Smart starts to reopen stores in select areas

SMART Communications, Inc. on Monday said it would reopen its stores in select areas under the more relaxed general community quarantine.

In a statement, Smart said all its staff “will be required to wear masks and to have their temperatures checked prior to entry” to ensure the safety of customers and employees.

All its stores will have sanitation areas, distance markers, and other features that reduce physical interaction, it said.

“High traffic areas will also undergo regular disinfection,” it added.

Jane J. Basas, senior vice president and head of consumer wireless business at Smart, said: “We are continuously looking for innovative ways to adapt to the new normal in order to serve our customers better.”

“By opening our stores, we hope not only to address customer concerns but also to help stir economic activity to help our country recover from the effects of COVID-19,” she added.

Last month, Smart said it would implement beginning May 1 a six-month installment payment scheme for the outstanding monthly bills of its postpaid customers. The objective of the six-month installment program is to ease the financial burden of customers affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, it said.

All postpaid accounts will be automatically enrolled for the six-month installment scheme. Those who do not want to avail of the deferred payment scheme can pay their bills in full. — Arjay L. Balinbin