Virtual interview 30/10/13 – Webchat

[Anonymous]

Hey Guys,

O2 Community Exclusive!

We’ve seen quite a few members posting about web chat and we thought it’d be great if we hosted a ‘Virtual Interview’ with Richard Clarke, our Head of our Digital Service.

This is your chance to ask all your questions around web chat. It could be anything from timescales of web chat to what sort of queries they can handle. Furthermore, if you’ve got a suggestion around how we can enhance the service and extend it to our customers using digital platforms, this is a perfect opportunity for you guys on the O2 Community to pitch it.

As usual if you’re new to the community and want to know how to post it’s here

The session will start on the 30^th October from 13:00 to 14:00. We’ll try our best to answer all your questions in time but if we don’t, we’ll make sure they are followed up with answers after the session.

Reply to this thread with your questions on what we know will be a hot topic, we look forward to getting some great questions!

Thanks

Brad

[MI5]

Is there a training plan and how is the training each operator receives verified?

[version7point0]

Is it true webchat could be having multiple conversations at once (across webchat and calls) leading to the wait times we find during what should be quite speedy conversation?

Is web chat really that scripted or is there a dedicated "on brand" response for every question?

Is the web chat team the same one that deals with internal querries from stores?

Is the position home based and how does the recruitment process work?

Do the web chat team have access to virtual device training or physical devices to aid in customer issues, I once saw an example of a web chat team member asking a customer to remove the battery on an iPhone for example.

[Anonymous]

Offshore staff are obviously cheaper, that is why they are used, question is:

Does the cost benefit appeal more than customer satisfaction?

The reason I say this is live chat is mostly very frustrating and cannot usually do anything other than the very simplest of tasks.  This is absolutely not because they do not want to, they are usually VERY friendly....but because they just simply do not understand/grasp what the question is most of the time.

My personal view is it is always better to have customer facing staff who's native language is that of the country they are working in to avoid confusion/frustration/issues.

I put myself in that same bracked also, I would not be comfortable being customer facing on the telephone/web chat in a country where the language was not English.

[Anonymous]

One of the reasons I put that line in my signature.

We do hear of positive stories too regarding live chat , so it's not all bad.

On the odd occasion I've used the service I have come away with the help / info I needed.

[macblank]

Why can't webchat do sales?

Every time I've tried to get a new handset or contract via web chat, they have had to tell me to call up

[perksie]

I'm sure many people feel the security of their accounts may not be as good when dealing with Web Chat via call centres abroad, can you assure us that the security is up to the job?

Is it true that some of the Web Chat staff are located in the UK?

[jonsie]

Why do I have to wait for up to 5 minutes inbetween exchanges of replies? Are these advisers chatting to more than one customer at a time? Is this part of the criteria whereby they have to take so many chats over the course of their shift?

[adamtemp64]

Like live chat this thread is taking time to see first questions answered

[Anonymous]

Good afternoon everyone, I'm Richard and I head up digital services at O2.

Some great questions about webchat and will be looking forward to spend the next hour to answer them for you.

Richard.