What is the role of a Store Manager at Optus Waverley Gardens.

QUESTIONS FOR OPTUS [MANAGER]
Warrick Roder – Store Manager [Waverley Gardens Store]

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

• What is your role?
Store Manager at Optus Waverley Gardens

• How long have you been in this particular role?
8 Months

• How long have you been in a managerial position within Optus?
13 Months

BUSINESS BACKGROUND

• How long has Optus been in business?
27 years

• Does it have any international offices/affiliates?
Our call centres are half off shore if that’s what you mean. Our company’s owners are from Singapore. We don’thave stores outside of Australia or anything.

• What products or services does Optus offer?
Mobile phones, tablets, home phone and internet, and ongoing support for technical problems and account issues.

• What is Optus’s mission statement?
To be Australia’s most loved and recommended service brand.

• What is Optus’s current market position?
I’m not sure on the exact classification, but we are the main competitors along with Telstra.

BUSINESS FUNTIONALITY – Information Systems and Technologies
• How involved is technology i.e. computers and mobiles phones, within your store?
The store uses many computers and mobile devices to provide service to customers. My involvement with this equipment is to ensure that it is operating correctly and that all staff are trained on how to use it correctly.

• How heavily do your employees rely on information systems?
Staff communication is done not only through verbal and visual means but also through technological mediums such as emails and whatsapp on their mobile phones. Saff interact with these mediums on a daily basis

• Are they provided official training?
Staff are provided training for operating programs to help them process contracts and provide customer service. Training for email and whatsapp can be provided if the staff member is unsure. staff do go through extensive training on policies and procedures that are acceptable within Optus

• Is there ongoing support for these systems?
Yes. Staff are provided with a number of options to get support regarding these systems which includes a dedicated tech support team over the phone available 7 days a week

• If yes, how is this communicated?
Staff are made aware through visual mediums in store and through online forums, but can also phone call in.

• How many systems can an employee access?
Depending on the role of the staff member the number will vary on minimum 10 systems will be accessed by any staff member

• Are there different security levels?
yes depending on the roll of the employee will determine how much access they have to a particular system for example time target is a system used for staff to access their roster and make their availabilities known and request leave. at a managerial roll I am able to approve leave make rosters. my manager has the ability to add staff and move them from store to store.

• Does Optus have an intranet for staff? What does it contain?
Yes, staff are able to get access to other employee contact details, access the HR hub where they can see their pay slips, leave balances, and rewards and discounts they are entitled to. They also have an Optus one where news is deliver about processes and products.

• What are the primary job functions of your employees?
Staff are required to provide customers with service and advice and solutions about Optus Products and services. they do this by understanding the customers needs wants and issues and use their dynamic problem solving skills to provide the customer with the most appropriate solution for them

YOUR ROLE WITHIN BUSINESS

• Did you have another role prior to this?
Yes I was the assistant Manager at the Glen Waverley store and prior to that a Senior Sales Consultant in one of the city stores

• How many, if any, employees report to do?
I have 6 staff that report to me directly however that can fluctuate at times

• Who do you report to?
I report to the Area Sales Manager

• Within your role, what is your main means of communication?
Whatsapp is the most used application as it is readily and easily accessed by all staff

• Do you find this communication method(s) effective?
mostly yes but some communication can be lost

• What is this role’s main attribute to the business functionality?
the Managers role is to ensure that all staff are trained and knowledgeable in their field and to ensure that the store runs effectively efficiently and profitability

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRESENCE
• Does Optus currently have a Knowledge Manager or Chief Information Offier?
No they do not. They may have a similar role, but I have never heard that term.

• Is knowledge management a priority within the business?
If by knowledge management you mean how much employees know then yes. Our managers are here for support and we pass knowledge along for our staff.

• How long is your longest serving employee?
8 years in my store.

• What is the average employee serving time?
2 years in my store.

• What is the role structure from a store perspective?
Manager, 2IC, senior staff, part time staff.
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• Does Optus follow a hiring schedule?
Yes, usually around xmas or new financial year. Can fluctuate according to demand.

• Do employees take lunch breaks together?
Not in my store no. I do not have enough staff to cover the workload and let them break together.

CURRENT COLLABORATIION PLATFORM
• Does Optus promote collaboration between employees?
Yes.

• If yes, is there a particular team or level this is evident and why?
I can only comment on my store, and our team through the whatsapp will support each other. A few of my staff also spend time together outside of work. On the occasion we will go out after hours to relax and discuss work.

• How do you facilitate collaboration within your team?
I don’t need to do too much, the team work great together and they’re able to use one another to solve a problem.

• Does Optus promote collaboration areas?
I’m not sure what that measn. [explained the term] There’s no designated space, no. We’re a small store. There is a back room.

• If yes, how often can staff access this area?
tI’s not normal for staff to hang around out back unless they’re on the phone with a difficult problem.

• Is there one for each separate team?
We don’t have separate teams.

• Being such a large company, do teams ever collaborate with other teams?
Twice a year Optus hold ‘roadshows’ where staff are invited from all across Victoria to an evening with food and beverage paid for. The evening usually starts with 2 hours of information delivery, followed by socialisation time until the tab is up.

• Is Optus individual or work group based?
A mix of both. Mostly individual, as they serve customers alone. They depend on each other throughout the day. Things like commission and targets are paid out on a team basis, though.

• What role does mobile collaboration play in your employees’ work lives?
It is pivotal. Whatsapp as I’ve mentioned is the core to our collaboration. We even have a separate group where staff are required to send in two stories from their shift which demonstrate the Optus values of Listen, Value, and Owneship. These are forwarded daily to higher management.

• Do you think effective collaboration can assist teams in problem solving?
Yes. When one member doesn’t have enough information or needs to confer with others, a post in the whatsapp can help.

• Do you hold staff meetings? Are they collaborative?
We’d like to but my staffs schedules are so different. We use the whatsapp to deliver any key points. The odd dinner or event as mentioned we tend to use as a meeting too.

IDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE WORKPLACE
• How important is each member within your workplace?
Each team member has come from different stores and such have their different strengths. One might be better at problem solving, where the other may be good at technical stuff

• Is there a balance of knowledge and skills across your employees?
To a certain extent. My part time staff member is as knowledgable as her full timers. My casual staff member though long serving would know significantly less. My 2IC is great with process. It’s a good mix, as a team we’re very clever.

• If yes, how is this maintain/achieved?
Open communication through whatsapp or on shift as they need each other.

• If no, is there specific reasons certain skills are stronger in employees than others?
The answer wasn’t a no, but I think it comes down to the drive to be at work which can fluctuate skill level. Also time serving and experience come into play.