Alltel expands circle of friends

Alltel Corp. announced it is expanding its “My Circle” feature to be included in more calling plans. The feature, which allows customers to call wireless subscribers from any carrier of their choice without pulling from their monthly bucket of minutes, will now be available to customers on rate plans starting at $50 per month.
“Since we launched My Circle in April of 2006 we have found not only with our current customers but also with potential customers that they really do see this as a benefit,” said Lucie Pathmann, director of marketing publicity at the nation’s No. 5 carrier. “My Circle is an enticing offer that other customers look at.”
The original My Circle 10 allowed customers on rate plans starting at $60 per month to call any 10 numbers without using any of their package minutes. Now the carrier is introducing My Circle 5 on rate plans starting at $50 per month and My Circle 20 on rate plans starting at $100 per month.
Beginning today, the feature will automatically be added to all eligible customers’ accounts.
“Really, we think that we’ll get consumers to take both the 5 and the 20, but we think that business owners will really take advantage of our My Circle 20,” Pathmann said.
“Our brand is all about being the advocate for the consumer. We wanted to do things that give the customer choice and control over their wireless plan,” she said. “When we rollout initiatives of any kind . we really look at how that will benefit the customer and how that will improve the customers’ experience with Alltel.”
Pathmann said Alltel hasn’t experienced any negative impacts from My Circle. For example, few if any customer have downgraded their monthly plan because My Circle left them with too many unused minutes, she said.
My Circle is a “key differentiator” that gets Alltel on the “mindset for potential new customers,” Pathmann added.