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Every man and his dog has a values page these days. But while the intentions are good (who doesn’t want to work with honesty, positivity and integrity?) the implementation is sometimes less so.
We want to cut through the fluff and show how our values really do drive everything we do, from the way we interact with customers and work with our clients to our chats with colleagues on our - virtual - coffee breaks.
We’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on our core beliefs, and we make sure that we always measure our success against these five pillars.
Compassion is not a luxury
Everybody should be treated with respect and feel listened to, no matter what background they’re from or what situation they’re in.
Our top priority is finding something that works for you, on your own terms, and never making you commit to anything you feel you can’t afford. Our team take the time to listen to everybody’s situation and seek solutions based on fairness and balance. You can reach them on the live chat we’ve created and get help at your fingertips, all the while remaining completely anonymous. Our live chat also cuts down telephone waiting times, allowing us to dedicate more time to those who want to hear a friendly voice.
It’s especially important to us to use a warm tone in our communications. We know that words matter, so we take the time to consider the language of everything we write and say. Our in-house copywriters have created a Tone Of Voice guide which puts the emphasis on being helpful, empathetic, uncomplicated and positive. No more FINAL NOTICE letters, no aggressive tactics and no one ever arriving at your door.
Be an open book
We’re fed up with companies concealing the truth. It’s all too familiar - hidden costs, deals that seem too good to be true (guess what, they are), low interest rates that suddenly skyrocket, personal data that’s leaked and shared…
At Ophelos, we value transparency really highly. We never add any fees or interest and we give you all the information you need, so that you are well-informed and we are safe in the knowledge that we’re not hiding anything from you. It means that you always know where you stand, how your information is being used, what your options are and where your money is going.
Practice care, don’t preach it
We don’t just say “we care”. We actively provide it. Being in debt can be really difficult, and for a lot of people it’s a lot less simple than just resolving a few balances. Financial struggles can affect everything from home life and mental health to physical wellbeing and relationships. That’s why we’re taking a more flexible, long-term approach to cater for everyone, providing free financial education, wellbeing tips, aftercare and a judgement-free team who are always happy to help.
The products and tools that we’re building put customer care at the heart. We’re really excited about Olive, a tool that we created to help us identify which users might be more vulnerable. Olive is a Natural Language Processing model that works by scanning text and flagging up potentially difficult situations to our team. It allows us to always be on our A-game and provide the best help, especially where it might be more needed.
Security relies on integrity
We handle personal data, so we have a moral obligation to keep it extremely safe and private. We encrypt all information end-to-end, meaning that all your personal details, card numbers, messages and documents are secured with a lock. Only you and the recipient (us) have the magic key to unlock it.
New ideas fix old problems
The concept of debt has been around for millennia. It's probably the oldest means of trade, with cash and barter transactions coming later, so it's no wonder the industry feels a little outdated.
We're approaching the space with a new mindset. Our team is wonderfully diverse and come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, allowing us to bring fresh eyes to an age-old problem.
We're trying to create a world where everyone is financially educated, empowered and equal, and we're taking a more holistic approach to get there. With financial education, cutting-edge tech and amazing customer support, we're hoping to rebuild trust between customers and businesses and in turn create a more equitable society.
In the long run our model won't just help people out of debt. It'll prevent them from falling into it in the first place.
