O2 Telefónica
Enhancing the Customer Journey: how TIMIFY's tailored scheduling solution enhances efficiency and elevates O2 Telefónica's in-store and digital experiences.
Other
Large Enterprise
Germany
Appointment Booking
The Company
- Headquarters: Munich, Germany
- Employees: Approximately 7,500
- Revenue: 8.6 billion euros (2023)
- Ownership: Majority-owned by Telefonica S.A. (Spain)
- Market: Germany, operating under the O2 brand
- Customer Base: 45 million mobile telephone lines, and 2.4 million broadband lines.
The company, a leading telecommunications provider in Germany, is dedicated to making a sustainable digital future accessible to everyone, benefiting both customers and employees. They have actively embraced digital processes not only to streamline daily tasks and support flexible work arrangements, but also to foster collaboration and enhance customer satisfaction. One such solution has been the implementation of appointment booking.
The Challenges
During the pandemic, O2 Telefónica initially partnered with TIMIFY to implement appointment booking for their "Click & Meet" in-store services. Key requirements included a swift and flexible setup, GDPR compliance, and the ability to reliably manage high volumes of appointments.
TIMIFY's account management team successfully deployed the system in 400 stores within just three days, integrating it seamlessly into various store types:
- O2 Owned Stores: Fully owned and operated by O2 Telefónica.
- O2 Partner Stores: Branded by O2 Telefónica but operated by independent partners.
- O2 Quality Partner Stores: Distribute O2 Telefónica products alongside other brands.
This solution ensured O2 Telefónica's swift compliance with Click & Meet regulations in Germany, enabling them to continue providing uninterrupted service to their customers.
Pilot Phase
Following this initial success, O2 Telefónica conducted a six-month pilot program, expanding the TIMIFY appointment booking system to 800 stores. This initiative aimed to streamline in-store services and enhance the customer experience, serving as a crucial component of their broader digitalization strategy.
The integration presented challenges due to the diverse systems and configurations across different store types, as well as the need to comply with stringent telecommunications industry regulations.
Critically, to ensure full compliance with EU-GDPR guidelines, a dedicated cloud-based data hosting environment was established exclusively for Telefónica. This setup guaranteed data privacy and security, with no personal data exposed to third-party US providers, and full ownership and control over all customer information.
The Solution
After the success of the pilot phase, TIMIFY's system has been implemented to allow customers to self-schedule appointments online with over 1500 O2 stores, partners, and quality partner stores across Germany by selecting a specific in-store service (such as contract renewal, pick-ups, payment of a mobile invoice, product consultation, and solutions for entrepreneurs and freelancers,) and an available time slot. Key features include:
- Appointment Booking: Customers can book appointments for specific services.
- Appointment Rescheduling: Customers have the flexibility to reschedule appointments if needed.
- Appointment Cancellation: Easy cancellation options are available for customers.
Customizations:
- Customizable Booking Widget: The widget was adapted to fit O2 Telefónica's corporate identity, ensuring a seamless brand experience for customers.
- Adaptable Email Templates: Email templates are customizable to maintain brand consistency and provide clear communication with customers.
- Web-App Customization: Specific features like the chat button (Intercom) and online booking button have been customized or deactivated according to O2 Telefónica’s needs.
- Dedicated Sender Email Domain: Ensures all communication is consistent with O2 Telefónica's branding.
Website Integration:
TIMIFY Booking Widget, has been included in key pages across the website. The store locator tool on O2 Telefónica’s website allows customers to find and book appointments at nearby stores.
Comprehensive Hosting Packages TIMIFY provided robust hosting solutions, including:
- Dedicated Environment: During the pilot phase, TIMIFY offered a dedicated environment that ensured customer data was stored exclusively in Germany, meeting strict data protection and GDPR requirements.
- Open Cloud Hosting: This dedicated hosting, coupled with an external email provider, provided the necessary data privacy and security assurances.
Comprehensive Multi-Store Management:
TIMIFY Allows centralized management of all stores, providing insights and control over bookings through our solution for multi-stores businesses “TIMIFY Branch Manager”
- Three Types of Branch Managers: For owned stores, partner stores, and quality partner stores.
- Advanced Management Tools: Branch managers can oversee and manage the booking system across all store types, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
Technical Details:
- Core Product & API: The core TIMIFY product and its API form the foundation of the solution.
- API Gateway for Emails: Facilitates seamless email communication through an integrated gateway.
- Contacts Middleware: Ensures data synchronization and management between different systems.
- PartOS: O2 Telefónica’s CMS for managing sales partners.
- Email: Transitioned to the standard TIMIFY email setup.
Data Security:
- Automated Customer Deletion: Customer data is automatically deleted within the TIMIFY core product every two days to comply with GDPR.
- Security Measures: Specific security measures were implemented as part of the switch to the AWS TIMIFY cloud, ensuring compliance with O2 Telefónica’s stringent requirements.
Dedicated Support Manager:
A key advantage of choosing TIMIFY was the provision of a dedicated support manager. This manager was responsible for overseeing the integration process and addressing all of their needs, allowing the company to focus on its core activities of sales and promotion.
