Supersonic – from unknown to top-rated ISP in South Africa
Supersonic launched its first products in September 2018, following the unveiling of the brand by MTN.
Supersonic is a rebrand of Smart Village and is 100% owned by MTN, but the company is independently managed. It is both a fibre-only ISP and a fibre network infrastructure provider.
Following its launch late last year, Supersonic has quickly climbed in the customer satisfaction rankings – which was confirmed when it took top spot in MyBroadband’s latest customer satisfaction results.
Supersonic was ranked as the number one ISP for fixed-broadband, receiving an average rating of 4.75 out of 5 from users during Q4 2018.
New ISP on the block
Heading up Supersonic is managing director Calvin Collett, who said at the launch of the company he wants to provide a service that is not complex, does not experience network instability, and provides excellent after-sales service.
Speaking to MyBroadband this week, Collett said this “back to basics” approach was a contributing factor to them receiving such high customer ratings.
“We have a world-class network on the back of MTN and, where it was required, we rebuilt some of the older infrastructure,” said Collett.
“However, our primary focus has been on customer centricity and service. We are 100% committed to a very high service ethic and we have successfully instilled this throughout the company.”
Collett stated that customers can talk directly to staff, sign up processes are simple, and they respond quickly to any issues posted online by users.
“We welcome customer interaction whether it is via social media, telephone calls, or email – and we maintain communication with customers throughout the installation process,” he said.
Easy-to-use fibre
This customer-centric approach works in tandem with Supersonic’s goal of providing easy-to-use and stable fibre solutions.
“Internet access, in my view, is a utility. So when on-boarding we make the customer journey simple by sizing customer requirements and then suggesting two or three packages based on simple web-based questions.”
This is instead of offering “a plethora of different packages” and making the customer decide.
“Customers can then upgrade or downgrade at will,” said Collett.
Proper Wi-Fi coverage in a user’s home, which distributes the fibre connection to devices, is another important aspect where Supersonic looks to help customers, he added.
“One of the key frustrations and often misunderstood elements of Internet access is proper Wi-Fi coverage. To rectify this, we prequalify Wi-Fi coverage requirements with a few simple questions around the size of the house and the number of users.”
A technician is then sent out to conduct an installation to ensure the Internet connection “just works”.
“During the installation, our technicians do a Wi-Fi sweep and ask customers where they want to receive Wi-Fi coverage. Then we install smart Wi-Fi devices which ensure proper coverage and correct speeds throughout the customer’s home.”
Number 1 in SA
In terms of their top spot in the MyBroadband customer rankings, Collett said they are proud of their achievement and have worked hard to get to this point.
“This, however, does not mean we have achieved our goal. We need to consistently and relentlessly live up to this position and make sure that we stay the number one ISP from a technology and customer-centricity perspective,” he said.
“We are only at the beginning of some very exciting initiatives which will continue to increase awareness around Supersonic with the many South Africans still looking for simple and effective home connectivity.”
In combination with a strong technology and customer-centricity focus, Collett said a strong culture at the company – where staff really care – will serve them well.
“Companies are built around people and my team and I are committed to building the right culture and developing our people to create a truly successful organisation.”
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