AIS spends B1bn on loyalty

Advanced Info Service (AIS) has maintained spending at least 1 billion baht on customer relations in 2017 in order to preserve a loyal customer base, as it did in 2016.

Bussaya Satirapipatkul, executive vice-president for customer and service management, said that although AIS encountered tough competition in 2016 (the most difficult since its inception 25 years ago), the company will continue to move forward.

She said AIS is widely known as the first mobile operator in Thailand to introduce a customer relationship management (CRM) programme.

This year, the company plans launching privilege offers for its 40-million subscribers through three strategies: to achieve more, to be more unique, and to be more exclusive.

Apart from the quality of its network, as well as innovative products and services, Ms Bussaya said AIS’s privilege offers are key to enhancing customer loyalty.

According to an AIS analysis report on consumer behaviour, preferences and customer feedback, 68% of AIS subscribers prefer dining privilege offers, 20% prefer shopping offers, and the remaining 12% prefer entertainment and travel deals.

Due to the increasing number of mobile customers with two or more active mobile numbers, Ms Bussaya said AIS must properly identify customers that are eligible for their Serenade offerings, an exclusive club for selected AIS users.

Out of a total 40 million AIS customers, 3.5 million are registered under the Serenade Privilege Programme.

AIS expects this number to increase to 4 million by the end of the year, Ms Bussaya said.

Second-ranked mobile operator Total Access Communication (DTAC) earlier announced it is to spend 500 million baht this year on CRM through its reward programme.