While COVID-19 has forced businesses to reduce cost; some sacrificing their internet and cable plans, shifts to work from home and online schooling have led to Flow Trinidad recording its highest broadband subscription ever.
Flow Trinidad’s country manager Kurleigh Prescod said that the end of 2020, the company’s broadband subscription was well over 100,000, indicating a 5 per cent growth in a year when many companies suffered significant losses. Speaking to Guardian Media at the opening of Flow Trinidad’s Gulf City Centre, Prescod said many businesses had to close because of last year’s COVID-19 restrictions.
As commercial customers cut costs, it meant Flow Trinidad lost some business. Prescod said Flow Trinidad worked with many commercial customers to reduce their packages or usage to help them navigate the challenging economy. Some customers discontinued their plans while others could not service their bills.
But with the closure of schools causing children to engage in online classes and many businesses allowing their employees to work from home, there was an increased demand for residential connections.
“We had people needing internet connections for their children to study or for them to work from home. So we have seen a sort of two-sided effect. It was a net positive for us where we were able to record our highest broadband subscribers ever in our operation by the end of last year,” Prescod said.
In South Trinidad, Flow Trinidad added over 2000 new customers and upgraded its service to those clients by moving its operation from Keith Street, San Fernando to Gulf City Mall, La Romaine. The new location has adequate parking, compared to the old spot, and there is an additional payment option, making the usual long lines a thing of the past. There is now a self-payment kiosk outside the store that accepts cash and credit or visa debit card payments. Prescod said this means that customers can pay their bills quickly, whether or not the centre is open.
“It is almost like an ATM so once the mall is open and you are here, even if our store is not open and you’re on your way to work, you can pay your bill. If you reach too late and the store is already closed, you can still pay your bill as long as the mall is open.”
Inside the store, there are additional customer community desks where clients can review their bills and check out the various products.
Prescod said that as Flow Trinidad’s clientele grew, it upgraded its systems to accommodate the increased traffic. He said Flow Trinidad has a sound position in the market, and in 2021, the company will continue to invest in upgrading its systems.