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| SKT offers no help in English; KT relies on web-based assistance By Cathy Rose A. Garcia With everyone going crazy for smartphones, it is only natural to want to have the latest iPhone, Galaxy S or Blackberry models. Foreign residents in Korea have often complained of the difficulty of getting a mobile phone, and it has not gotten any easier. The top two mobile phone companies, SK Telecom and KT, appear to be slow in realizing the potential in servicing the needs of the over one million foreign residents residing in Korea. Still SK Telecom and KT retail outlets are reluctant to deal with foreign customers, and usually reject any attempts by expats to apply for a smartphone, simply on the basis that one is a non-Korean resident. There seems to be a persistent prejudice against foreigners, who are seen as most likely to leave the country without paying their bills. Plus many foreign workers only have a one year visa, which poses a problem when applying for a two-year or three-year subscription plan that usually offer the best rates. The Korea Times visited a few randomly selected SK Telecom T-world and KT Show outlets to find out whether the mobile companies have become friendlier or remain indifferent to foreigners. SK Telecom SK Telecom is the country’s biggest mobile-phone company, but it has always had the most stringent requirements for foreigners who want to apply for a mobile phone subscription. The company requires most foreigners to pay a 200,000 won deposit, and would often require a Korean national to co-sign the subscription plan. Five years ago, this reporter signed up with SK Telecom, paying the 200,000 won deposit and asking a Korean friend to co-sign the account. After a few years, this reporter wanted to replace the outdated phone with a new one, but several SK retail outlets rebuffed her attempts because of the lack of a Korean bank-issued credit card. Never mind if she was an existing SK subscriber and has paid her phone bill every month through automatic deductions from a bank account for already an extended period of time. Frustrated with SK Telecom, this reporter opted to cancel the subscription and switched to another carrier. Some time may have passed, but it seems as though SK Telecom has not changed much when catering to foreign residents. On SK Telecom’s website (www.tworld.co.kr), it can be extremely hard to find the tiny gray button with the word “English” at the bottom of the page. It links to a page with information about call plans, call charges and support, but nothing specific about how a foreigner is supposed to go through the process of getting a phone. Going to an SK T-world outlet is not much help either. The Myeongdong branch looks new and has the latest line-up of smartphones and notebooks on display for customers to try out. However, there are no support services or any information in English for foreigners available. An English speaking staff member tried to answer this reporter’s questions about applying for a new phone. He checked this reporter’s alien registration card, before saying it was okay to apply for a subscription. Samsung’s popular smartphone Galaxy S is available for sale at 1.056 million, but it costs a discounted 840,000 won under a 24 month subscription plan. But the staff could not provide details of the subscription plan, and the subscription forms were to be filled out in Korean. SK Telecom’s policies and services for foreign customers appear to be unchanged. It seems as though the company is not exerting any effort at all in attracting more foreign clientele in Korea. KT Telecom As the exclusive distributor for the popular Apple iPhone, KT is aware of the high demand for iPhones among the foreign community. Foreigners interested in ordering an iPhone 4 can check KT’s Korean-language online store (http://phonestore.show.co.kr/handler/Presale-Neo) and click the small red box on the lower right side that reads: Foreign Customers. It links to an English-language site that offers information about the iPhone pricing scheme and rate plans, as well as the procedure for reserving an iPhone and activating it. The website offers a table detailing the various rate plans per month, along with the amount of voice, text and data available for each plan. For example, a 16GB iPhone 4 priced at 740,000 won on an i-Medium rate plan for two years (504,000 won) will actually cost only 236,000 won. Foreign customers can only make reservations for the iPhone 4 on the website, KT global stores and select KT retailers. The five KT global stores are located in Gwanghwamun, Itaewon, Jongno, Kyunghee University and Ansan. Other KT retailers can make reservations for expats, but the lack of English-speaking staffers might be a problem so the KT website suggests foreigners bring a Korean friend to help with translation. This reporter visited a KT global store at Olleh Square, Gwanghwamun last week to inquire about getting an iPhone. The place was teeming with activity, with people busy testing out smartphones, cellphones, iPhones, and the new iPad. After being given a number by KT staff, this reporter still had to wait for about 15 minutes before an English-speaking staff member was available to assist. After checking the alien registration card, the assistant provided an application form to be filled out. The form was in Korean, though. The main KT stores might be more welcoming to foreigners, but most retail outlets are not. A colleague had difficulty in making an online reservation for the iPhone 4, so she went to KT’s Smart Tower in Gwacheon. There, she was told that foreigners cannot make a reservation online, only at the retail shops. But when she went to a KT retailer, the shop assistant said that foreigners can only apply online. KT seems to have a more open policy for foreign customers, at least at the head office level. However, the same policy is not followed by its retailers. Which one is better? The major branches of SK Telecom and KT usually allow foreign nationals to sign up for phone subscriptions, as long as the customer has a Korean bank account or a credit card. Retailers are a different matter since it seems they are still adamant about not providing any mobile phone subscriptions to foreign customers. Overall, it seems KT is better than SK Telecom in dealing with expat customers. SK Telecom appears to have become complacent, and needs to step up its services for expats if it wants to remain number one. |
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