Giffgaff
Encyclopedia
Giffgaff is a mobile phone
service based in the United Kingdom
. It operates as a mobile virtual network operator
using the O2
network and launched on 25 November 2009.
Giffgaff differs from conventional mobile phone operators in that the users of the service may also participate in certain aspects of the company's operation, e.g. sales
, customer service
and marketing
. In return for this activity, the user receives remuneration
through a system called 'Payback'.
businesses in San Francisco in 2008. The principles behind the formation of the company were set out in the Giffgaff manifesto.
The word giffgaff is Scottish Gaelic meaning mutual giving and was chosen to fit with the principles outlined in the manifesto. The strapline for Giffgaff was 'the mobile network run by you' to reflect the fact that some users of the service help run various aspects of the operation.
During the first year of operation in 2010, giffgaff won two industry awards, the Forrester
Groundswell Award in November and the Most Innovative Community Award at the Social CRM Customer Excellence Awards. In November giffgaff was also nominated as one of the five finalists for the Marketing Society's Brand of the Year, but lost out to the department store John Lewis
.
and 3G
services. It can be obtained in two ways, either ordered directly from the website, or as a gift from an existing member (the "member get member" scheme). A card passed on by another member has an additional £5 airtime added when it is activated by the recipient and topped up with a minimum of £10. Further top up payments can be added through the website either using a UK credit
or debit
card or by redeeming an eVoucher purchased from a payzone epay or PayPoint
. Unlike other networks, there are no swipe cards that can be used to purchase top ups directly in store. The eVoucher method of payment was introduced in June 2010.
The member needs to have an unlocked mobile phone
in order to use the SIM, although phones locked to the O2 network will also work. The terms and conditions prevent the use of tethering, except when gigabags are purchased for the SIM (see below).
On 15 April 2010 the first major new tariff product was launched called goodybags. These offer bundles of text messages
, mobile internet and voice minutes from a varying price range, which last for one month at a time. Goodybags may be purchased from the prepaid account balance or by credit or debit card at any time.
In June 2011, the Hokey Cokey product was launched, which combines a £5 goodybag with free extra minutes for every minute of Incoming calls.
On 17 October 2011 data only bundles called Gigabags were launched. This allows a giffgaff SIM to be used in USB modems or other data only devices such as the iPad
.
and twitter
was introduced in October 2010 to provide other channels for customer support.
The first product from Giffgaff labs was introduced in September 2010. It provided calls for 2p and texts for 1p in return for a £5 monthly payment. This product was withdrawn after the trial period.
The second labs product, nicknamed "Hokey Cokey, was introduced in December 2010. For £5, the customer got 60 minutes, 300 texts and a free extra minute for every eligible incoming minute.. This product left the labs in June 2011 and became an official product.
BlackBerry
services are currently in the lab and planned for launch at the end of November 2011, although the October RIM failures may delay this.
and a Nokia app
were released to help users manage their account and access the forums. A notable part of these announcements was that the apps were produced by members of the giffgaff community rather than the company itself.
account, or as a donation sent to a community-nominated charity
, the value of which is matched by Giffgaff. Each point is worth one penny
; these are redeemed every six months, on 15 June and 15 December. The first payback was made on 15 June 2010 and on the most recent payback in June 2011 Giffgaff paid out a total of over £250,000 to its customers.
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
service based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It operates as a mobile virtual network operator
Mobile virtual network operator
A mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
using the O2
O2 (United Kingdom)
Telefónica UK Limited is a telecommunications, internet and financial services provider in the United Kingdom owned by Telefónica, forming part of its Telefónica Europe division...
network and launched on 25 November 2009.
Giffgaff differs from conventional mobile phone operators in that the users of the service may also participate in certain aspects of the company's operation, e.g. sales
Sales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
, customer service
Customer service
Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.According to Turban et al. , “Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer...
and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
. In return for this activity, the user receives remuneration
Commission (remuneration)
The payment of commission as remuneration for services rendered or products sold is a common way to reward sales people. Payments often will be calculated on the basis of a percentage of the goods sold...
through a system called 'Payback'.
History
Giffgaff was founded by Gav Thompson, the head of brand strategy at O2, who is reported to have come up with the idea after studying Web 2.0Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
businesses in San Francisco in 2008. The principles behind the formation of the company were set out in the Giffgaff manifesto.
