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Having data in your smartphone is a precious thing. Because data is the livewire that elevates usage of any smartphone. That is why you feel like fish out of water whenever data runs out in your smartphone.
And like every smartphone user, Mr. Emeka Okoye, a 45-year-old Lagos-based interior decorator, needs steady phone data because most his business activities revolve around being online. He uses his phone to surf websites to keep abreast with current affairs, news, and industry trends, and then chat with his clients on WhatsApp, Messenger and Telegram, and upload photos and short videos to advertise samples of his handiwork on different social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram.
Therefore, it unsettles Okoye anytime his smartphone becomes inept because of data outage. His frustration is further worsened because his telecom providers are tight-fisted in granting him access to borrow data to continue his work online.
“One of the most terrible experiences I had as an entrepreneur was when I was stuck in traffic for hours and needed to make some business transactions with my phone. I needed plenty of data because I wanted to upload several pictures and short videos on Instagram and Facebook, and then make some mobile bank transfers to my suppliers. But my data finished right there in traffic where I couldn’t find recharge card sellers and I lost N500,000 worth of business,” he said.
Another respondent was Ms. Grace Adeniyi, a 22-year-old undergraduate of law at the University of Lagos. According to her, the smartphone serves as a tool for her academic engagements, and as a toy to play with in her free time. Both activities need data. She uses her phone to download files for her assignments and projects in class, and then stream videos on Netflix and YouTube to watch and relax with her friends. Usually, she pays through the nose to keep her smartphone buzzing.
She said, “Nothing unsettles me like when I don’t have data or airtime on my phone. Because, without data, I feel like I’m blind and deaf to the latest activities. And it is so annoying when I recall I will continue to remain in the dark until I’m able to cough out money to subscribe for data and call credits.”
Okoye and Adeniyi are typical examples of how Internet users are left on tenterhooks by their telecom service providers whenever they run out of data or airtime. However, according to Okoye and Adeniyi, they experienced a turning point in their lives when they switched to Globalcom after hearing about the “Glo Borrow Me Data ( Glo-BMD)” and the “Glo Borrow Me Credit (Glo-BMC).”
“I was so impressed when my younger brother told me about Glo Borrow Me Data, so I switched over to Glo,” Okoye said.
Also, Adeniyi said she would keep blessing the day her friends told her about the Glo-BMD and the Glo-BMC: “My friends noticed how moody I become whenever I don’t have data or call credit on my phone. They now told me how they all enjoy Glo-BMD, Glo-BMC plus loads of freebies and excellent 4G connection. I ported over to Glo, and I’ve been wowed ever since. I borrow much data/credit. Again, their data tariff is so cool. I’m always surprised at how much data I still have remaining after watching several videos on Netflix and YouTube. I’m assured steady access to data and credit through the Glo-BMD and the Glo-BMC.”
The roll-out of Glo-BMD and Glo-BMC in 2016 arguably revamped the face of telecom service in Nigeria. And almost three years after the initiative, Globalcom has remained unmatched in creating customer-focused services.
According to Globacom’s marketing co-ordinator, Adeniyi Olukoya, “Borrow Me Credit is the first of its kind in the country. It is a testimony to the trust that Glo has placed in its loyal subscribers as well as evidence of Glo’s commitment to ensuring that its customers are totally unlimited as they pursue their dreams.”
Olukoya explained that, within minutes of requesting for the service, subscribers will receive the airtime requested and get confirmation through a text message. Then the credited money is taken back from the Glo prepaid subscriber when he recharges his account next time. He said that the credit can be used as a normal recharge for making outgoing calls, sending SMS as well as uploading and downloading data on the Iinternet.
“Globacom recognises that, sometimes, there are situations when customers run out of account balance, either late at night or while travelling and they have to look for where to buy recharge cards to top up their accounts. This product will save them from unnecessary stress and make it easy to get airtime for such emergencies,” he said. “To receive airtime credit, subscribers only need to dial *321# and follow the instructions.”
