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FREE smartphone classes are among the many appeals on offer at the gleaming new Vodafone flagship store in Killarney. The opening, at midday today, by GAA All-Star James O’Donoghue and Anne O’Leary, Vodafone Ireland CEO, attracted flocks of well-wishers.

Owned by Jessica and Billy O’Connor, this is Vodafone’s largest franchise store in the South West with seven stores across Kerry and Cork. Free smartphone classes and Business-in-Retail support will be available in the new three-storey building.

Located on College Street, the Killarney store will bring to life Vodafone’s customer experience and highlight its ongoing commitment to pioneering a gigabit society – bringing fast and reliable connectivity to businesses and households all over Ireland.

As part of its commitment to the community, the new store will host smartphone classes free of charge, suitable for anyone who wishes to learn more about what their smartphone offers and to connect them to a whole new world in an informal classroom environment.
Vodafone is also supporting small businesses across Ireland through its ‘Business in Retail’ service, providing a unique customer experience. Business customers can call a dedicated number and make an appointment with a Vodafone Business Advisor to avail of a free tailored plan. At present, Vodafone currently look after over 100 business customers throughout Kerry.

The brand-new Vodafone Killarney building features three floors which have been designed with the customer in mind, ensuring an unrivalled in-store experience. From early next year, Vodafone customers will be able to sign up to Vodafone Gigabit broadband, which delivers speeds of up to 1000Mpbs without any worries of congestion on multiple devices simultaneously. Customers will be able to trial this in store and receive expert advice from members of the Vodafone team.

Jessica O’Connor added: “We are delighted to open the doors on our brand-new store today. Today is an exciting new chapter in our long-standing partnership with Vodafone. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal customers who have supported us over the years and we look forward to welcoming old and new faces through the doors in the coming months.”

Anne O'Leary, Chief Executive of Vodafone Ireland, said: “At Vodafone Ireland, we connect people to the things that matter and this flagship store is a great example of bringing that mantra to life. Our network covers over 95% 4G population coverage across Kerry and we will continue to invest in our network to add value to our customer’s experience. Over the coming weeks, we will be hosting community classes in our new store, in which customers of all ages can learn to make the best use of their smartphone and become familiar with the latest technology. Vodafone have been hosting smartphone classes in Kerry since July 2016, to date these classes have been a great success. Additionally, we will continue to support local businesses with our ‘Business-in-Retail’ offering.
“We have worked with the Kerry Phone Centre for 20 years now and their knowledge and retail experience shines through in everything that they do. I would like to thank Pat and Breda O’Connor for their fantastic support over the years and I want to wish Jessica and Billy every success as they open the doors here today.”

Anne O’Leary, CEO, Vodafone Ireland with store owners Jessica and Billy O’Connor, GAA All Star James O’Donoghue and Anne O’Leary cut the ribbon and welcome guests through the doors of the new three-storey building on College Street.
PICTURE: LIAM BURKE, PRESS 22