If you’ve been stuck in a long phone queue waiting for customer service since Covid-19 hit, you're not alone with many call centres closing. However, one local NBN provider has transitioned even its call centre workers to home offices.
NBN provider Tangerine Telecom’s CEO, Andrew Branson, says while sales have grown over 100% in the past fortnight due to the increased demand for upgraded home internet, the business is keeping up with demand with no significant delays.
“If you speak to one of our staff there is a chance you might hear children in the background or the occasional rooster but customers seem much happier to deal with that and have their calls answered” said Branson.
Tangerine made an early call to have all staff work from home, including a team in Manilla which fields weekend and overtime calls (the Australian team fields weekday business hours calls).
Tangerine conducted speed tests on all staff’s home internet connections, asking them to submit a photo of their work space and confirm make/modem of PC/laptop.
Some staff have borrowed the office PC plus their office phone so everything was already programmed as if they were at their desk.
“We ran a competition for team members to submit a photo of their home workspace with prizes for winners from each team,” said Branson.
“Plus we are holding Friday Pub Lunches over Zoom to help keep up morale and connection,” he said.
Call queues, volumes and durations are all monitored on a bespoke call reporting system.
“Overall our experience so far has been excellent and we have a work-force knowing that they have job security,” said Branson.
“As we are all in lockdown, we are finding staff more willing to do overtime and fill up their days with extra hours and getting paid for it,” he said.
