Customer Loyalty in Guyana’s Telecoms: Turning Retention to Advocacy; the orange way

Customer loyalty is not automatic in Guyana’s telecoms market.

The industry is marked by intense price sensitivity, limited disposable income, and a pool of consumers who often switch providers for marginal savings. In this environment, loyalty becomes more than repeat business, it is a deliberate strategy that moves customers from basic retention to active advocacy. This in turn, creates a new low-cost communication channel that moves even brand loyalty to brand community.

From my experience at ENet, the difference between a customer who pays for one month of service and one who stays for years is dramatic. Fiber subscribers, for example, generate significantly higher lifetime value compared to prepaid mobile customers.

Loyalty is shaped by lived experiences and reinforced by consistent delivery, as Kotler highlights, and I see this daily when fiber customers choose to stay with us because reliability builds habit. To retain is not enough. Moran’s work on integrated communications underscores that loyalty deepens when messages and actions align across every touchpoint. I have seen this firsthand when ENet launched services, like 5G Mobile and Fiber Internet in Bartica. It showed cultural empathy by engaging directly with residents, spotlighting their stories, and showing commitment to regional development. 

This authenticity resonates far more than a discount promotion ever could and it connects with the consumer on a deeper level. The Loyalty Ladder framework makes this progression clear: prospects become buyers, and with consistent nurturing, advocates. At ENet, bundling services across fiber, mobile, and TV has been one practical way to encourage that progression.

When customers see value in a package that integrates their daily needs, the decision to remain with one provider becomes easier. Retention is supported by convenience and reinforced by perceived value.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) makes it clear that retaining a fiber customer for multiple years produces far greater returns than constantly chasing new sign-ups. In my work, I have seen how satisfied customers often become the most vocal advocates of the brand. They recommend ENet to neighbors, colleagues, and family members, creating organic growth at little cost. Reichheld’s argument that advocacy drives sustainable expansion holds true in a market as relational as Guyana.

Challenges will come

Competitors can replicate promotions, start price wars, and blur differentiation. In a small market, reputation travels quickly. One poor service interaction will erode trust it took a company months to build. This is why Kotler’s emphasis on services and experience is so relevant. In telecoms, the customer’s perception of loyalty is tested not by advertising but by the technician who arrives at their home, the swiftness of their resolution, or the tone of a Resolution Center agent.

Customer loyalty in Guyana’s telecoms is about shifting customers from retention to advocacy. That shift is earned through reliability, empathy, and integration. For ENet, success will come not from short-term promotions but from cultivating long-term trust and turning satisfied customers into advocates who spread the word to paint the town orange.