Great article in this months's COMMUNITY MAGAZINE of New York. Here's the text - enjoy!
The year was 1995. Josh was leavinghis parents for the first time in his
life. He was going away, not just to
summer camp for a few weeks, but to study
in a yeshiva, in Israel, for an entire year. His
parents wanted to hear from him daily, and he
wanted to keep up with his buddies and all the
latest news, but he didn’t know how he would
communicate across the vast expanse of the
Atlantic Ocean in an affordable way. Having
no other choice, Josh spent hours each week
waiting in line for the central school phone
and talking quickly to accommodate the other
students waiting on line.
When just five years later Josh’s younger
brother attended the same yeshiva... there
was no one by the telephone. Everyone had
switched over to Talk‘n’Save.
Specializing in the
Student Population
Over ten years ago, the founders of
Talk‘n’Save took a look at the existing cellular
phone tourist market and realized there was
a huge demographic being ignored: the
students coming to Israel for the year. Yeshiva
graduates themselves, the company directors
quickly started negotiating the best deals from
Israel’s major wireless carriers.
“We became the first company to focus
exclusively on students,” says Miriam
Druyan, PR Manager for the company and an
employee since those early days in 1999. “The
difference between us and the competition
was staggering – we were something like
75 percent cheaper for some calls. You can
imagine how the savings added up for the
customers.”
Soon customers were coming in droves. Just
a few hundred signed on during Talk‘n’Save’s
first year of operation, but the numbers rapidly
increased and soon enough, thousands of
students were choosing Talk‘n’Save for their
year in Israel. The company quickly advanced
with the times, offering newer models and
a wider variety of services – and lowering
prices, year after year. They also
diversified into short-term rentals
and specials for missions and groups
(including birthright trips, NCSY
summer programs and so on), even
offering wireless modem rentals so
that business travelers can be online
anywhere in Israel.
Most American programs in
Israel (yeshivot, seminaries and
university programs) recommend
and often insist that their students
use Talk‘n’Save phones. And with the
great rates available, this has become
a first choice option for many.
Great Deals and Offerings
The 2009-10 student plans offer prices
as low as 4.9 cents/minute for international
and local calls. Students can buy a block of
minutes and comfortably stay in touch with
everyone back home in the US – for less
than a nickel a minute. No more rushed calls
because of high per-minute costs. And, for the
first time, an unlimited plan is being offered
– something unheard of in Israel, until now.
A free 150 minute plan is also available for
students who just need a phone for security.
Plus, all incoming calls are free with these
plans! Students can rent the latest phones or
just a SIM card to use with their old phone
from home – another great way to save.
But Talk‘n’Save offers even more than
that...
A few years ago, Talk‘n’Save made use
of cutting-edge technology to launch their
pioneering “Keep‘n’Touch” program, which
lets each account add a USA number to their
Israeli phone. This virtual American number
lets family and friends back home call Israel
for the price of a local call. Talk’n’Save now
offers this service (which has since become
widely available) to more countries – providing
local numbers in Canada, England, Belgium
and other counties – and at better prices – as
low as 4.9 cents/minute. The connection is
clear, no special codes are
required, and parents enjoy
the ease and low cost of
reaching their child in Israel.
It’s also a boon for business
travelers and anyone who
needs to be in easy contact
with colleagues at home.
Global Connections
Over the last year,
Talk‘n’Save has begun
offering phone rentals for
global destinations,
specializing in
England, China,
India and other locations. Talk‘n’Save
has earned a stellar reputation for customer
service that has attracted many new and
returning customers, especially now as the
travel industry is flooded with special deals.
“It’s a great company, with a great focus –
we bring people closer together, all over the
world,” Miriam Druyan says. “Being able to
save people money, hearing their reactions
when we call them and tell them they can
save even more, helping someone afford to
stay in Israel a little longer without breaking
the bank... I’m really proud to be a part of it.”
Talk‘n’Save’s main US office is located
in Lawrence, NY, just minutes from JFK
airport, perfect for travelers on their way
out of the country. The main Israel office,
located in Jerusalem, is fully staffed with
English speaking representatives, and – unlike
most Israeli businesses – it is open daily
until midnight. Talk‘n’Save’s staffers are thus
exactly where the customers need them, when
they need them. Quick phone repairs and
replacement in case of damage or loss, easyto-
understand rates and lots of options make
Talk‘n’Save the choice of tens of thousands of
international travelers.
Go to www.talknsave.net or call
866-TALKNSAVE (866-825-5672) to learn
more or to sign up online.
