New cloud-based contact centre is a first for NI

The partnership with the Belfast-based business mobile, landline and IT provider will see firmus energy become the first firm in Northern Ireland to introduce a Gamma contact centre.

It follows on from another three-year contract between the two companies.

The Horizon Cloud Gamma Centre will allow firmus energy to engage with customers more easily and simplify customer interaction in what is one of the industry’s most complete business phone systems.

A cloud-based contact centre solution integrates seamlessly with the wider Horizon infrastructure which allows agents to easily handle calls from their web browser and supervisors to manage the call queues and keep on top of the agent’s KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in real time.

The new system also provides a rich new customer contact experience for voice, email, web chat and more allowing agents to work from anywhere on any device. firmus employs over 100 people, most of which are heavily reliant on effective communication both internally and externally between colleagues and clients.

Barclay Communications has worked with firmus energy since 2019.

The Horizon Cloud Gamma Centre took 10 weeks to become fully operational and will mark a first for Northern Ireland. It gives the energy provider’s customers a whole new omni-channel experience in a time of digital evolution.

Britt Megahey, managing director, Barclay Communications, said: “We are delighted to partner with firmus energy on what is a real communications transformation. It is proof of firmus energy’s commitment to its customers that they have invested in the new system for its contact centre allowing the company to be at the forefront of its field.

“Gamma Contact Centres offer customers an experience unlike any other. It’s a convenient advanced response to a fast moving world.

“Our teams are really passionate about customer experience. We assigned a project management team who operated on-site to support the rollout alongside a team of engineers. Prior to install, the system was discussed extensively and pre-built in a trial phase which ensured a really smooth transition.”

Niall Martindale, interim managing director at firmus energy, explained: “We wanted a telephone solution that would enable our team to work effectively from home whilst making sure quality standards remained as high as ever. Our customer services team are the centre focus for inbound and outbound customer queries so it is essential they have a system that gives them the same capability as they would have working from the office.

“As we now live in a hybrid working environment, this new system gives us flexibility and ensures we continue to offer a premium service to our valued and prospective customers. The Barclay Communications team has been fantastic to deal with, showing real expertise from start to finish. We are very pleased to be partnered with a provider that not only offers a robust and reliable solution, but exceptional customer service.”

Joseph Manning, regional sales manager at Gamma, added: “Barclay has always pioneered the Gamma vision. They are the fastest growth platinum partner throughout the channel and achieve phenomenal growth year on year through the extensive range of Gamma products. The team share the same vision to deliver the best possible solutions and has adapted quickly to the ever-changing market. We were delighted to see one of our flagship products complement two fantastic organisations in Barclay Communications and firmus energy.”