Wateen is the fastest growing internet service company in Pakistan. Wateen offers its products on the basis of consumer choice and consumer potential. Through its services and products, Wateen classifies its products into three categories:
1. Dial-up Connection
2. DSL Broadband
3. WIMAX “Wireless”
Wateen’s Online Selling Model
Wateen doesn’t sell its products either through retailer or wholesaler, yet it sells their products through web, telephone etc. Today the most consumers have shifted their trend towards online shopping. So it is convenient for the customers to just register their order through web, whether you want DSL or WIMAX. It is as simple as click. Wateen offers its services, “full services,” in which customers can get any information at any time regardless of any hidden charges.
[pic] An example of Wateen franchise
Way of Franchising Wateen also has several franchises at different places, where it behaves as independent businesspeople, to use better words. These franchises help customers in different ways, like problem in internet connection, POP-UP problem etc. Here, Wateen has adopted full-service retail organization.
Evaluation: Wateen needs to update its operations in franchises. For instance, it doesn’t entertain credit cards. Here’s a story of a student who faced this problem:
I am a student, and living away from my home town in a private hostel in Rawalpindi. I am using Wateen’s WiMAX services for my internet means. Last month, unfortunately I was short of money and at the same time my Wateen’s connection was going to expire on August 28, 2008. I had no other option but to pay my bill though credit card.
For the purpose, I visited Wateen’s Franchises in Rawalpindi at Satellite Town and Mall Road, but to my surprise both do not accept payments through credit card. I requested them that I do not have cash at the moment, so kindly transact my billing amount from credit card from neighboring shops, but they straight away denied. In fact they started ignoring my pleas, and started looking at me like they were saying “Get out from here…or”.[1]
