cfx_september-2024 - 11

A Glo Fiber associate assisting new and existing subscribers.
Customer First Approach
Even as Shentel has shifted in its product lines
or operational focus, one of its constants has
been its dedication to providing outstanding
local customer service. That, along with the
virtues of fiber and the clarity around pricing,
are three pillars upon which Glo Fiber's marketing
strategy has been built. But there's a
true buy-in from the staff in the Glo Fiber vision
and mission that has left an impact far larger
than any one advertising campaign. The pillars
have shaped the brand's culture and identity
internally as well as externally, and customers
are connecting with it as well. It was a great
day when SVP, Sales and Marketing Dara Leslie
received the results of a Glo Fiber 2024 customer
survey that placed the brand's Net Promoter
Score at a 69.
" It speaks to the quality of service that we
deliver and we provide, and not only do our
customers love it, but that results in our employees
getting excited about that too because
they see the congruency, " she says. " The brand
has been something that we are living every
day. "
Beyond the buildouts, Glo Fiber has continued
to raise the bar when it comes to the
symmetrical speeds it offers to customers.
In April 2023, Glo Fiber launched 5 Gig plans
across all of its markets, differentiating itself
competitively and ultimately preparing for the
time when those speeds are needed by more
households with ever-growing numbers of devices.
SVP/CFO Jim Volk says 50% of Glo Fiber's
gross ads are subscribing to the company's 1
Gig plans or its higher tiers, and it does currently
have some customers taking its 5 Gig
symmetrical service offering.
CablefaxTopOps.com
" That has put a little bit of a lift on ARPU, and
we're kind of overachieving on the ARPU side, "
Volk says. " With the higher ARPU, we can still
get to the same returns even if the cost to pass
goes up. We can now justify going out into
more suburban parts of Harrisonburg, as an
example, so it has opened up some additional
markets for us as well. "
Growth Mindset
There's a palpable excitement in the air when
you talk about Glo Fiber with the folks touching
the brand every day, and the future is nothing
but bright. Shentel completed its acquisition
of commercial fiber provider Horizon Telcom
in April, and Volk says it has become a beachhead
for more Glo Fiber markets in Ohio and
beyond. Additionally, the purchase allowed Glo
Fiber to double the size of its commercial business.
But what set Horizon apart from other
M&A opportunities was its history, one that
very much mimics Shentel's story.
" We have similar roots, both started out as
local telephone companies over 120 years ago.
We've had a track record of investing in stateof-the-art
telecommunications services for rural
markets, smaller cities, smaller towns and
our fiber expansion strategy has been similar
as well, " McKay says. " The other area we had
in common, both companies have a history of
focusing on providing outstanding local customer
service. " Glo Fiber now has more than
15,600 route miles of fiber with a network that
stretches across nine states, and it is able to
connect customers to data centers in major
cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C. Feedback
from commercial customers thus far has
been very positive, McKay reports.
September 2024
Horizon markets have already been rebranded
to Glo Fiber and the company expects
to have most of the system integration
work completed by the first quarter of 2025.
Leslie's team engaged with Horizon customers
via email, direct mail and more to make
them feel as comfortable with the change
as possible and to educate them on Glo Fiber.
They also haven't been shy about trying
to draw in new customers, spending money
on TV and radio ads that would ensure the
brand's first impression was as strong as
possible.
" We've done really well with introducing
the brand in a loud but gentle way that enables
customers to inquire and be curious, "
she says. " We've created destinations with
the website, etc. for both customers and new
customers to understand that brand transition. "
At
the end of the day, Glo Fiber employees
measure their success by the level of
impact they are making in the communities
they serve. " In many cases, we're bringing
broadband choice to the community for the
first time. In other cases, we're building out to
unserved areas and bringing true broadband
to the community for the first time. That's
pretty exciting to me along with some of the
business services that we're providing as
well, " McKay says. " There's definitely a positive
impact on the communities and that's really
what excites us, having the connections
to our communities and making a difference
there. "
Top Ops 11
http://www.CablefaxTopOps.com
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