurbished handsets turn out to be defective, requiring the customer to return them. Retailers often don’t have the inventory to give replacement phones to customers, creating a bad experience for both the customer and convenience store, sending the customer elsewhere and creating negative publicity.
New cell phones create a more positive customer experience, offering new features, new functionality such as text messaging, ring-tones, games, and wallpaper , as well as increasing customer trips to the store to buy accessories, where they are also apt to purchase other things.
“By creating a place in the store that specifically stocks new handsets, prepaid airtime cards, and accessories, convenience store owners let customers know that the convenience store is the one-stop place for all of their cell phone needs,” said Stanek. “The prepaid market is on fire right now, and customers are clamoring for the latest products.”
Nearly 80% of mobile users in Europe and Asia already prefer using prepaid over postpaid calling plans; causing many analysts to see prepaid as the inevitable future of consumer's cell phone habits.
With Airlink Mobile's nationwide coverage, unlimited free nights & weekends, exciting brand new handset offerings, 1-year manufacturer warranty, and daytime per-minute charges as low as 10 cents, Airlink’s prepaid wireless appeals to a broad range of customers.
Airlink’s target market includes the credit-challenged, youth, students, immigrants, fixed income seniors, and anyone else who may want to take control of their cell-phone usage without having to deal with limiting and restrictive contracts. The prepaid market will grow over 600% in the next three years, according to Stanek.
Airlink Mobile's wireless handsets have many of the same cutting edge features as postpaid contract providers, such as ultra-thin color flip phones, two-way text messaging, downloadable ring-tones and wallpaper, voice dialing, polyphonic ring-tones, PC sync, alarm, calculator, speaker phone, and more.
“New handsets turn temporary customers into permanent ones,” said Stanek. “By providing phones, convenience store owners can start to build a business on airtime.”
