"Sentiments noted": Airtel responds to customer who questioned reduced data

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- A customer publicly criticised Airtel Kenya on Facebook after the telco reduced data, minutes, and SMSs across four Smarta packages

- Dominic Kakwiri challenged Airtel's value proposition, saying the reduced offers put it on par with rivals boasting far superior network coverage

- Airtel Kenya acknowledged the feedback and said it had been forwarded to the relevant team for consideration

Airtel Kenya has issued a public response to a dissatisfied subscriber who threatened to leave the network following recent cuts to its Smarta bundle packages.

The exchange took place on Facebook, where a customer identified as Dominic Kakwiri, listed as a top fan of the Airtel Kenya page, voiced his frustration over the changes to the telco's offerings.

Which concern did Airtel customer raise?

Kakwiri's complaint centred on what he described as a disappearing competitive edge, arguing that Airtel Kenya's original appeal had always been its affordable rates rather than the quality of its network.

"Don't think that you had many subscribers because your network was very good. We were running away from expensive calls and data. Since you are now having the same rates as your rivals who have 10 times better network and coverage, I guess it's bye-bye," Kakwiri wrote.

He went further, referencing specific products that had been altered or removed, including the Tubonge minutes and a 1 GB, 24-hour data bundle previously tied to Airtel Money.

"The minute you slashed Tubonge minutes, removed the 1 GB 24 hours on Airtel money I asked myself why am I still dating a woman who is no longer tasty? Who uses SMS nowadays?" Kakwiri added.

What was Airtel Kenya's response?

In its reply, Airtel Kenya said it valued Kakwiri's loyalty and recognised his concerns as legitimate.

"Hi Dominic Kakwiri. We truly value your loyalty and understand your concerns regarding the recent changes to our bundles and offers. Customer feedback is important to us, and we continuously review our products and services to ensure we provide value and a great experience. Your sentiments have been noted and shared with the relevant team for consideration," the company wrote.

The response stopped short of confirming any planned reversal of the changes or providing a timeline for any review.

What are the new Airtel packages?

The public exchange follows Airtel Kenya's recent decision to slash data allocations, calling minutes, and SMS quantities across four of its Smarta packages, a move that appears to have unsettled a section of its subscriber base.

The KSh 1,500 monthly Smarta bundle experienced the biggest reduction, with 58GB of data removed and its SMS allocation cut by 80%.

The two weekly Smarta packages also saw their data allowances reduced by half, while on-network call minutes were slashed by up to 77%.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.