The word giffgaff is Scottish Gaelic meaning mutual giving and was chosen to fit with the principles outlined in the manifesto. The strapline for Giffgaff was 'the mobile network run by you' to reflect the fact that some users of the service help run various aspects of the operation.
During the first year of operation in 2010, giffgaff won two industry awards, the Forrester
Forrester
Forrester may refer to:* Forrester Research, a market research company* Forrester RFC, a Scottish Rugby Union football club* Forrester , people with the surname Forrester-See also:...
Groundswell Award in November and the Most Innovative Community Award at the Social CRM Customer Excellence Awards. In November giffgaff was also nominated as one of the five finalists for the Marketing Society's Brand of the Year, but lost out to the department store John Lewis
John Lewis (department store)
-Recent developments:In June 2004, John Lewis announced plans to open its first store in Northern Ireland at the Sprucefield Park development, the province's largest out of town shopping centre, located outside Lisburn and from Belfast. The application was approved in June 2005 and the opening of...
.
SIM card
The core product is a SIM card, which supports all standard 2G2G
2G is short for second-generation wireless telephone technology. Second generation 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja in 1991...
and 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
services. It can be obtained in two ways, either ordered directly from the website, or as a gift from an existing member (the "member get member" scheme). A card passed on by another member has an additional £5 airtime added when it is activated by the recipient and topped up with a minimum of £10. Further top up payments can be added through the website either using a UK credit
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
or debit
Debit card
A debit card is a plastic card that provides the cardholder electronic access to his or her bank account/s at a financial institution...
card or by redeeming an eVoucher purchased from a payzone epay or PayPoint
PayPoint
PayPoint plc is a British business offering a system for paying bills in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
. Unlike other networks, there are no swipe cards that can be used to purchase top ups directly in store. The eVoucher method of payment was introduced in June 2010.
The member needs to have an unlocked mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
in order to use the SIM, although phones locked to the O2 network will also work. The terms and conditions prevent the use of tethering, except when gigabags are purchased for the SIM (see below).
On 15 April 2010 the first major new tariff product was launched called goodybags. These offer bundles of text messages
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
, mobile internet and voice minutes from a varying price range, which last for one month at a time. Goodybags may be purchased from the prepaid account balance or by credit or debit card at any time.
In June 2011, the Hokey Cokey product was launched, which combines a £5 goodybag with free extra minutes for every minute of Incoming calls.
On 17 October 2011 data only bundles called Gigabags were launched. This allows a giffgaff SIM to be used in USB modems or other data only devices such as the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
.
Customer service
The main method of customer service relies on members of the network providing answers to questions raised by others. There is also a small customer service team which provides further support when issues cannot be resolved directly by members, for example credit card issues. A forum on the website has an active community where these questions are raised, but answers and may not always be definitive. Integration with facebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
was introduced in October 2010 to provide other channels for customer support.
Giffgaff labs
New product ideas are tested initially in Giffgaff labs, available to all members for a short period. If they are popular, they may be incorporated into the main product, and are withdrawn if not. The labs' products are also beta tested by selected community members before release.The first product from Giffgaff labs was introduced in September 2010. It provided calls for 2p and texts for 1p in return for a £5 monthly payment. This product was withdrawn after the trial period.
The second labs product, nicknamed "Hokey Cokey, was introduced in December 2010. For £5, the customer got 60 minutes, 300 texts and a free extra minute for every eligible incoming minute.. This product left the labs in June 2011 and became an official product.
BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
services are currently in the lab and planned for launch at the end of November 2011, although the October RIM failures may delay this.
Community provided applications
In July 2010, two iPhone appsIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and a Nokia app
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
were released to help users manage their account and access the forums. A notable part of these announcements was that the apps were produced by members of the giffgaff community rather than the company itself.
Payback
Giffgaff enables members to earn points that can be exchanged for money, which is redeemed in one of three ways: either as airtime credit, as cash which is sent directly to a PayPalPayPal
PayPal is an American-based global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders....
account, or as a donation sent to a community-nominated charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, the value of which is matched by Giffgaff. Each point is worth one penny
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
; these are redeemed every six months, on 15 June and 15 December. The first payback was made on 15 June 2010 and on the most recent payback in June 2011 Giffgaff paid out a total of over £250,000 to its customers.