Effortless and friendly customer experience

Optimal sales channel mix

Our commitment	KPI	Performance
To make it easy for all customers to access our products and services through different channels of contact	Number of POSs	2019: 708 2020: 687 2021: 653
	% of POSs adapted for customers with disabilities	2019: 20% 2020: 20% 2021: 21%
	Number of POSs modernised (Best Retail Network)	2019: 235 2020: 317 2021: 365
	% of digital sales	2019: 11% 2020: 14% 2021: 16%

Strong push for customer sales path optimisation

Following the experience of 2020 – in which we saw huge customer behavioural shift to digital channels – we decided to further build on this momentum. Omnichannel customer experience, which was a focus throughout 2020, was boosted in 2021. This strategy puts the customer at the centre of our actions and concentrates on delivering the most comfortable shopping path possible.

We continued development of five omnichannel pillars:

Personalistion, which is delivered by predicting the needs of customers and offering them services that suit them best;
Gathering data during contacts with our customers and ensuring that all points of contact have Customer 360 view (sales, customer care, billing, etc.);
A strong trend of customers shifting to online results in a further increase in significance of the online channel considered as the digital hub with the MyOrange app as the heart of customer relationship management;
Common stock management in one system allows for real-time management of available devices in our Central Warehouse with a set of delivery options – pick up in POS, courier, parcel lockers;
Processes and tools based on upscaling tools like ‘Contact Leading’, ‘Link With Offer’ (through which the customer completes the order online, for those who could not complete their order during the first contact with a salesperson in-store or on the phone) and ‘Visit schedule in POS’.

We strongly feel that the omnichannel direction is the key step to ensure the best shopping experience, especially in postpandemic new-normal reality.

Our key objectives include further development of our online sales channel as well as the optimisation and modernisation of our sales outlets to align with market and consumer demands. These objectives directly result in greater customer satisfaction and further efficiency gains.

The rapid development of online sales, combined with omnipresent digitalisation, influences the expectations and purchase preferences of our customers. As a result, sales outlets are losing their dominance as the main contact channel through which most customers new to Orange make their purchase decisions. On the other hand, most existing customers who want to buy additional services still choose retail outlets. That means we need to invest in the development of our pointof- sale network.

2021 saw a gradual return to normal in various aspects of life, including telecommunication service purchases. Customers largely returned to physical points of sale (POSs), which are still the biggest sales channel.

As at the end of 2021, Orange Polska had a chain of 653 POSs all over Poland. Our sales network is subject to continuous modernisation and optimisation. This involves on the one hand a reduction in the number of outlets (there were 687 of them at the end of 2020), but on the other hand transformation to better suit customers’ needs. Our ‘Best Retail Network’ (BRN) project is underway. Solutions that were previously only implemented in large Smart Stores, such as intuitive and functional interiors, are also being implemented in smaller outlets. By the end of December 2021, 369 of our outlets had been modernised in a new visualisation (compared to 317 at the end of 2020).

The Best Retail Network programme combines a comprehensive set of activities to improve sales efficiency and customer experience, in four streams:

Best POS – a modernisation of our outlet network, working towards all stores having a highly functional design and visualisation supported with IT tools;
Best Location – in-depth revision of Orange POS network based on sales potential and sales efficiency (city-by-city analysis);
Best People – focus on improvement of our staff retention rate and enhancement of sales force efficiency and engagement;
Best Quality – improvement of customer experience and sales efficiency through the rationalisation of both work standards and quality control in our stores.

The changes introduced are appreciated by our customers, as confirmed by a Kantar poll which indicates that another year in a row we are the #1 network in terms of transactional NPS for our outlets (i.e. customers visiting Orange outlets declare that they would recommend a visit there to others more frequently than customers of alternative operators do that with respect to their outlets).

