You’ll see nothing for a moment. The onboarding programme is loading. As the light slowly comes on, you will discover you’re in a big round space. With doors on all sides. As you look around, a young man suddenly appears who introduces himself as Tim in a friendly manner. ‘Welcome to the VodafoneZiggo Central Office!’ Tim is your guide during the onboarding and he’s looking forward to it. You may need to get used to it, such a 3D experience. But, once you’ve passed through that first door, you’re totally immersed in it.
“We’re only given one chance to make a good first impression”, says Björn. “We believe, therefore, that the way you enter VodafoneZiggo is very important. We set aside a whole day for a normal onboarding at our head office, during which we welcome people and teach them all the ins and outs of VodafoneZiggo. In this way, they learn what we stand for and who they represent on the basis of their new position. It also makes them feel part of it all. Believe me, that’s really important.”
Through the first door, you enter a call centre. It’s very busy there and Tim is on the phone as well. “This is an essential location for VodafoneZiggo”, he explains. “These colleagues ensure via chat and phone that millions of Dutch people can enjoy telephony and internet. If there’s a hitch somewhere – sometimes literally – they solve it at lightning speed. Thanks to smart software, this is becoming increasingly easy to do. And that provides room for something else that’s very important to us: really paying attention to the customer.”
“Due to the coronavirus, it became difficult to do such an onboarding in person, of course, in the past few years”, Björn continues. “Furthermore, a lot of people don’t work for us directly but via third parties. Examples include call centres that have multiple clients. Or people working in a shop-in-shop, at Mediamarkt for example. It presented us with the following question: how do we ensure that they also become true VodafoneZiggo ambassadors?”
After a tour of the call centre, you fly on to a shop. “This is a VodafoneZiggo shop”, says Tim. He is wearing the same jacket as the staff and takes you on a tour of the shop. “The latest iPhone has just arrived, you’re the first to see it. We’ll be selling an awful lot of those.”
“Virtual reality is the key to really making new people part of VodafoneZiggo”, says Björn with conviction. “Even if they find themselves on the other side of the planet. Using VR headsets, we welcome people to the heart of VodafoneZiggo. From there, they’ll embark on a journey past all the important parts of the company. An enjoyable experience, but also quite an intense one. “Over the course of twenty minutes that fly by, they get to see an awful lot. We developed this VR experience in collaboration with Edumara. They are experts in the field of 3D technology and education; the perfect partner for this project.”
You pass through another door. This time you find yourself in a rather futuristic living room. “This is my own home’, says Tim proudly. ‘Have a good look around.” The latest Ziggo Mediabox, smart lighting and thermostat – the house is fitted out with all kinds of innovations and conveniences. And how could it be otherwise: you have perfect reception everywhere. “Logical, because all rooms have Smart Wi-Fi Boosters.” In this way Tim shows you what it’s all about, for him and for all customers of VodafoneZiggo: ‘fun and progress with every connection’.
“Controlling VR onboarding is almost effortless”, says Björn. “You do it with your eyes. Host Tim shows you all kinds of places, and everywhere you go you’ll discover slides and plusses you can activate. To start a film, for example, which yields a few more details. And, there’s a puzzle hidden in the experience. A rebus that can only be solved if you study everything well. A fun incentive to complete the entire journey.”
Tim looks at you with pride. “Congratulations, that was a bird’s-eye view of a lot of stuff. And you solved the rebus – kudos! But would you like to see what the combined strength of Vodafone and Ziggo is really all about? This animation will show you.’ A last video and your virtual kick-start has been completed. You are now ready for the real work. Welcome to VodafoneZiggo!
