Different cultures, consistent service

In order to expand its footprint in the European market, Orange recently launched its services in Spain through the acquisition of the mobile operator Amena. Entering a new market always represents a big challenge, and in this case Orange needed to train 4,000 members of call centre and retail staff to ensure that the strong focus on building lasting relationships with customers is carried through to Spain. 

Relying on a comprehensive set of brand values and induction programmes to train its staff, Orange is well known for its great customer services. However, these tools were never articulated in terms of how front line staff should behave towards customers. Engine was asked to design a compelling training programme to instruct Spanish call centre and store staff on how to behave in an Orange way. We relied on our expertise in understanding what customers really want to translate Orange’s values into an engaging training tool. Having a multicultural team, Engine was able to wrap up and deliver the bilingual project in less than 12 weeks.

Talking to customers from different cultures to understand what they want.

Our first step was to understand how cultural differences shape people’s behaviour. Working closely with Orange’s customer experience team, we worked with representatives from retail and call centres followed by creative sessions with both Spanish and British audiences. The results from the research were then validated in workshops with experts from Orange in the UK and Spain.

Taking the findings forward we relied on our customer centric approach to derive a set of behaviours that not only conveyed Orange’s brand values but also remained consistent across different cultures. Finally, we created a training tool embodied in a 3-hour interactive workshop consisting of compelling visuals, audio recordings, movies and activities to communicate the set of behaviours.

Using storytelling to convey the right behaviour.

Engine’s ability to handle cultural variations and manage agencies abroad - from conducting qualitative research to shooting movies - was key to delivering the project on time and budget. 

Our help has enabled Orange to create a consistent and high standard service proposition in Spain. The results were so good, that the programme is now being rolled out as part of induction or refresher sessions in other countries including the UK.