Case Study: Stray
“I’ve forgotten
about reliability
issues because
there are none.”
Brett Hudson
Operations Manager, Stray
Stray
Stray Limited is an adventure bus company taking travellers to out-ofthe-way places around New Zealand. We caught up with Operations
Manager, Brett Hudson to talk about 2degrees and their business.
Adventure Travel
50 staff
41 mobiles
Around NZ
Joined 2012
WHY DOES STRAY NEED MOBILES?
Our tagline is “off the beaten track” so we’re not staying at your
main destinations. We’re getting out there to the extremities
of New Zealand and our sole way of being in contact with our
drivers is through phone communications. We have changes
happening all the time and we need to be able to contact our
team in real-time.
WHAT WAS YOUR OLD PROVIDER LIKE?
There were large phone bills and if we had a problem like a
phone outage it seemed they were either busy or they weren’t
organised, and couldn’t get back to us. It was very frustrating
and it became a constant problem within the business.
AND WHAT IMPACT IS 2DEGREES HAVING?
It saved us $60,000 in the ?rst year. In the second year, it’s
going to save us that again. All this will go back into marketing
campaigns or growing other parts of the business. The other
impact is having an Account Manager I can get hold of to get
solutions to my problems when I need them.
WHAT DIFFERENCE DO MOBILE DEVICES MAKE?
Our drivers are now able to use their smartphones and other
mobile devices to show videos, photos and information about
other tour packages and options available, like our operations
in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. We couldn’t do that
before and it has made a huge difference. Of course, they’ve
now got email and internet access too.
“You need damn good partners for successful business, and 2degrees I put
in that category.“ Brett Hudson, Operations Manager
HOW IS THE COVERAGE?
The coverage is fantastic. Regularly, I’m on road trips across
New Zealand and off the beaten track and haven’t experienced
issues with coverage. With our old provider there were a lot
of black spots around Auckland and I don’t get those with
2degrees. And the bus drivers could be at Cape Reinga, they
could be at Stewart Island, they could be down the West Coast;
so in all sorts of different coverage areas and 2degrees works
well for us.
3 x $89 plan
37 x $49 plan
1 x $149 plan
HOW RELIABLE IS THE NETWORK?
Since I’ve been with 2degrees I’ve forgotten about reliability
issues because there are none. Previously I regularly had issues.
I would be on the internet and it would drop out and when
I sampled a 2degrees SIM card in there, I was amazed at the
speed, how much quicker it was. I would regularly be on the
phone with the last network and it would just drop a call. I don’t
get that any more. As I said, the word reliability has disappeared
from my vocabulary because it is so reliable.
For video case studies about Stray and other businesses who have made the move to
2degrees Business, please visit 2degreesmobile.co.nz/business
better
0800 022 BIZ (249)
2degreesmobile.co.nz
[email protected]
BUSINESS
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