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Visit the O2 plc Corporate Responsibility report 2005/06

Extensive online resource

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O2 Ireland CEO statement

Striking the right balance

 

Ireland has a vibrant and highly competitive mobile market. People here are clear about what they want from their mobile company in terms of services, products and business behaviour.

Our business is geared towards giving our customers what they want and remembering to reward them when they come back for more or recommend us to others.

In an increasingly competitive market, we are confident we can recruit new customers, retain existing ones and keep growing as a business. To do so, we must stand out in the marketplace for offering fantastic customer service, rewarding our customers’ loyalty and providing a workplace that recognises and rewards our employees.

It is important, however, to strike the right balance between running our business and acknowledging that what happens in Irish society is bound to affect the way we do business as well. As a result, this year we have put a lot of work into understanding social trends, consumer views and community requirements in order to achieve a balance between business and the society we operate in. For instance, it was as a direct result of listening to our customers that O2 became the first mobile operator in Ireland this year to abolish roaming charges across the island of Ireland.

We have also used this insight to improve our performance in corporate responsibility and to make a real difference in the community by concentrating on doing a few things well. We were therefore delighted to be awarded the Best Company to Work for in Ireland by the Great Place to Work® Institute. We know that it’s only by getting it right for our people that we can also get it right for our customers.  

In 2005/06, our employees told us they wanted to do more for young people with disabilities.  So for the second year running, we sponsored the O2 Ability Awards in Ireland, where our links with the Aisling Foundation gave us a chance to encourage Irish employers to acknowledge and increase the contribution that people with disabilities, employees and customers can make to business. Our efforts were recognised by Chambers Ireland when we received a President’s Award for Best Community Based Project by a large company for our part in establishing the O2 Ability Awards.

We also made a decision to work with one organisation – Irish Autism Action (IAA) – chosen by our employees to support children and young people with communication difficulties. Through the involvement of our employees, our services and financial resources, we will work with IAA over the next three years to help make a real difference to the lives of those affected by autism, and to those who care for them.

Of course, this is just a taste of some of the many things we are doing at O2 Ireland. You can read the full range of our activities throughout this report and on our extended report at www.o2.com/cr/resource2005-06.

We have a firm belief that mobile phone services, delivered responsibly, can bring huge benefits, enabling people from all walks of life to have fun, work efficiently and feel safe and involved. It is our hope and expectation that our approach to corporate responsibility will continue to maintain the right balance between our business and the society in which we live and operate.

Danuta Gray, Chief Executive Officer, O2 Ireland

 

O2 Ireland community involvement by category in 2005/06

 

Text version of pie chart showing O2 Ireland community involvement