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Telecom Plus

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Telecom Plus PLC
Company typePublic
LSETEP
ISINGB0008794710 Edit this on Wikidata
IndustryPublic utility
Founded1996
HeadquartersLondon, England, UK
Key people
Charles Wigoder (Executive Chairman)
Andrew Lindsay (CEO)
ProductsLandline telephony, mobile telephony, broadband, gas, electricity.
Revenue£658.8 million (2014)[1]
£32.7 million (2014)[1]
£29.0 million (2014)[1]
Number of employees
750 (2014)
WebsiteUtility Warehouse

Telecom Plus PLC is a multi-utility supplier based in the United Kingdom. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Trading as the Utility Warehouse, it supplies over 500,000 customers in the United Kingdom, working with 40,000 independent distributors, who operate on a multi-level marketing model.

The company supplies gas, electricity, landline, broadband and mobile services to residences and businesses.

History

The Company was founded in 1996 as a telecommunications business. Its first product, launched in 1997, was a least cost call routing 'Smart Box', a gadget that plugs into a phone socket and then routes the calls to alternative networks at a cheaper rate than British Telecom.[2]

Operations

Telecom Plus's entire operation (including call centres) is based in North London, with around 700 staff. The company operates a full landline telephony service, mobile telephony (using the hardware of the T-Mobile & Orange UK networks), broadband, gas and electricity (the company is licensed by OFGEM), and a pre-paid Mastercard (a CashBack card). Telecom Plus Plc currently has a 20% share in UK business power supplier Opus Energy.[3]

A 2009 article by The Guardian reported that Telecom Plus's rates were generally average, and as much as 20% higher than the best deals.[4]

Marketing

Trading as the Utility Warehouse, Telecom Plus has no shops and does not advertise on television or in the national press. The company has focused on word-of-mouth as a primary means of promotion, and offers bonuses to distributors who recruit new customers and distributors. Distributors gain a commission from both their own customers, and their distributor's customers, making Telecom Plus a multi-level marketing company. As of 2009, there was a £199.75 joining cost to become a distributor.[4]

In 2009, consumer group Which? ranked Telecom Plus as having the highest customer satisfaction for home telephone service.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c [1]
  2. ^ Sunday Times Rich List
  3. ^ "2011 Top Track 250". Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  4. ^ a b c Jones, Rupert (4 December 2009). "Utility Warehouse under the spotlight". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2014.