Growth, competition, churn and consumer demand for top-notch wireless services are compelling many wireless carriers to narrow their business focus to core network operations and marketing, and engage specialists outside the company to support services previously handled in-house.
Americom of Lutherville, Md., is one such specialist, and its product is its people, according to the company.
Americom’s Wireless Services division forms partnerships with carriers and resellers in areas including paging, cellular, personal communications services and satellite services to provide installation, technical support and customer service personnel to wireless carriers.
Carriers “want to build and maintain their networks and oversee the big picture,” explained Mike Gill, Americom president and founder. Operators are exploring which areas of their business can be handled more cost-efficiently and with greater expertise by another company, he explained.
“Wherever the carriers’ customers are, that’s where we want to be,” said Gill. “To the carriers, that can be scary, [but] we really have demonstrated empathy and compassion … That will allow us to grow quickly.” Americom provides technical support as well.
Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile is Americom Wireless’ oldest and largest client. What began as a carrier-agent relationship 10 years ago has expanded, said Gill. Americom Wireless has technicians in 75 Bell Atlantic Nynex communications stores from Virginia to Vermont and a fleet of 50 service vans operating throughout New York, New Jersey, New England and Washington, D.C.
“Not only are they technically savvy … but very customer service-oriented,” said Gill. “Our people really understand the customer delight concept.”
Within Americom Wireless is the company’s new affiliate, Call Link, which will provide carriers call center and fulfillment services. Rapid growth has outpaced some carriers’ abilities to meet service and sales objectives, explained Americom Chairman Don McClure. Call Link will establish and maintain performance standards for customer service so carriers “can better focus on building infrastructure and market share,” he added. As such, the company can help carriers reduce churn, a major revenue drain.
Americom’s AWS division has non-exclusive contracts and is in discussions with a number of carriers. “We are the biggest player in this area nationally,” said Gill. “We have made a business at it … Our vision is to take this kind of service and develop an entire national marketing plan.”
Gill founded Americom in 1984 and shortly thereafter McClure joined him. The business began as a pioneer cellular service agent in Washington, D.C., which was second only to Chicago in bringing cellular service to the marketplace.
A year later, Americom diversified to offer technical support and installation services for carriers, as well, said Gill. In 1986 Americom became an authorized key agent for Bell Atlantic Mobile. Americom’s Wireless Services division experienced 300 percent growth between 1995 and 1996, said Americom, due largely to the addition of Nynex Mobile customers when it merged with BAM.
Americom’s Maryland office supports several hundred employees.
Americom Sales, the company’s agent sales division and core business, remains relatively small but stalwart.
