Kuwait Report

InterviewsJune 29, 2012

Wataniya Kuwait: Building One of the Most Respectable Brands in Kuwait

Riham Al Ayyar, Senior Director of Communications and Customer Experience at Wataniya Telecom

: Written by Ben Novak; Published: June 29, 2012

Interview with Riham Al Ayyar, Senior Director of Communications and Customer Experience at Wataniya Telecom

Share with us your background. As a Wataniya employee, what do you personally enjoy about your job? What motivates you to strive towards excellence?

There are so many things about Wataniya that I love. But firstly, Wataniya - a leading telecom in Kuwait - challenges me to do better. It is a place that is constantly changing and developing, there is no room for stagnation only growth. Wataniya makes me a little stronger, more passionate and creative every day. Secondly the people who make this brand are full of life and optimism. Over the years many of them have become dear friends and every morning when I walk-in, I feel like I have come home.

I have always been an extremely passionate person and that is where my motivation comes from. Every time I take on something, I can't rest until I see it through. I want Wataniya to be the leading telecom operator in Kuwait and that is what drives me all the time.

How did you succeed in making Wataniya one of the most respectable brands in Kuwait? What do you feel is your personal contribution to Wataniya's growth and progress?

Creating memorable and engaging customer experiences has been an integral part of our brand culture for a long time. In order to do this we have to listen to our customers and we have been doing that for years now.We introduced Net Promoters Score (NPS) to measure customer satisfaction. NPS is a process in which we proactively call our customers and ask them about their experience with Wataniya. If they have problems, we then find solutions and our teams from technology, business and sales follows up until the customer feels satisfied.
Initiatives like this, has helped us win loyalty and trust of our customers. Besides NPS we have a Rewards Program, which recently was awarded the "Best Loyalty Program in the Region". Membership to Wataniya Rewards is free and voluntary. Our Rewards members can collect points for the services they use and in return they can exchange these points for rewards.
We look for out-of-the-box solutions and we work at giving our customers the best value along with a smooth and efficient experience. All this has brought us the name and respectability that we enjoy in the market.

The success of Wataniya has always been a team effort. We have all given it our best. I was part of the team since Wataniya started in 2000. You can say I grew up with Wataniya. I was just out of university then. We were a small team back in the good old days but today we are a big and dynamic department. I did my part in the development of the communication team.

How can a brand be exciting and respectable at the same time? Where is the right balance between the two?

We have always treated Wataniya as a person, never as an organization. The brand has several dimensions just like any individual. It is brimming with new ideas, it's dynamic and multicultural. At the same time we understand the parameters of our society. Wataniya is exciting and respectable at the same time because we have global standards with a local essence. We are "Glocal"

At Wataniya, we do not distinguish between men and women; we believe it is your strength, passion and commitment that will lead you to the top. Anyone can reach the pinnacle of success at Wataniya, there are no biases between men, women, foreigners, locals, young or old, and everyone has equal opportunity.

I believe the right balance depends on the situation and the segment we are addressing. When communicating with the youth we are all about adventure, fun and pushing the boundaries. On the other hand, our older and mature audience relates to our determination, honesty and commitment.

What makes Wataniya Telecom outshine other telecom brands?

Just like the brand, the whole team at Wataniya is young and dynamic. We are all open-minded, friendly and committed. This is reflected in our Wataniya as well. The spirit to succeed and the desire to be the best are qualities that reflect positively and make the brand stand out amongst the competition.

What does Wataniya brand mean for Kuwaitis? Why is Wataniya appealing to Kuwaitis? Which are, according to you, the values attached to the brand?

The word Wataniya means "National" in Arabic. To Kuwaitis, Wataniya is the company that killed the telecom monopoly in the market in 1999. We challenged and changed the status quo. More than 70% of Kuwait's population falls under the age of 60. Wataniya as a brand is also young and resonates with them.

Wataniya represents Kuwait's emerging, open-minded and dynamic society. Our brand values are we understand the people, we challenge the status quo and set international standard for ourselves and lastly we engage our customers with surprises.

Being Kuwaiti, how does Wataniya help Kuwait? What were/are the direct and indirect effects on the Kuwaiti society?

For Wataniya, progress and growth is not limited to the organization. We want our community and the country to grow with us. We have taken several initiatives towards youth development such as the GiveKuwait exhibition that we launched and promoted in March and April of 2012. Through this exhibition we showcased the talent and business ideas of young entrepreneurs, giving them the exposure they need.

Other initiatives include, seminars for people with special needs, we have taken an active interest in conserving our environment. During the month of Ramadan we actively participate in charity. Furthermore we sponsor and promote various sports events and even conduct social awareness campaigns on regular basis.

How is Wataniya empowering women to management positions?

Wataniya is known for its fun and relaxed work environment. How do you approach the work environment and training of employees?

People are productive when they enjoy what they do. We want our employees to look forward to work. We organize all kinds of events that will boost employee morale. For starters we have a foosball table right in the middle of the marketing floor, anyone can come are play a few rounds.

Secondly we have traditional food days, crazy hat days and breakfast get-togethers all the time. Over and above that we also engage our employees with some friendly and educational competitions.

Last year we hosted the Wataniya Ambassador contest where we encouraged everyone to learn about customer experience and there were weekly tests through which we selected the top 5 participants with the highest scores. They then had the opportunity to present their ideas to the entire company; the person who won took home a brand new BMW along with the title of Wataniya's Ambassador.

How would you define your strategy in terms of business clientele?

There is no standard way to serve people. A 20-year old college student's requirement from his/her mobile phone is very different from that of a 45-years old business man. We have created portfolios of services that cater to the specific needs of different segments.

For instance, the youth are more focused on texting and music, that's why the Wink program offers them special rates and discounts on texting and Backstage, our music application at discounted price.

On the other hand Kuwait has a large expat population, our InTouch plan offers them free international minutes so that the can stay connected to loved ones back home. The W's program caters to our VIP customers who get unlimited calls, SMS and internet with their plan.

Our strategy is to offer people exactly what they need without compromising on the quality of our service and ensuring that they get the best value and the most engaging experience with us.

Kuwait Report

Wataniya Kuwait: Building One of the Most Respectable Brands in Kuwait

Riham Al Ayyar, Senior Director of Communications and Customer Experience at Wataniya Telecom

Most Read on Marcopolis

Related Kuwait Telecom & IT