This post is brought to you by Unifi.
Just like how progress is the only constant, TM has also evolved over time. The company is currently on a multi-year journey to transform itself towards becoming a human-centred TechCo and 2023 has been a particularly busy year so far.
Back in March, TM reorganised and consolidated its businesses into a single entity to make its operations more efficient for its customers. Then last month, TM officially opened the door to its new headquarters, located at TM Campus Cyberjaya which is also home to the TM Innovation Hub, TM Network Intelligence Centre, and TM Core Data Centre.
The journey has continued this week with the opening of the first-ever Unifi Store at IOI City Mall, Putrajaya. The outlet which was built from the ground up represents the new era of TM’s retail experience and is the first of many that will be opened throughout Malaysia.
What to expect at the Unifi Store in IOI City Mall, Putrajaya
Unlike what you may have experienced at TMpoints previously, there is no traditional queue at the Unifi Store in IOI City Mall Putrajaya. By traditional queue, we mean the method where you have to get your queue number from the little printer at the entrance and then wait for your number to be blasted on speakers before heading to your designated counter.
Instead, when customers visit the new Unifi Store, they can obtain their queue number by scanning a QR code, filling up their details, and the number will be sent directly to their mobile phone via SMS.
Customers can also pre-book their appointments ahead of their visit via the myUnifi app or the Unifi portal, ensuring a smoother in-store experience.
While waiting, customers can freely roam inside the store and check out all the experiential areas that it has to offer, or they can still choose to leave the outlet if they have other errands to run. This is because customers don’t really have to wait for their number to be called out at the store and will instead be notified through SMS once it is their turn.
The experiential areas in the Unifi Store have been divided into several sections including the Meeting Point which currently showcases various Smart Device bundles, such as the Sony PlayStation 5 and ASUS ExpertBook laptop. Visitors to the Unifi Store can also experience the latest 5G smartphones that are offered by Unifi Mobile under the Next Tech section, alongside wearables from reputable brands such as Samsung, Sony, and Xiaomi.
The Next Living section at the Unifi Store is reserved for all the latest network equipment for Unifi Broadband, together with smart home and smart office devices. Of course, Unifi TV also has its own section complete with two gigantic Sharp Aquos 4K TVs and a Unifi Plus Box that allows customers to experience these offerings for themselves, as well as six smaller screens that showcase everything that the IPTV service has to offer.
If you pay closer attention to these images, you may notice there are almost no counters at the Unifi Store with the exception of two counters at the back of the outlet. Those counters are reserved for complex matters and consultations are handled personally by the outlet’s Unifi Care Crew. For more general queries and services, Care Crews will assist customers to use Unifi’s web and portal, improving the efficiency and speed of resolving customers’ needs.
Regardless of whether it is Unifi Broadband, Unifi Mobile, Unifi TV, or Unifi Business, the Unifi Store at IOI City Mall covers them all. Customer engagement also goes beyond store visits as the Crew will follow up digitally with a summary of customers’ visits and offer future assistance.
For those who need to pay their Unifi bills, top-up their Unifi Mobile prepaid, or redeem their Unifi Rewards, they can utilise two kiosks that are located right at the store’s entrance. These self-service kiosks are also able to cater to those who want to pay their utility bills, top-up Touch ‘n Go cards, purchase TNG eWallet reloads, obtain gaming credits, and many more.
More to come from the Unifi Store
The new Unifi Store at IOI City Mall, Putrajaya also represents what TM refers to as a Connect store – just one of four Unifi Store types that the company has planned to establish as part of TM’s effort to revitalise its retail experiences. As you can tell from the quick walkabout of the outlet, Connect Stores are being positioned as one-stop centres for both consumers and businesses alike to obtain hands-on consultation on products and services as well as support.
Another type of Unifi Store that the public will be to check out soon is called the Experience store. These outlets will be decked with multi-sensory experiences that TM hopes will pique visitors’ curiosity to engage with various digital products and discover how they can enhance their daily lives.
There will also be Hub stores which feature spaces for consumers, entrepreneurs, and surrounding communities to learn about technology and digitalisation. The vision behind these types of stores is to have engaging and thoughtful learning as well as knowledge sharing sessions to highlight the transformative effect that technology has on their lives and businesses.
Meanwhile, TM has also planned to establish Express stores that will provide quick purchase, payments, and servicing capabilities to customers. You can expect to see this type of Unifi Store at both convenient and under-serviced locations.
While the direction of Unifi Store has been clearly defined, this does not mean things will remain stagnant. Incorporating Agile practices into its approach, TM said that it will continuously enhance in-store experiences according to changes within consumer behaviour, in addition to all the things that the company hopes to discover from the feedback provided by its customers.
On a related note, the establishment of the Unifi Store does not mean TM is abandoning all the efforts that the company has taken in servicing its customers via the myUnifi app. Having physical stores is something that TM still considers vital as it wants to ensure that customers have access to their preferred way of engaging with Unifi and to provide human touchpoints where customers can experience and get inspired by Unifi’s services and digital solutions.
What will happen to TMpoint?
Naturally, here comes the next big question: will TMpoints be closed down? Well, the answer is no.
Instead, TMpoint outlets will be upgraded to Unifi Store gradually. This applies not only to those that are directly managed by TM but also TMpoint locations that are run by TM Authorised Dealers.
Among the first TMpoint outlets that will be transformed into an Unifi Store is the branch located at Wisma TM Shah Alam as well as TMpoint Setapak.
For starters, TM will be focusing its Unifi Store efforts in the Greater Klang Valley area within the coming months but sure enough, the public will see Unifi Stores springing up in more locations throughout Malaysia. So, stay tuned for further revelations from Unifi’s official website coming your way soon.
