Cell Phone Insurance Program from eSecuritel Increases Revenue for Appalachian Wireless

ATLANTA, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- eSecuritel, the expert in comprehensive cell phone insurance and replacement programs for wireless dealers and service providers, today announced that Appalachian Wireless has experienced a boost in revenue, take rate and customer satisfaction since implementing its cell phone insurance program in April 2009.

Appalachian Wireless, Eastern Kentucky's leading provider of high quality telecommunications products and services since 1991, reports a 70 percent increase in revenue over its former internal phone protection program. Customer satisfaction also ranked high. Based on a subscriber survey completed after the filing of a claim, the company found that 90 percent of its insured customers would recommend the program to others. Additionally, the program has achieved a take rate of nearly half of Appalachian Wireless' customers, compared to around 35 percent prior to the launch of the eSecuritel program.  

Appalachian Wireless attributes the success of the eSecuritel phone insurance program to a cost-efficient, automated offering and platform that enabled the service provider to streamline the claims process and ultimately make better decisions on legitimate claims.

"At the end of the day, we weren't sure if our in-house phone protection program was profitable or even effective for our subscribers," said Danny VanHoose, director of marketing, Appalachian Wireless. "These results demonstrate that the eSecuritel offering had a positive impact on our bottom line and also contributed to an increase in customer satisfaction."

Prior to implementing eSecuritel's cell phone insurance program, Appalachian Wireless relied on an in-house offering to protect customers against mobile phone loss, accidental damage or theft. The cost associated with managing such an effort, however, was extremely high as well as labor-intensive. Additionally, expenses related to supporting the infrastructure and administrative duties associated with its program, including the management of replacement handsets inventory, were costly.  

In an effort to provide the value of a cell phone insurance program to its customers while ensuring it wasn't a money-losing proposition, Appalachian Wireless examined other options including outsourcing the program. After evaluating numerous phone protection offerings, Appalachian Wireless selected eSecuritel to deliver and administer a unique cell phone insurance program which brought additional value beyond what the service provider could obtain from other offerings, as well as its own existing internal program.  

Utilizing eSecuritel's Handset Issue Tracking System, or HITS™ technology, Appalachian Wireless was easily able to integrate the platform with its systems. eSecuritel now handles all aspects of the mobile phone protection program from subscriber enrollment to claim fulfillment, removing the burden of program management and making it possible to deliver faster adjudication and replacement services to Appalachian Wireless' subscribers.

HITS combines information tracking, operations management and data analysis capabilities to provide dealers and service providers with an automated process for replacing damaged, lost or stolen wireless devices.  All aspects of the eSecuritel program comply fully with Department of Insurance regulations throughout the United States and Canada and are underwritten by an "A-Rated" insurer.  

VanHoose notes that eSecuritel is also able to make objective decisions regarding claims that are filed. "We were making bad decisions approving nearly every claim rather than simply approving those claims that were legitimate. We're not in the phone insurance business and shouldn't make decisions about claims. Instead, we needed to let the experts handle this aspect of our business."

About eSecuritel

Founded in 2001, eSecuritel, the expert in comprehensive cell phone insurance and replacement programs, delivers an unparalleled customer experience for subscribers and profitability for carriers and dealers. Unlike other services where only malfunction is covered, eSecuritel provides phone protection for new, used, or prepaid wireless devices against loss, theft and accidental damage as well as mechanical/electronic failure and malfunction. Dealers who utilize the program gain a way to compete and differentiate themselves from large corporate cellular stores through a tailored carrier grade handset protection program that provides a superior customer experience and better value than many top carrier programs. Carriers that implement eSecuritel's proven program also get a proven method for generating additional revenue and boosting customer satisfaction. eSecuritel's Handset Issue Tracking System, or HITS™ technology, easily integrates with carrier and dealer systems, managing all aspects of the mobile phone insurance program from subscriber enrollment to claim fulfillment. It removes the burden of program management, making it possible to deliver faster adjudication and replacement services to subscribers. For more information, visit http://www.dealer.esecuritel.com

SOURCE eSecuritel