Gilly Ames, front-end developer and boardgames fanatic, steps into the highlight this month to elucidate how we make it simple for patrons to work together with us…
Why did you be a part of Octopus?
Earlier than becoming a member of Octopus, I’d spent round 4 years determining what I needed to do and studying the most effective methods to do it. I labored as a marketing consultant for some time, then at Travelex the place I helped construct worldwide cost apps. They do improbable engineering there and I realized rather a lot, however I needed to do one thing I actually cared about. I checked out just a few issues, however determined working in renewable vitality was the place I may take advantage of optimistic affect.
What do you do?
I give attention to bettering what our prospects see and work together with (like the web site), and the instruments that assist our operations staff serve prospects higher.
I additionally attempt to make our builders’ lives simpler by introducing new know-how – something that lets them reply to buyer wants sooner and extra effectively.
What makes working at Octopus totally different to different corporations?
What’s sensible about engaged on front-end right here is accessibility. Ashley, our lead front-end developer, has achieved a tremendous job of constructing positive that is on the forefront of individuals’s minds. Folks typically suppose this solely impacts a small share of the consumer base, however making the positioning extra helpful for individuals utilizing display readers, or these with dyslexia or autism, inherently makes it extra helpful for everybody.
With reference to growth usually, the deployment system now we have right here is phenomenal. The very fact we are able to write code and see it go reside inside an hour is a triumph, and lets us act on buyer suggestions actually quick. You want set of dev-ops individuals to arrange such a quick pipeline, and also you want a variety of confidence in your personal builders for it to work. So it’s solely one thing you are able to do if you’ve received a mature staff of excellent individuals.
What are you engaged on in the mean time?
I’ve simply completed upgrading our tariff web page, including the quantity of CO2 you save on our tariffs in opposition to the common Massive 6 customary variable tariff. We have tried to make it enjoyable and relatable by figuring out the variety of timber (in addition to how a lot cash) you save simply by switching to us.
I’ve additionally been doing work to scrub up the client account web page. We’ve made it clearer once we want one thing from the client, and added a reassuring message if we’ve achieved our checks and all the things is okay. When prospects log in they will see if their Direct Debit is true, if funds are acquired, and meter readings are up-to-date. We’ve additionally improved the appear and feel of the web page, and added in some Octopus mascots for a little bit of persona.
What’s the most effective factor about your job?
There’s an amazing vibe right here. The persons are actually gifted and keen about what they’re doing. Greg, our CEO, at all times consists of us in enterprise choices, and it’s refreshing to work on one thing you realize will make prospects’ lives simpler.
And essentially the most difficult factor?
It’s my first job at a startup. I’m used to working at locations the place the tempo is slower. At Octopus it’s actually dynamic and thrilling as a result of there are such a lot of fascinating initiatives to work on, and juggling all of them is usually a problem. All of them want consideration. But it surely’s nice to work someplace with such a robust buyer focus.