Talk Direct named best for customer service

Talk Direct, one of O2’s first ever Store franchisees picked up a prestigious award at the 2016 bfa HSBC Franchisee Of The Year Awards last week. Zak Patel, from Leeds picked up the Judges Award for his pioneering campaign to provide access to technology to visually impaired people.

Along with his assistant manager Mark Skelton, Zak established Project iCare to find innovative ways to make technology available to the visually impaired, targeting the UK’s two million registered blind people.

Mark lost his eyesight in 2013 owing to diabetes and now heads up the scheme which helps visually impaired people use tablets and iPhones. This has now been adopted by O2 and extended beyond Zak’s franchise network.
Zak said: “I’m delighted and extremely proud that we have helped Mark turn his disability into a capability to help more customers. This award is recognition of how Project iCare has helped visually impaired customers to become more digitally savvy and connect with the wider world.”
Pip Wilkins, bfa chief executive, said: “Especially in the telecommunications sector, it would have been easy for Zak to let an employee who lost his sight go. Instead they developed Project iCare together and are now providing life-changing support for thousands in a similar situation. That tells you everything you need to know about the man behind the business and his character.”
Providing technology and services for everyone.

Here at O2 we believe in opening up the world to our customers and our people. And we do this by making sure everyone has the same opportunities to grow and succeed. Developing a diverse workforce is more important than ever, that’s why we're constantly exploring how we can help every member of our team make the most of their talents.

Our continued drive to be the most trusted provider of brilliant digital experiences for our customers means that we now need to be at our most innovative and that’s why diversity and inclusion is so important. The success of our company depends on each and every one of us – and we are all different – unique in our own way.  We view difference as a competitive advantage. By recognising our different strengths, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, we can become even more successful.