New Orange UK CEO Tom Alexander has outlined plans for Orange in the UK,
which he says are designed to deliver better quality, innovation and
service to its customers, and growth for the company. Alexander has
unveiled a new, three-pronged customer-focused strategy for the company
based around the keywords: improve, grow and evolve.
The strategy is intended to improve the quality of the customer and
network experience; grow the business by expanding Orange sales
channels and the high-speed network; and evolve the way the
communications market currently operates by more-effectively combining
its mobile and fixed broadband arms to provide pioneering new services.

Kicking off the new strategy, Alexander outlined initial plans for the
company, including introducing a new structure for the board and
organisation; the launch of a new line of totally connected Orange
products, including laptops; the creation of new jobs in customer
centres and Orange Shops; calling a halt to the expansion of offshore
customer service in India; reducing duplication in management roles;
the launch of new high-street stores; the acceleration of the rollout
of the high-speed data network; the development of industry-leading
new services; and the launch of new innovative customer propositions
that transcend the way broadband and mobile services are currently
marketed and sold.
Orange is an iconic brand, a great business, and were going to build
on that success to become the best-loved telecommunications company in
Britain, says Alexander. To reach that goal, we need to give our
customers consistent quality – quality of network, products, service
and experience. Delivering that quality will see the number of
customers who join, stay and spend with us grow.
“The
telecommunications market has evolved dramatically in recent times and
it is my aim to make sure that Orange is at the forefront of serving
todays 21st century customer – a customer who is web-savvy,
product-savvy and, quite rightly, demands a premium service at the same
time as best value for money.”

New Service Strategy
Orange is introducing a number of new ways for its customers to contact the company. As well as enabling its store staff to help customers, it is also launching new Instant Messaging and web self-serve systems, giving customers new levels of access and choice. The network is also returning much of its customer service focus to the UK. Calls from Pay Monthly customers will be the first to be returned in order to be dealt with by UK customer service teams.

New network plans
Orange has also announced a new mobile network strategy focused on delivering even better network quality to its 15.8 million mobile customers across Britain. The company plans to rol lout 450 new 2G base stations across the UK to ensure customers will benefit from best quality coverage and service when using their phones for calls and texts. Further investment in the 3G network will also ensure that services such as Mobile TV and the mobile Internet can be accessed, and offer the best levels of quality,wherever customers want to use them in the UK. The company is also accelerating its 3G+ (HSDPA) rollout in order to provide faster speeds to more people, and says it will offer speeds of up to 7.2mbps in the top 30 UK cities within 18 months.
Orange is also planning to launch a super-fast mobile network. Offering speeds of up to 14.4mbps, the network will provide customers with faster and better quality access to the mobile Internet and other services on the move. The network will launch next year, with an initial plan to rollout in five cities across the UK.
The company is also accelerating its fixed broadband network to provide a better service to its 1.1 million broadband customers, with a target of 950 unbundled exchanges by the end of 2008. Currently, the company has around 850 unbundled exchanges.

New Sales Channels
Orange is expanding on Britains high streets with around 60 new stores scheduled to open throughout this year and into 2009, building on its existing 338 outlets. The company is also overhauling its on-line store. The shopping experience, usability, credit management system and stability are all being rebuilt.

New Services
Working closely with Oranges global R&D unit Orange Labs Orange UK says it will deliver pioneering new technologies over the next 12 months and beyond, in order to provide its customers with a unique level of quality and experience that no other mobile company can offer. Orange plans to launch a new range of totally connected products this year, including laptops that will provide customers with instant broadband using Oranges fixed-line service in the home, and the high-speed mobile data network on the move.

New Structure
Orange has also announced a new UK board and organisational structure orientated around customers. The company is creating two new teams the Consumer customer team, headed by Mike Newnham, and the Business customer team, led by Paul Tollet. This is designed to ensure a positive end-to-end customer experience. All other functions, including a new Sales & Loyalty team headed by Jean-Pascal van Overbeke, will work alongside and service the two new customer teams. As well as ensuring total focus on the customer, says Orange, the new structure is designed to ensure the mobile and broadband teams work more effectively together to deliver unique services that go beyond standard fixed or on-the-move services. A New Business, Wholesale and Strategy team, led by Marc Overton, is also being created and is tasked with uncovering new business and revenue opportunities as well as developing Oranges wholesale and MVNO business.
To support this focus around the customer, Orange is planning to create up to 500 new roles in frontline customer service and retail by the end of the year. At the same time, in order to increase customer focus, remove duplication and improve responsiveness and efficiency, Orange is proposing to streamline administration, management and support functions, which is likely to result in a reduction of up to 450 roles.
The signs of a resurgent Orange have been borne out in our financial results over the past 12 months and it is my aim to build on this momentum, says Alexander. We will improve, evolve and grow this great business, this great brand. I believe Orange stands for premium service, great quality and fabulous value for money. That ambition will continue to drive the way we run our business and serve our customers.