Wireless Zone - ‘Verizon Exclusive’ Store Chain Opens “400 Doors in 400 Days”
This year, as Wireless Zone goes into its 20th year in business, it looks back at 1988 when a small store opened in Connecticut. They had called it The Car Phone Store, which was a standalone Metro Mobile exclusive agent and the first of its kind. The founders, Russ Weldon and Mike Geer, started the company with one simple goal, “to be the best wireless retailer in Connecticut”. That was a time when being a wireless retailer was not in the scope of the carriers. The Car Phone Store sold just wireless products when carriers were focused on mass merchants, car stereo dealers, and direct sales for enterprise.
In its first year, Weldon and Geer’s vision manifested as the store grew and people started asking them to open additional outlets. Weldon was reluctant to have his name associated with stores that were run by managers who were without stake in the business. So he and his partner decided to franchise their first store to Marty Devine in Madison, CT. Devine’s store, WZ01, “after 19 years is still in business,” informs Kevin Sinclair, President and CEO of Wireless Zone.
The Car Phone Store grew and over the years car phones became less and less part of the day-to-day business. However, the demand for handset products increased. Taking cognizance of the changing times in 1998 the store became ‘Wireless Zone’ as a prophetic branding toward the trends in product development and service offerings. The change of name aided in growth and continued success and is as relevant as ever in the rapidly changing wireless marketplace.
Today, Wireless Zone successfully caters to the growing demands and needs of rural communities and entrepreneurs. Sinclair says, “As we grow our franchise system, and as the business changes with carriers opening in every mall, and every A-level retail location, our place in servicing customers in the rural market has grown. Our main success has come from locally-owned and operated businesses, all working under one name and one operating system.” Mark Asnes, Wireless Zone’s COO adds, “The company’s goal is simple and follows a proven 20-year recipe for success: match our customer-centric values with like-minded merchants.” Both Sinclair and Asnes admit that the real growth opportunity for prospective franchisees is in rural America.
Sinclair says that as an exclusive Verizon Wireless premium retailer, Wireless Zone has big plans. He challenges the company to be “the ‘go-to’ retailer for Verizon Wireless.” Currently, Wireless Zone serves its retail customers the same way as a Verizon corporate store, i.e. offering replacement phones and taking bill payments for any Verizon customers.
Some may see this fruitful partnership as a challenge, since many policies of the company are driven by Verizon’s business strategy. “The benefits of being an exclusive agent far outweigh any objections,” declares Asnes. “For a short while, we tried a multi-carrier relationship. Truth is, it was like dating several people at the same time. In the end, a lot of people are disappointed. And since most consumers shop by carrier already, it only made sense for us to be an exclusive carrier for whom we viewed to be the best. Our franchisees have reported it to be a more profitable model, plus it provides Wireless Zone with the opportunity for long-term, steady growth as Verizon Wireless continues to grow across America.”
To handle this growth, every employee who works for Wireless Zone’s corporate office knows they are empowered to make decisions, which will result in strong relationships and individual growth. The entire company has been trained to make decisions based on a simple principle, “When it is a black and white issue, the answer is clear. If it is grey - we need to look at all parties’ issues, and create a win-win solution for everyone involved in the outcome of our decision,” states Sinclair.
The company’s mission is to serve its customers. This service extends to retailers, franchisers, and co-workers, to foster its professional reputation in all activities and relationships. Wireless Zone takes immense pride in its ability to keep the customers returning to its locations. Sinclair says, “On the day that a customer buys their phone, it is extinct. Therefore, every sale we make, today, is a future sale when we treat the customer correctly.”
Rather than resting on its laurels, Wireless Zone is incessantly planning to expand and make its presence in newer territories. It is expecting a huge growth in the next 18 months, with its Focus400 plan, “400 open doors in 400 business days”. The company expects to have 400 operating stores by mid 2008, predominantly in the south, northeast and Midwest. The main driving force behind the plan is its relationships with current owners, ability to work successfully and continue to change as Verizon Wireless grows and changes, and its ability to service customers in the rural and suburban markets.
After Focus 400, it plans to continue expanding with new owners and existing owners, which will help Wireless Zone grow at 20 percent per year. In the next ten years, the company, through strategic partnerships, and through the addition of area developers, is looking forward to becoming a nationwide company. Sinclair adds, “We are revamping our website, http://www.WirelessZone.com. Soon it will not only help drive in store traffic, but also business to business sales. Our stores offer tremendous value to small businesses with 10 to 100 employees. The addition of products such as Verizon FiOS is really driving same store sales.”
As the company grows, it not only wants to create policies that give the organization structure but also protect the entrepreneurial flexibility that made it strong from the beginning. By being a franchisor in the wireless business, the company is always juggling a balancing act, to ensure that it pleases everyone and succeeds. It has to be fair to its carrier, and understand their needs and business issues. In turn they strive to listen to franchise owners’ needs and concerns while considering the product manufacturers’ needs. Sinclair says, “If we as a company can balance all of the business partners that equate to our future, we will run a successful long term business. As we go into our 20th year of business, we cannot lose sight of the fact that people want to be treated fairly and with respect.”
For Wireless Zone franchise information, please contact Mark Asnes