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New numbers ring in unwelcome changes for businesses
Many Ho Chi Minh City businesses complained they would lose money and customers after a numeral prefix was added to their phone numbers Sunday.
Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) had announced the addition of the number “3” to their landline subscribers in 55 cities and provinces last week and put the change into effect Sunday.
Ta Long Hy, deputy general director of Anh Duong Vietnam Joint Stock Company – a VNPT subscriber which owns Vinasun Taxi, said it would take a long time for customers, especially visitors, to get familiar with the new number.
VNPT had said that users can dial the original or modified numbers during the first two weeks.
However, Hy said it was a big task to change all the company’s phone numbers written on its 2,230 taxis.
To inform every customer or print a new number on every taxi is complicated, said Dang Hoang Phuong, general director of the Saigon Hoang Long Taxi Company.
The company’s new phone number is not as easy to remember as the old one - 8 686 868, Phuong said.
It’s difficult to register for another phone number that can be easily memorized with the “3” standing first, he said.
According to Duong Tien Thu, vice president of HCMC Taxi Association, for such special phone numbers, a business has to pay VND5 million-20 million (US$302-1,210) to the telecommunication providers.
Thu, who was also president of July 27 Tourist Transport Cooperative, said the cooperative had to pay VND17.5 million ($1,059) to have 9 900 900 as its central number.
“When the customers don’t remember our number, they’ll fail to contact us and turn to others,” he said.
Vo Ba, general director of Future Taxi, said it was certain that mistakes will be made in dialing.
Other telecommunication providers are expected to implement the change from October 26 with Viettel subscribers adding the number 6. EVN, SPT, VTC and FPT subscribers have to add the numbers 2,5,4 and 7 respectively.
The complaints were not confined to taxi company owners. “How can my customers know which providers I am using so they can add the correct prefix?” asked Nguyen Thi Thoa, a Viettel subscriber.
The owner of a garment company in Tan Binh District, Thoa is rushing to print new name cards with the 6 numeral prefix to her phone number.
Meanwhile, Tran Viet Thu, owner of a bookstore in District 3, said he has not been informed by VNPT about the change.
Thu said 50 businesses, who are VNPT subscribers, have ordered him to make the 2009 wall calendars. “We have delivered most of the calendars without the prefix for their phone numbers.”
Fewer than 10 businesses had told him in time to add the prefix, he said.
A director of a wood furniture company in Thu Duc District said it would cost time and money to print again all the documents of a company and the name cards of its employees.
“It’s lucky we have not made any calendars, cards or books for 2009 to present to our customers,” he said.
Responding to the complaints, VNPT spokesperson Bui Quoc Viet said the provider had been informing the public about the change since June this year.
The change was carried out successfully Sunday, he said.
Viet said people can call the provider on 116, 108 or 1080 for further questions.
Starting October 5, about 13.4 million phone subscribers in the country’s 55 cities and provinces had their landline phones changed with a prefix digit.
Thanhnien
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