2021 brought further growth of sales in digital channels by both volume and value. Customers are using available tools and platforms more easily, and the digital transformation has been additionally stimulated by the pandemic situation, which has accelerated educational processes in all social groups. From Orange Polska’s perspective, 2021 saw strong expansion in sales and customer service with My Orange app, which provides access to the key information about the customer’s account, presents our offers and supports customer service processes. High effectiveness of our online sales was supported by marketing campaigns based on current events as well as behavioural customer profiles. With marketing automation and artificial intelligence tools, we are able to recommend offers to customers that might interest them most. In order to provide benefits to customers for making online purchases, at the end of the first half of 2021 we introduced a dedicated online offer with a free month extra. The growth in online channels is driven by traditional offline channels, which we use to promote the My Orange application. We also intensively educate customers in the use of self-service channels. As a result of these efforts, sales via digital channels further increased to 16%, which is in line with our strategic goal to reach 25% by 2024.

Our pure digital mobile voice offer – Orange Flex, continues its growing path in 2021 growing its customer base by more than 30%. Growth was supported by smart targeting, dedicated offer for students (including foreigners, for whom Flex is really easy to join, thanks for digital ID verification) and Christmas offer based on promo codes. Orange Flex maintains the highest NPS among all Orange products, which is highly connected with engaging actions, transparent communication and environmental-friendly positioning (Flex was announced Poland’s first climate neutral telecom service).

The Telesales channel, which is operated by our external partners and our own call centre, also performed well in the reported period. In this channel we concentrate on dedicated campaigns accounting for customer profiles and behavioural patterns to ensure best offer customisation. Owing to specialisation and development of competencies of our consultants, we are highly effective in our operations, while great focus on retention campaigns enables us to effectively secure our customer base and mitigate churn. In 2021 we significantly improved upselling of additional products, including smartphones, accessories and Orange Energy.

We are also working on a hybrid work model for our telesalesforce, which will involve remote work after the end of the pandemic. It will increase the competitiveness of our agents on local labour markets by adapting to the market expectations.

Customers can also benefit from direct contact with representatives of our Active Sales channel. Orange Polska uses advanced geomarketing tools for efficient planning of sales territories. Typically, our sales representatives operate in urban areas of our fibre investments.

Our pre-paid top-ups are available in over 80,000 retail POSs (grocery stores, kiosks and petrol stations). Consumer behaviour with respect to topping-up has been evolving, and the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced this process. Our customers increasingly recharge their pre-paid accounts in remote channels (through online banking portals, orange.pl website and My Orange mobile app). We actively support these channels, while promoting the #OrangeGoesGreen approach: paperless top-ups without scratch cards. In 2021, there was an increase of 17% year-onyear in top-up sales through all online channels.

Orange Polska offers a range of sales channels, meeting the expectations of various groups of customers regardless of their preferences and needs – also in case of random conditions like the state of pandemic.

Making customer journey easy and friendly

Our commitment

KPI

Performance

To improve the customer experience by offering attractive products and services, accompanied by improvements in customer service and sales channels, both traditional and online.

To be innovative and flexible in responding to our competitors’ moves.

NPS for Orange

To provide security for Internet users at Orange Polska network

Number of activations of our safety solutions

Customers protected by CyberShield

2019: 2.5 million times

2020: 3.5 million times

2021: 4.5 million times

Building positive customer experiences
Approach driven by customer journeys and digitisation

The customer is at the centre of everything we do. Therefore, we focus on building positive customer experiences as well as developing strong, long-term relationships, using modern digital channels. From product and process planning to customer care in all contact channels, we unite all our employees around the common goal of providing Orange customers with best experience.

For several years we have been assessing our customers’ experience with Orange through the NPS (Net Promoter Score) performance indicator. Our NPS is increasing gradually, which vindicates our complete focus on customers in all our activities.

The increase in our NPS has been driven mainly by the following:

Portfolio developments: growing customer base for our fibre services and Orange Love bundle, simplification of both mobile and fixed-line offers and their better adjustment to customer needs.
Network developments: increased capacity of our LTE & 5G network, increased coverage of our mobile and fixed-line networks.
Improved customer experience owing to process simplification and automation, development of digital channels and digitisation of customer journey paths, and continuous improvement in customer care by salespeople, technicians and infoline consultants in traditional channels.
Transparent communications with customers across all channels.

