Safaricom has just rolled out a new feature for subscribers with airtime challenges.
Subscribers can now transfer charges to the recipient under the new feature named reverse calls.
The service can be activated by adding a ‘#’ (hashtag) before the recipient’s phone number.
The recipient will in turn see the call come in as usual, however once they pick the call a voice prompt will ask them to dial the number ‘1‘ to accept to accept the reverse call. They will then be charged for the call at normal Safaricom call rates.
This service will only be available for on-net calls and not on off-net, roaming and international calls. This means at least for now, you will only be able to use this feature for Safaricom to Safaricom calls only.
Safaricom Chief Customer Officer, Sylvia Mulinge, said, “At Safaricom, we maintain our commitment to always provide our customers with relevant products in line with their needs. This innovation is in line with this commitment and has been tailored to mirror the relationships between our customers with a goal of empowering them to always remain connected with their loved ones.”
It is interesting to note that Reverse Calls is not exactly a hot new invention. They were rather popular in the 1990’s when calling was a very expensive affair, and could pass along the cost of calling to their recipient.
The service also complements Safaricom’s current “Please Call Me” service, which gives its customers five free ‘please call me‘ text messages to be sent to other Safaricom subscribers.
