Firstly, tell us a little about Welcomm Communications …

We’re a communications and technology business offering a complete suite of communications solutions across mobile, fixed line, telephony, hosted, managed services and have recently ventured into energy. 2020 will mark our 31st year in business, as well as the launch of our brand new website, which showcases just how far we have come – from the first mobile retailer in the Midlands to the large communications specialist that we are today.

Our ethos, right from the start, has been about keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do. So every conversation that we have, every decision that we make, is made to ensure that we always deliver the best possible customer service that we can. That’s why more than half of our workforce are in customer-facing, support roles of one sort or another.

What’s the best thing about working at Welcomm?

The most important thing for me – and something that I’m really keen to develop in my new role as Head of Sales – is the investment in our people’s skills and training to develop them further within the business.

My own career path in Welcomm is a great example. I started in a support role, and over the past nine years I’ve worked in a variety of management roles in different areas of the business. I’ve had roles in support, provisioning, managing our UC comms team, and have now been Head of Sales since the end of last year.

In fact, nearly half of our management team are people who have progressed through the business, rather than recruited from outside. The company has seen the potential in people and given them the tools and the training they need to allow them to progress. For example, our 18-month accreditation program, for our account management team, supports them in delivering the absolutely first-class experience that our customers have come to expect.

Another great thing about working at Welcomm is the way the company values innovation. We are all encouraged to consider ways to innovate to take us to the next level, which is incredibly motivating.

How long have you been an O2 partner, and what does it mean to Welcomm to be an O2 partner?

We’ve been a partner for more than thirty years, dating back to when O2 was called BT Cellnet. We take our partnerships very seriously. It’s so important for us to be able to work hand-in-hand with our supply chain in order to deliver the service we want to, and that our own customers expect. In an industry so reliant on service, it’s essential that you feel confident that your partner is behind you 100% – and we certainly feel that with O2.

How does it feel to be crowned O2’s Partner of the Year?

We are absolutely thrilled to be awarded Best Direct Partner of 2020, for the third consecutive year. It’s such a prestigious accolade for us.

As everyone knows, this is a particularly challenging time for everyone – for us, our customers and our competitors. We have some fantastic days, but we also have some pretty challenging days too. So to receive this award, in this particular year, shows we’re prioritising doing the right thing by our clients and by O2.

One of the key metrics of this award is based on customer satisfaction, so when you’re a company based on those same values, it doesn’t really get much better than that.

What are you most excited that the future will bring?

So nine months into my role as Head of Sales, there’s a lot that I want to achieve personally that excites and motivates me. But as an organisation, we never stand still. It may be a good time to pause and reflect on our partner of the year award, but we’re absolutely not stopping there. We have our eyes on Partner of the Year 2021 already, and we are always thinking of ways to set our portfolio and service apart from the competition. The one constant is change – it’s a very exciting time to be at Welcomm.