OPTUS RECOGNISED IN SERVICE EXCELLENCE AND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AT THE AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS AWARDS

Optus’ commitment to its customers and the community was recognised again today by winning the Service Excellence and Community Contribution awards at the 2012 Australian Business Awards on the back of last week’s ACOMM Awards.

The Service Excellence award specifically recognises Optus’ achievements through its Social Media Response Team who actively serve as Optus’ online listening post and pro-actively monitor for opportunities in which they can offer assistance to customers. More than 20,384 people ‘Follow’ @Optus on Twitter, nearly 100,000 people ‘Like’ the Optus Facebook page and last year the team received 4,228 compliments publicly via Twitter.

Simone Gow, Vice President, Customer Operations, said, “Optus is delighted to receive the Service Excellence award from ABA. Optus is focussed on making our customers the centre of everything we do and this win is a great step towards elevating the voice of our customers and providing them with the best possible experience.

“The Social Media Response Team operate like they are a small business in a large corporation and they take real pride in their ability to connect with customers, solve problems and build relationships. With an unwavering commitment to the customer, the dedicated team are proven performers within Optus for delivering an outstanding customer experience,” Ms Gow said.

Optus’ ongoing commitment to support Australian communities was also recognised with its “Make Cyber Space a Better Place” national campaign. Together with Kids Helpline, Optus launched the campaign which featured education packs, ready-made lesson plans, projects and animated case studies aimed at assisting young people with the safe use of technology. The pack was distributed to more than 10,000 primary and secondary schools last year, targeting years 3 to 6, 7 to 9 and ten to twelve.

Helen Maisano, Optus Corporate and Social Responsibility Manager said, “Connecting people is what we do best and we are proud to be recognised for the cyber safety education campaign which helps ensure young Australians connect and communicate responsibly while enjoying all the positive benefits of technology.

“We have partnered with Kids Helpline for over ten years and will continue to work closely together to tackle cyberbullying and ensure our young Australians stay cyber-safe,” Ms Maisano said.

Congratulating Optus, Ms Tara Johnston, Program Director, The Australian Business Awards said, “These types of accolades don’t come easily – they are underpinned by vision and leadership, both of which require a clear dedication to research and development.”

Media contact:
Dianne Edwards
Optus Corporate Affairs
Tel: 02 8082 7850