Rogers, Enjoy Technology to bring tech delivery and setup service to Canada

FILE: A Rogers Plus store in Markville Mall in Markham, Ontario. (Photo By Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine – Own work, Public Domain)

TORONTO — California-based Enjoy Technology Inc. is bringing its mobile retail service to Canada’s largest city later this month through an exclusive partnership with Rogers Communications Inc., the companies announced Thursday.

Enjoy has provided similar personalized technology sales and setup services in the United States since 2015, in partnership with Google, Sonos and AT&T.

In the United Kingdom, Enjoy has partnerships with mobile phone operator EE and British Telecom.

With Enjoy’s entry into Canada, initially only existing Rogers mobile phone customers in the Toronto area will be able to schedule a visit to their home or office by one of 25 mobile retail units staffed by about 40 Enjoy employees.

The free service will set-up a customer’s device, transfer applications to the new devices, synch contacts, and explain its features and offer popular accessories like cases, headsets and smart assistants

Enjoy chief executive Ron Johnson said his approach is to combine the positive attributes of online shopping, physical retail stores and personal convenience.

“In order to have a great experience, you need to insert a person into the conversation,” Johnson said in an interview.

“So we’ve invented this idea that you can order online and we’ll bring a full retail experience to your home, your office or (a public place such as a restaurant).”

The companies say consumers won’t pay extra for Enjoy’s service, which will be included in the price of Rogers products and services they are buying once the service is launched on Oct. 29.

Rogers expects a majority of its customers will access the new service online, where the final stage of the purchasing process will add the option of “Rogers Pro On The Go” to other types of free delivery, if available in that area.

“The opportunity to grow, both here and into other markets, we think is pretty significant,” said Brent Johnston, president of wireless at Rogers.

“So this is just the starting point.”

He added that Enjoy typically has better customer-satisfaction ratings and better economics than typical mall-based stores.

“The rents in those malls are very, very high. The store merchandising to keep it modern and current is very, very expensive. The constant re-merchandising of those stores is very, very costly,” Johnston said.

“You can quickly see that the economics of this approach are superior to more traditional approaches to serving customers.”

The two companies expect to expand the service to other Canadian markets in 2020. The range of Rogers products and services carried will also be increased as the service becomes more established.

“The better we do, we earn the right to expand into more markets, more cities, more product lines,” Enjoy’s Johnson said.

In order to accomplish its goals, Johnson said, Enjoy uses full-time staff who are paid a salary that’s competitive with other premier retailers, trains its experts on Rogers products and services, and pays attention to their people skills..

“We spend, on average, 30 minutes on every experience (but) it will be as much time as the customer wants or needs,” Johnson said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2019.