Since Truphone is my agency’s client, I’ve waited while many of the other bloggers weighed in with their opinions regarding the recent Skype and IM integration, like this one by Jon Arnold. Most have been dead on with their analysis of what it means, and in turn the interest at the booth at MacWorld has been overwhelming. A Google search will find the many posts.
But the bigger story in my mind was at MacWorld and how people reacted to Truphone. Almost the entire day there were two or three people who were either Truphone users with a great story to tell or someone who had heard from a friend about Truphone. What I was really taken aback by though was how many of the people didn’t have an iPhone yet, but had a Touch or were using other devices and said “for this app I’ll get an iPhone.” It was really something special.
Truphone President Tom Carter coined the phrase “Tru Believers” as the verbal and visual testimonials we heard about Truphone helping people on trips, being used on Cruise ships, in China during the Olympics and more were simply heartwarming. Tom, a veteran of many years of telco and technology trade shows remarked last night over dinner that he’s “never had someone come up and say ‘I just want to shake your hand and say thank you for such a great service.’ “
When one thinks of Apple, one gets that impression. When one thinks of phone service one usually doesn’t. When it comes to Truphone, one really needs to, because based on the customers’ reactions at MacWorld, there are many “Tru Believers” out there.