Our comprehensive customer experience management is based on Customer Journeys Management. For the purpose of customer experience design, we use modern methodologies – Customer Journey Design and Design Thinking – which take into account customer needs, opinions and emotions.

Over recent years we have focused on the development of digital journeys, introducing a number of innovative and often revolutionary solutions to the Polish telecom market. In 2021, we implemented the following solutions:

Voice biometrics – effortless customer authentication on the infoline, which results in more efficient customer service by the consultant. This functionality also offers the potential to be used in remote sales confirmation.
Digitalisation of contact with technicians – the customer has a preview of the details and ability to change the date, as well as to track where the technical partner is currently.
Order management in the MyOrange application with status tracking – the customer can check the details of the services ordered, a summary of fees and the status of delivery.
Self-diagnosis of damage – the customer can diagnose their services on their own in the MyOrange application by the speed-test.
New payment functions – BLIK payment in Max’s chat for customers with a debt collection block, convenient payment in the Żabka retail network.
Voicebot and chatbot – further development.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotisation have played a major role in the development of our customer service channels. Since 2019, our customers have been supported by Max, the AI voice of Orange. Max answers all calls to our service infolines and supports outbound campaigns concerning service purchase offers, overdue payment handling and situations in which customers are not satisfied with how their matter has been handled through traditional contact channels. In 2021, Max successfully resolved more than 50% of these calls to service infolines without having to transfer to a consultant. Our customers are increasingly using online chat functions. Max is used in all customer service chats, and in 2021 served over 45% of all issues raised in chats without the need for follow-up by a consultant.

In 2021, we also continued to expand the automation and robotisation of customer service processes (RPA), providing for top service quality combined with cost effectiveness.

Contact channels

Personal data security

We control a vast amount of personal data of our customers, employees, business partners, etc. Personal data are one of the categories of confidential information (together with data protected by the telecommunication secret and proprietary information). In order to prevent a potential breach of security of confidential information, including personal data, we have implemented security measures consistent with international standards. The Company has operated the Information Security Management System, which is compliant with the ISO 27001 standard. Orange Polska has also obtained a certificate of compliance with ISO 27018. In addition, the Company regularly renews the FIRST and the Trusted Introducer certificates for CERT Orange Polska.

At each stage of data collecting and processing, we ensure that customers are informed about the purpose and scope of data processing, as well as their right to access and rectify their personal data. In 2021, the Office for Personal Data Protection imposed on the Company several reminders for breach of the provisions on the protection of personal data. Despite all the precautions taken, considering the modern threats related to information technologies used for processing of information, including personal data, it is not possible to fully exclude the risk of a breach of the security thereof.

Recourse to liability proceedings is facilitated by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A potential breach of the security of personal data could have a considerable impact on Orange Polska’s reputation and a heavy impact on its liability, potentially including criminal liability, and hence have an adverse impact on the Company’s future financial performance.

In accordance with GDPR, ISO 29134:2017 and the Article 29 Working Party Guidelines, in 2018 we implemented a process to identify and prevent violation of rights and liberties of data subjects. Furthermore, we also conduct dedicated training courses for employees and associates of Orange Polska, as well as the initial training process for new joiners as well as e-learning courses on information security and personal data protection.

Safe network

As an operator of the largest number of fixed Internet connections in Poland and, at the same time, an operator of a mobile network, we observe that although the number of attacks on the mobile network is still relatively low, the power of attacks on this network is slowly reaching that of attacks on the fixed network.

Orange Polska’s CyberShield is a mechanism, that – based on network traffic supervision – intercepts traffic directed at confirmed malicious/phishing sites and blocks it. In some cases, the user receives additional information that one of their devices is trying to access a malicious address. Sites that phish various types of data from users (e.g. login details for online banking, social networks, Internet accounts or websites), fake payment gateways, sites impersonating well-known service providers and prompting the installation of malware, as well as the Command & Control botnet addresses (i.e. those the malware communicates with) have all been protected with the CyberShield mechanisms.

