Savvy Solicitation

The ability to send ads to handset displays has provided yet another way for merchants to attract customers. But can targeting consumers with advertisements anywhere, anytime, alienate customers who don't want to be bothered?

U.S. Cellular
Total Hold Time: 1 minute
Transfers/IVR Layers: 1
CSR: Customer service. This is (name).
WR: Is it true that companies can send ads to cellular phones? How would that work?
CSR: It's through the Internet. You go into the Internet and sign up for the SMS services or short-message service. After you sign up and call in, they'll activate it, and that's all there is to it.
WR: Can you choose what companies send ads, or is it random?
CSR: Oh, I know on ours you can choose.
WR: OK. And if you get ads from companies where you never shop, is there a way to block them?
CSR: I don't know about blocking because with ours, you choose what you want.
WR: Do you use your minutes when you listen to the ads?
CSR: Yes. It's the same as with your voice mail.
WR: Can you limit the number of ads that are sent to your account, because I wouldn't want my mailbox to be full of ads?
CSR: Well, I don't know how other companies do it, but with ours you choose what you want. I'm not sure how many are sent everyday.

Microcell (Fido Services)
Total Hold Time: 1 minute
Transfers/IVR Layers: 3
CSR: Hello. This is (name) for Fido Services.
WR: I heard that companies are now able to send ads to wireless phones. How does that work?
CSR: OK. Send ads? To your handset?
WR: Yes.
CSR: It's like text messages — but you already have that.
WR: So it's not a new service?
CSR: No. No. No. A text message basically is ummm ... you already have that on your phone. All Fido customers can always receive a text message. But if you want to send, you have to activate the service. With each case it's different. You will be selected. If you're selected, you're going to be receiving it.
WR: Can I choose the type of companies that would send me the ads?
CSR: Oh, you're talking about other than Fido?
WR: Yes. Other merchants like music or clothing stores.
CSR: No. That's not possible.

Southwestern Bell Wireless
Total Hold Time: 6 minutes
Transfers/IVR Layers: 3
CSR: Thank you for calling Southwestern Bell Wireless. Can I help you?
WR: I was calling to find out about handset advertising. Can you explain what happens?
CSR: The way it works is with your local dealers like Radio Shack or the Southwestern Bell dealers in your area — when you go in, you sign a mailer list and they send you mail about the latest specials that they have going on.
WR: And they do send that information to your phone?
CSR: Wait, on your phone like your cellular phone?
WR: Yes.
CSR: Oh. That's e-messaging. When you purchase a Southwestern Bell phone, they offer different packages and some of them offer e-messaging where they can send messages to your phone.
WR: From other merchants like book stores or flower shops?
CSR: Yes.
WR: Is it coupons?
CSR: No. It's just like information posted up on the screen. But as far as coupons, the only way I know you can receive those is from mailer lists, like when you go to the actual store and purchase a phone and they mail you different things that you want.
WR: OK. I guess I thought you could get messages if you were walking by a store and you had your phone on, and I didn't know if you could pick the companies you wanted to contact you.
CSR: To be honest, I've never heard of that, but I know they have e-messaging on the phone. It's more or less like an Internet-type thing where you can send messages to another person, or the store can send messages also, but as far as I know, it's just a Southwestern Bell store that can send messages to their customers. I don't know about other stores.

Mystery Caller is Wireless Review's ongoing series of random calls to service providers to determine how a customer might be treated and the accuracy of distributed information.