The beating coronary heart of Octopus Vitality for Enterprise (OEB) is our Leicester Group Z. They actually get right down to enterprise, chatting to prospects each day about their power wants.
Group Z offers with buyer queries, billing, funds, refunds and all the great things that comes together with being the customer-facing aspect of our operations. Not thrown off by a few of the ludicrous questions our recruitment group requested them of their interviews (instance: “Would you moderately encounter a bear-sized duck or 5 duck sized bears?”) This ever-growing group of power specialists are the back-bone of our OEB group.
I had a digital sit down with a number of of our Group Z members to search out out a bit extra about their jobs and what’s holding them energised at work.
Leanna
Leanna is one among our newest additions to Group Z, and she or he began working for us slap bang in the midst of Lockdown. Leanna offers with day by day buyer queries and says her job is a bit like account administration as a result of she will get to take care of each side of a enterprise buyer’s power account.
What attracted you to the corporate?
Initially it was the pro-environmental side of the corporate that drew me in. I wrote my thesis on shopper behaviour round sustainable merchandise final yr, and sustainability is one thing I’m actually
captivated with. After I then began researching Octopus, I examine prospects being the centre of all the pieces and that additionally actually enticed me.
How was it beginning throughout Lockdown?
I’ve to confess, it was unusual to do all my coaching remotely, but it surely was dealt with rather well. We performed some video games so it was actually interactive and that made it simpler to remain motivated. It was really higher than some coaching days I’ve had in particular person…
What have you ever loved most about this job to this point?
Having duty and feeling like a trusted group member from the offset. It has been nice studying how one can cope with a few of the extra bespoke buyer queries and dealing carefully with completely different colleagues within the course of.
Is there something you could have discovered difficult about beginning your job throughout lockdown?
The toughest factor was attending to know your group remotely – imagine it or not it’s unusual solely seeing folks by way of a display screen! We’ve handled it by organising catch up calls each week the place one particular person will put together three inquiries to ask the group, so we are able to have some casual chatty time. It will likely be random questions like: “What’s your favorite color off the Dulux color chart?”
What’s your favorite factor about Leicester?
Its range, which suggests a number of nice meals! Additionally, simply how simple it’s to get out into nature- I really like spending time in Bradgate park.
What’s your Octopus maintain music?
“Somebody Like You” – Adele
Group Z attending to know one another, 2020 fashion
Zain
Zain is our knowledgeable credit score analyst, specializing in our strategy to debt and creating our credit score technique. He’s been within the Octo-family for nearly two years now.
Is there one thing you’ve labored on at Octopus that you just really feel actually pleased with?
Virtually all the pieces. I come from a customer support background, so I really like working with prospects to present them one of the best expertise attainable.
What have you ever discovered most difficult about your job?
I didn’t know a lot in regards to the power business earlier than I joined Octopus, so filling that information hole has been difficult but rewarding. There’s a number of technical language associated to power that I needed to get my head round.
What’s your favorite Octopus reminiscence?
The events! They make you’re feeling actually valued. One of the best one I have been to is the one which was thrown once we reached 500,000 prospects. It was in a venue in London the place we had a view over town and that was fairly cool.
What’s your Octopus maintain music?
“Bleeding Love” – Leona Lewis
Zara
Zara is one among our most established enterprise power specialists and is a fountain of data with regards to coping with buyer queries. She has labored for Octopus for over two years now and specialises in funds and refunds throughout the billing run.
Is there one thing you could have labored on at Octopus that you just really feel most pleased with?
Seeing a few of the issues I’ve advised to the Tech group throughout Jaeger* classes really get carried out in Kraken has been fairly nice. I’ve made a number of options which have helped make billing for companies much more environment friendly.
*Octo-language checker: Jaeger classes are when the Tech group sits with the Ops group to see how they use Kraken (our power expertise platform) and see if any enhancements could be made.
Is there any side of your job you continue to discover difficult?
Difficult metering queries! That’s after I must ask for Shiva or Seb’s assist, they’re each group members with a number of metering experience.
What’s your favorite Octopus reminiscence?
I beloved it once we went chocolate-making final yr, that was a extremely nice day of group constructing. There are various recollections that I cherish at Octopus, however that one stands proud.
Group Z chocolate making
How has working at house been throughout Lockdown?
In the beginning it was actually exhausting, as a result of I used to search out it tough to be motivated except I used to be in an surroundings the place everybody round me was working. When lockdown first began I used to dress and do an entire efficiency of sitting down and appearing prefer it was a standard day of labor, however that truly careworn me out extra! Now I’ve received into the circulate of it, although, and it looks like I’ve been working at house ceaselessly.
What’s your favorite factor about dwelling in Leicester?
I’ve lived right here all my life, and simply how various it’s by way of folks and meals is the primary factor.
Have you ever picked up any hobbies throughout lockdown?
I’ve received again into studying and that has been actually satisfying. Final week I completed studying ‘The Tune of Achilles’, a retelling of Greek mythology which I extremely advocate.
Are you a enterprise that would really like all of your power must be sorted by our fabulous & pleasant group? You may get a quote in the present day.