In 2021, cybersecurity threats still included those with COVID- 19 motif, but the latter lost some of its popularity among cybercriminals. “Parcel surcharge” scams – used by fraudsters to intercept banking logins and passwords at a fake payment gateway – were back after a short break. Other popular scams were targeted at sellers on the OLX platform or related to spoof courier company or voice mail applications. By getting full access to the victim’s phone, cybercriminals were able to eavesdrop on their activity and intercept their logins and passwords.

In 2021, CyberShield blocked almost 400 million phishing attempts and protected 4.5 million people from loss of sensitive data or savings.

Polish electromagnetic field (EMF) emission standards

All mobile phones in Orange Polska’s portfolio meet the emission standards specified by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). We ensure that they are thoroughly tested and the safety of their use is verified in the process of examining their conformity with essential requirements. All mobile devices in Orange Polska’s portfolio are safe for users and are accompanied by information on the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), which is always lower than official limits (below 2 W/kg). SAR for mobile phones refers to the maximum level of radio waves that the user can be exposed to during a call. SAR values can be found in the user manual (technical specifications), which is provided by the manufacturer.

Orange Polska uses only proven and worldwide-used wireless communication technologies which are consider as safe for all users.

Since January 1, 2020, the limits of exposure to electromagnetic fields applicable in Poland have been consistent with the Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC. The new limits were set in the Decree of the Minister of Health of 17 December 2019 on the limit values of electromagnetic fields in the environment (Journal of Law of 2019, item 2448). This replaced the Decree of the Minister of Environment of 30 October 2003 on the limit values of electromagnetic fields in the environment and methods of verification thereof (JoL No 192, item 1883), which expired upon coming into force of the Act of 30 August 2019 on amending the act on supporting the development of telecommunications services and networks and certain other acts (JoL of 2019, item 1815) in line with Article 34(2) thereof.

Orange Polska complies with all standards regarding electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions around base transceiver stations (BTSs) and broadcasting stations. We implement technical solutions to ensure protection against EMF emissions by radio communication systems of the base stations developed through our investments or operated on our networks. We ensure compliance with the relevant applications through the following:

Developing the estimates of the EMF impact on the environment at the planning stage of BTS construction or modernisation projects;
Reporting EMF measurements (vs. limits) to environmental protection bodies, which decide whether to carry out public consultation or not (public consultation and dialogue concerning network facilities are carried out as part of administrative proceedings and initiated and supervised by the relevant government agencies).

Orange Polska and all other mobile operators delivered input data (base stations parameters and results of PEM measurements) to the Institute of Telecommunications. These data allow the operation of the SI2PEM system. This system, which was launched on 20 July 2021, is available on the Internet and includes information on the predicted PEM levels and results of PEM measurements in Poland. Its users are able to obtain data regarding PEM levels in their areas of interest.

The 5G network has no confirmed negative or positive impact on people in terms of the electromagnetic field or the range of frequencies used. In terms of human exposure to EMF emissions, 5G systems have the same impact as former 2G, 3G and 4G systems. 5G devices will not exceed the Polish standards regarding EMF emissions. These standards have been established on the basis of scientific research in such fields as medicine, epidemiology, biology and dosimetry in accordance with the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of a frequency lower than that of infrared radiation or visible light (which is also an electromagnetic wave). Radio waves are not ionizing radiation (such as X-rays), and their levels used in mobile networks guarantee safety by a large margin. The electromagnetic fields used in mobile telephony have no confirmed adverse effects on human beings.

Radio waves and microwaves are not considered a potential cause of cancer by the World Health Organization (WHO). They have been included in the category of phenomena and substances whose impact on the development of tumors requires further research, but this does not mean that, according to WHO, such an effect exists.

Annual Report 2021

Unmatched data connectivity

Full value chain for digital transformation of companies