Customer service and careful pricing are priorities across Shaw Communications' operations in fiscal 2013, CEO Brad Shaw said Thursday after the company reported a 20 per cent drop in quarterly profit.
The Calgary cable and media company has added staff to deliver better service and has "dramatically" reduced call waiting times, he said.
"We have applied more rigour and discipline to our pricing, customer acquisition strategies and marketing activities," Brad Shaw said on a conference call.
"This strategy was evident in our financial results in the second half of the year and this will continue to be our focus in fiscal 2013," Brad Shaw said on a conference call.
Other cable companies such as Rogers and Quebecor's Videotron have also put an emphasis on customer service to help prevent customers from going to competitors.
Shaw Media operates Global Television and 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History Television and Showcase and also offers high-speed Internet among its services.
In its 2013 outlook, the company said it anticipates modest growth in consolidated revenue and operating income before amortization. It also plans to continue to enhance its network and launch a new satellite, Anik G.
However, Shaw said it expects to reduce capital investments from 2012 levels and its free cash flow to be in line with the 2012 fiscal year, which ended in August.
Meanwhile, Shaw wouldn't comment on whether it's interested in buying any of Astral Media's assets, should they come up for sale.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission recently nixed Bell's $3.4billion deal to take over Astral Media, saying it wasn't in the best interests of Canadians.
In its financial results, Shaw said its net income from continuing operations fell 20 per cent to $133 million in the fourth quarter ended Aug. 31.
Shaw said non-operating items, including business acquisitions, integration and restructuring expenses, affected net income. It also booked a $26 million loss related to an electrical fire at its Calgary headquarters. Some 900 employees were relocated to other Shaw buildings. The company had to take an asset write down of $20 million during the most recent quarter and due to the extent of the damage the building is going through an "extensive renovation."
Revenue, however, was up 2.5 per cent to $1.21 billion for the quarter compared to $1.81 billion year-over-year. Shaw met or beat analysts' expectations. Analysts had estimated earnings per share of 28 cents and put revenue at $1.19 billion. Revenue for the full year was $5 billion compared with $4.7 billion last year.
