Read interviews with some of our employees and find out what their roles entail.
How long have you been with Airwave? I joined in November 2007. What do you think of the job so far? I’m really enjoying it. My background is in customer service, so I knew what to expect, but this job has a more technical element, which was challenging at first. But you pick that up quickly and the basic principle is the same – providing a great service to customers. What does your job involve? I’m part of a team of around 12 people on the Customer Service Helpdesk. We are here to help any of our customers with orders or faults and we deal with, on average, 500 calls a week. I am a nominated point of contact for the North region, plus the Metropolitan Police. However, I also answer calls from any of our customers. What’s a typical day like? Pretty hectic! We start by logging in and looking at the designated job queues, then prioritise the work depending on the level of urgency. Then the day is taken up resolving requests from the queues, other incidents as and when they come in and case management of our nominated customer’s existing cases. What sort of requests do you deal with? It can be anything from an order for a new handset to resolving a coverage problem. To use a coverage problem as an example, we’d offer first-line diagnosis before tasking to second-line support and then assigning an engineer. We monitor the job until it is completely resolved, all the time keeping the customer updated. We understand the pressure our customers are under, so aim to get any coverage issues fixed as quickly as possible and generally within 5 hours. What is the best thing about working for Airwave? I love the job itself and the people are great. I’m also impressed with the amount of support on offer – everybody mucks in to help when needed. Finally, there is a real focus on learning and development, which is refreshing. What do you think is the secret of good customer service? In each case, it’s about meeting the customer’s needs from start to finish. It’s about listening to each of them and understanding what they want and then keeping track of the job to resolution, remembering to keep the customer informed at all times. It’s also important for us to cut through the jargon, even though we’re dealing with some very technical issues. So we have to make sure we explain things to customers in a way they’ll appreciate and understand – not bombard them with acronyms. How do you go about building an understanding of the customers? We’re encouraged to go on off-site days to visit them and see what life is like on the frontline, plus we’re regularly introduced when customers come to the office, which helps put faces to names.
How long have you been with Airwave? Nearly five years What does your job involve? Basically, I’m the interface between Airwave and the customer, managing any faults and queries over case management, helping with major incidents and planning special events and just ensuring everything is okay. What did you do previously? I was a police officer with Suffolk Constabulary. Does that help in your new job? Definitely. It helps to know the things that matter to front-line people and understand the customer’s needs. It also reassures customers that you can empathise with them. What is the biggest challenge of the job? Managing planned works requests. It can be hard explaining to customers why there has to be downtime, especially if the work is for other customers and won’t bring any visible improvements to them. It’s also sometimes hard to arrange a time that suits everyone. But we manage it as best we can and there now seems to be a much better understanding across the business of how such downtime impacts our customers. And what’s the best part? I have been involved in major incidents such as the Buncefield fire or the Suffolk murders. Airwave always seems to come into its own in those situations and we really perform fantastically well. Everyone always pulls out all the stops and I can’t remember an occasion where we’ve failed. During the Buncefield fire, for instance, we loaned handsets to the many fire services attending the scene and I had to provide training on the spot – it’s that sort of reaction that our customers really value. What’s your relationship with Client Managers? Because I’m speaking to the customers regularly, I get a good handle on what they want and need, so can pass on any potential leads to the Client Manager. It helps that Airwave is beginning to bring out products and services in response to customer demands, such as Special Coverage Lite. That product has solved a lot of problems for us and our customers love it – we need more products like that. What made you swap life on the beat for a job in Airwave? I’d been working on the project during the early days and when I saw the opportunity I jumped at the chance. I fancied a change of direction and it’s been great to be honest – I’ve not regretted it once. As someone who used the old police analogue system, how much of a step forward has Airwave been? It’s been massive! I used to work in Suffolk and there were areas where you could hear shipping traffic perfectly, but couldn’t get in touch with an officer one mile down the road. It’s the simple things that have made the difference – the clear, reliable communication and the emergency button. I still play golf with a lot of officers and they really do appreciate the improvements.
