FiOS can actually save consumers money. It sounds like the hyperbole that would be uttered by a behind-quota retention and/or direct sales specialist, but the fact is that Verizon has found a very innovative way to save consumers money and thus help consumers justify what ultimately amounts to an entertainment expense in increasingly hard financial times. The solution is surprisingly simple and straight forward: coupons.
CellFire: The Future is Now
This might sound a bit odd at first, but the idea bears a little attention because it just might be the new order of things. An explanation of Verizon’s concept should probably start with a brief discussion about CellFire, Verizon’s FiOS coupon partner. CellFire has already made a respectable business doing something that should be a lot more popular: putting all the coupons one could possibly want in a single central location. Prior to CellFire’s FiOS-crossover, the company allowed users to use their PC and/or compatible cellular phones to browse and store coupons, then use the cellular phone’s display as a bar code. The idea is simply ingenious on many levels, and it certainly came at the right time: cellular phones are gaining a lot of attention these days and newspapers, once a veritable daily extravaganza for coupons, are nearing the end of their lifecycle.
FiOS, the Replacement for the Coupon Section
FiOS customers can download the new Spend Smart widget from the Verizon Widget Bazaar and start selecting coupons in no time. The coupons will stay stored in one’s personal file until they are used or expire. Expiring coupons are always annoying, especially when the cashier has to point it out and 10 people are waiting in line, wondering if the person at the register is about to hold up traffic to argue over 25 cents. Of course, these days people might be a bit more understanding of those people who really want to save the extra money, but CellFire prevents this from happening by simply removing the digital coupon in the first place.
Once downloaded, customers simply enter their membership cars for relevant chains and (in some cases) their zip code, and a list of appropriate vendors appears. Select that list, and different menus will appear that are appropriate for each type of product/service that any given participating company has to offer.
Finally, a Use for Membership/Discount Cards
The new Spend Smart widget also has another trick up its sleeve, but it only works with a handful of retailers at this point. Select retailers that use membership cards will actually connect with a central database to check which coupons are stored by customers that have registered their membership cards online, and allow the membership card itself to serve a single super-coupon. Again, this is another revolutionary approach that could very well change the way that people use and view coupons in general, and it certainly seems more environmentally sound.
Who Participates in CellFire’s Program?
CellFire’s existing network of coupon providers covers a very wide range of products and services, including such notable names as Hollywood Video, Kroger, Safeway, and ShopRite. More than 20 national chains, and several regional chains partner with CellFire, and more than 4000 retailers around the country are already accepting CellFire-based coupons. CellFire is certainly picking up steam as well, and there is little doubt that their partnership with Verizon will pay off big for all parties involved.
Verzion will keep customers happy, and make it easier for them to justify monthly payments even though things are exceptionally tight in most households at the moment. After all, the possibility of saving $20 or more a week on products and services that one already buys can certainly make paying monthly bills a lot easier in all regards. CellFire also benefits by broader exposure, which in turn should help bring more businesses on board. In this regard, CellFire’s partnering with Verizon is helping them avoid the proverbial egg and chicken problem that most promotion-oriented businesses reach at some point in time.
Consumers ultimately benefit by having all of the best deals in a single, easy-to-use location, and as more businesses sign up, that source becomes even more convenient. CellFire has rivals of sorts, but its unique twist of using the display on a cellular phone makes it environmentally sound and incredibly easy to use. After all, who hasn’t forgot the coupons and had to call the roommate or spouse to lament about their own carelessness? No more with CellFire, and that convenience is now another free widget for FiOS customers.
Wish List
While the existing widget and CellFire service are very nice, what would be great is a combination of shopping list/coupon manager, similar to a few of the iPhone apps on the market. The problem with the iPhone apps is that they require printing of the coupons, but what they offer is the ability to write up a SKU-based shopping list and generate relevant and up-to-date coupons. If such a feature could be added to the existing widget and CellFire’s service in general, the result would be neigh-unbeatable.
