Training the telecoms world
Responsible for teaching delegates from some of the world’s largest telecommunications companies, Wray Castle has been delivering world-class telecoms training since the 1950’s.
Originally based at the historic Wray Castle in the Lake District, the company began life as a training college for merchant navy radio officers. Today, the company develops and delivers cutting-edge training courses, covering everything from mobile communications to Internet protocol training.
Wray Castle’s trainers are the lifeblood of the company, and over time develop personal relationships with customers. Ensuring these customers can speak to trainers at any time is crucial, and is something that Wray Castle looked to improve by implementing Vodafone One Net Business.
Challenge:
Always on the Move
Wray Castle is a global supplier of telecommunications training to the telecoms industry. The company trains delegates across a variety of sectors, including large network operators, vendors, manufacturers and government agencies.
“The telecoms industry is huge, so we have a team of trainers with their own areas of expertise,” says Karl van Heeswijk, Telecoms Trainer for Wray Castle. “The training can consist of heavy, technical courses through to simpler overview courses for those who require a general understanding of the technologies.
“There’s a lot to the role. We write the courses, deliver them and perform assessments. All this takes place in various locations around the country, so we’re travelling a lot,” says Karl. A huge part of Wray Castle’s service is having trainers available to customers whenever they need them, even when they’re on the move or in a training session with a different customer.
Alongside this, Wray Castle provide direct telephone numbers of all its trainers through the company website, recognising that many customers may want to speak to a trainer directly.
“Communication with our customers is vital. Once a training session finishes, the customer gets access to Wray Castle’s information base, which also includes access to our trainers. So, at any time, a past delegate can call us with a technical query and expect to get an answer,” says Karl.
Previously, if a trainer was absent or unavailable, there was no system that allowed staff to relay customer calls to another member of staff. If a trainer was out of the office or occupied in a training session, they were uncontactable. Wray Castle required a phone system that allowed them to deliver training to present delegates, while continuing to provide ongoing support for past delegates.
The company also recognised a need to implement a system that improved the way the company communicated internally. Vodafone’s One Net Business was the chosen system to give the company the versatility it required.
Solution:
One number for everything
Straight away, Wray Castle recognised the importance of Vodafone’s One Net system and what it could bring to their way of working. “The very simple concept of combining desk phones and mobile phones is great from the start, so if I’m at my desk I can answer the phone and if I’m out in the field I can answer my phone. With this system, anybody can get hold of me by dialling one number, whether I’m using my desk phone or mobile phone. Vodafone One Net is perfect for that,” says Karl.
Trainers can now be in the middle of a training session and have a colleague respond to a customer call on their behalf, thanks to One Net’s‘Hunt Group’ feature. This means Wray Castle can remain focused on improving customer service while delivering world-class training.
“If I’m in a training session and can’t answer my phone, the call will trip through to a ‘Hunt Group’ where one of my colleagues can pick up that call and assist that customer. This system means the customer knows they will always get an answer to their question,” says Karl.
“Vodafone One Net makes everybody in the company contactable for the customer. It’s a great tool that’s really changed the way customers get in touch with us,” says Karl.
Result:
A relationship of efficiency
Immediately, Wray Castle saw the benefits of using a joined-up system that connected each member of staff. “Vodafone One Net really allows us to focus on our customers, because we have the confidence that no matter when they contact us or how they contact us, whether its mobile or landline, they can get the assistance they need,” says Karl.
Vodafone One Net Business has given Wray Castle the chance to truly connect with customers, by allowing the business and its trainers to never miss a call. “One of the key strengths of Wray Castle is our strong relationship with customers. Now, customers know they have a technical support line to call if they have a technical query which they can’t resolve. This is so important, because it reinforces the relationship and a sense of ‘we’re always there’. It’s a relationship of efficiency and it shows that a high level of support is guaranteed,” says Karl.
For Wray Castle, the benefits of using Vodafone One Net Business go beyond improving the customer experience. By having a system that allows staff to redirect calls and respond to requests quicker, the company is seeing the benefit of being both more agile and more responsive to customers.
“If an engineer is working on a project, and hits a problem that they’re trying to resolve, they can call us and get an answer right away. That’s a wonderful bonus for them and it associates Wray Castle with that project. That way it helps everybody,” says Karl.
Wray Castle’s trainers are a passionate group of people always looking for ways to improve how they deliver training and how their delegates receive that training. Using Vodafone One Net Business, Wray Castle has given its trainers the opportunity to do that, by revolutionising the way they communicate.
“For us trainers, good communication is absolutely vital. With Vodafone One Net, you’re helping people solve problems, and that’s the most fulfilling part of the job,” says Karl.
