Nokia training partner helps UK retail partner champion the Nokia 5800
O2 has long been known as one of the world’s leading network operators and handset vendors, with a strong lifestyle element attached to the brand. As technology has changed the world around us and integrated with day-to-day life more seamlessly, O2 has undertaken a change in strategy and direction, moving into what they term “The Connected World”.
O2 has long been known as one of the world’s leading network operators and handset vendors, with a strong lifestyle element attached to the brand. As technology has changed the world around us and integrated with day-to-day life more seamlessly, O2 has undertaken a change in strategy and direction, moving into what they term “The Connected World”.
The objective of this strategy is to change the way consumers perceive the O2 brand from being simply a mobile network, to becoming a supplier of connected technology, products and services. In October 2008 Verridian was engaged by O2 to train the customer-facing workforce in new technology, products and services, and customer solutions.
In the first instance, a series of events were planned in October for a thousand of O2’s longest-serving, best-performing retail staff in London, Birmingham and Manchester. The challenge was to re-invigorate the already knowledgeable workforce with updated brand values and product positioning more in line with the new direction.
With a day-long programme for up to a hundred delegates per event, Verridian promoted an interactive learning environment through innovative instructor-led training, workshops, and demonstrations, even using a bucket of Maltesers to explore the differences between dial-up internet and broadband!
Throughout the day, delegates were tested on their understanding of the sessions, as well as their ability to communicate this information to customers. Results showed that a staggering 94% of delegates had benefited from the day’s events and were more confident in communicating the technology, products and services than they were before the training sessions.
Following the success of the October sessions, the management team within O2 decided to roll out the training to the rest of O2’s retail staff – some 4000 staff in total. With such large numbers to congregate at events across the country, Verridian was required to update the logistics of running the courses, although the content remained the same.
Using new mapping software to ensure delegates did not have to travel more than an hour from each store (as specified by the client), Verridian has successfully implemented ongoing events across the country.
O2’s management team have been extremely happy with activity carried out so far, alongside, we imagine, local confectioners! The client’s expectations were exceeded by the success of the campaign, with Raj Mehta, National Training Manager commenting,
“This was a successful and fruitful partnership, Verridian and O2 worked well together and we delivered close to 200 individual workshops across touching over 3500 retail staff. This was the largest single delivery project I have seen and managed for over 5 years at o2 and I was really pleased with the final outcome”