How long have you been with Airwave? Nearly two years. What did you do beforehand? I was with BAe for 13 years as an aircraft electrician and various other roles before moving to GNER. I spent 10 years working out of Kings Cross and joined Airwave in 2006. What do you think of the job so far? I think it’s great. Overall, I find it really enjoyable. What skills do you need? Apart from having a sound engineering background, you have got to be a good communicator, flexible, self-motivated, logical and methodical. PC skills are also essential. What does an average day look like? Every day is different and things can change minute by minute. My job involves progressing on-going projects, carrying out planned maintenance work and fixing any urgent faults that come in. I also provide support to other engineers when needed. We all help each other as a team. I guess it’s not your typical 9-5 then? No. And I’m on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every fourth week. Do you get called out often? Yep. Most recently I got a call at 7pm asking me to go to a site in Cambridgeshire, where someone had tried to cut through our power cables. I spent about eight hours on site with a back-up generator keeping things going until support arrived. What do you like most about your job? Being out and about with customers, talking to them directly about faults and issues. I also like the fact that you know that, if you need support, someone will be there to help. We’ve got a good team spirit and everybody mucks in. What’s the worst part of the job? Gaining access to sites can be a big issue and that’s the biggest cause of frustration at the moment. I also find that, having worked in teams in my previous jobs, the job can be a bit lonely at times. Are there any other things that could be improved? It can take a while to wait for answers you need to complete a job, which is frustrating. Getting through to the right people in the network management centre has also been less than perfect due to the design of the voice recognition system, but I’ve been told this is being resolved and the communication link will be better soon.
What does your job involve? I am a client director on the Firelink programme, one of Airwave’s major blue-light customers. The role is very diverse and has evolved during my two years with Airwave. Initially it involved working on lots of contractual and delivery challenges, but as the team has grown I’m focusing more on business-development activity. Talk me through a typical day. Every day is different and can involve meeting with Firelink, local government and members of the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) themselves. The FRS will ultimately be using the equipment and services we deliver, so it’s vital that we understand what is workable for them. What are the best parts? I work with some great people and it’s good to work on something you can see is worthwhile and will bring real benefits. We are also creating some good business-development opportunities and trying to bring creativity and innovation into our public safety mindset, which will further enhance what we deliver to our customer. What sort of challenges do you come up against? The decisions we make can have far-reaching effects on our clients, so it is imperative to consider all the angles. The Fire and Rescue Service is a worthy customer and demands exacting standards. Failure is not an option! What attributes do you need for the job? You need a good balance of seriousness and humour, along with perseverance, tenacity and diplomacy. What frustrations are there? We are growing all the time as a business, which means that not everything we need is always there. Airwave needs to understand how it is perceived at every level – celebrate more of what is good and fix what needs to be better. What makes a good client experience? A good customer experience is one where the customer knows they can trust you 100 per cent and are convinced you understand their needs. Good communication is also vital and you both need to be moving towards a shared goal
Why did you choose a career in HR? I fell into it really. I was on a Youth Training Scheme with Marks and Spencer when they offered me a job in HR and it went from there. Because I’m dealing with people, no day is ever the same, so it’s something I enjoy and I’ve never looked back. What does your role involve? I support the operations and technology teams under Martin Benke and Euros Evans. On a day-to-day basis I provide advice and guidance to the team on our policies and procedures, good HR practice and employment law – generally anything that relates to our people. I also manage the local trade union relationships. On a strategic basis I support HR change programmes and the delivery of business objectives and the people strategy. I’m also currently managing the Grading Review. Sometimes HR is seen as a barrier – why? It’s an enabler, not a barrier. Many people have misconceptions about HR and the role we play. Through early engagement, we can often help achieve the best outcomes for both our people and Airwave. From a HR perspective, what does Airwave do well? I think there is a real commitment in the organisation to providing the highest level of customer service possible. Everyone seems to have a genuine desire to do the best they can for our customers. The ‘can-do’ attitude and good will that exists is impressive, and I think everyone at Airwave is very proud of what we do for the public safety community. What attributes make a good HR manager? You need good interpersonal and influencing skills, plus empathy and a sense of humour.
How long have you been with Airwave? Three-and-a-half years, I joined when the ERV team was put together. What do you do? I’ve actually got three roles. I’m an ERV engineer so I have to ensure the vehicles are ready for action 24/7. I’m also a manager at the NMC and the London Service Centre. What did you do before? I’ve had some very strange jobs. At one time I was paid to collect large stones from the side of the M25 to stop them falling onto the carriageway. Another time I earned money washing lorry tyres so they didn’t dirty the roads. Then I woke up one morning and thought I need to do something more worthwhile with my life so I decided to knuckle down and get a career. I’ve been in the telecoms industry for 25 years - I was at Cable and Wireless for 15 years before Airwave. On the day of the terrorist attacks on the London Underground I was on the Northern Line. After that I vowed I’d never work in London again, so it’s ironic that I’m now involved in the ERVs and the London network – never say never! What do you enjoy most about your job? The people. I work with a great team of people who are dedicated and motivated and really enjoyable to work with. What’s your biggest achievement at Airwave? Being part of the team that delivered G20. We’ve received many bouquets from customers because Airwave worked so well for them. It was such an important event and everyone worked so hard to get it right. It’s a real sense of achievement to be involved in such a high profile event. What personal attributes do you need for your job? You need to be level-headed, able to cope with a high pressure situation and a good team player.