With its new Free Proxi service, Free promises to offer revolutionary assistance to its subscribers by combining speed and proximity thanks to teams located throughout the territory. The miracle solution to end the obstacle course?
Everyone knows the problem. When we need assistance for a product or service, we call the appropriate service at the supplier or seller, and we often find ourselves faced with a robotic voice server that asks to press different keys to analyze the request. and direct the call to the appropriate department. Too often, we then join a queue with a voice stating that the service is overloaded or even unavailable – and even then, when the request falls into the categories provided by the assistance service! A veritable obstacle course – or a lottery, to choose from – which makes telephone assistance generally the black point – and very frustrating – of many operators. And that’s precisely what Free wants to change to stand out from its competitors and finally offer its customers the quality assistance they demand.
Free Proxi: local assistance for Freebox and Free Mobile subscribers
Via a provocative presentation by its founder, Xavier Niel, in a “pre-match” press conference, the operator who likes to move the lines and shake up the market has just officially launched on November 22, 2022 what he calls “the subscriber service revolution” : Free Proxi. This involves setting up small local teams – six to seven advisers and two field technicians gathered around a coordinator – throughout France, in mini hubs, in order to be as close as possible to subscribers and to intervene quickly and efficiently, whether for Freebox offers or Free Mobile formulas. Advisors respond by chat or phone within 15 minutes maximum, and technicians can intervene directly with the customer if necessary within 24 hours. An after-sales service which, if it manages to develop efficiently and to keep its promises, can bring a real plus to subscribers and become a real argument as to the choice of its operator.
Free relies on a local presence so that the teams are familiar with the fixed and mobile network infrastructures of the region where the customer is located, in order to be able to diagnose incidents or go directly to their home if necessary – to change faulty equipment or restore a service, for example. These mini hubs handle all types of requests, whether commercial, technical or related to Freebox and Free Mobile offers and subscriptions. The goal is to offer better follow-up since it is the same team that manages the problem from start to finish.
Free Proxi: an innovative concept put to the test of reality
Free has already set up 67 local teams throughout France, which enables it to cover 25% of its base of 21 million fixed and mobile subscribers. By the end of 2023, the operator hopes to reach 150 local teams to cover the needs of 50% of its subscribers. The opening of 24 new Free Proxi centers in 16 departments is already planned for the end of the year.
Free Proxi is included in all Free offers, but not everyone can take advantage of it at the moment, since you have to have a center located in your area. Subscribers with this chance are automatically connected to nearby teams when they contact support, without the need to perform a specific action. They can therefore contact them via their Subscriber Area on the website or on the mobile application, via the Assistance section or the chat. They can also call them on 3244 to leave a voice message with their request. A Free Proxi adviser will then call back quickly. Free Proxi teams are available 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. To note that the subscriber can follow his current requests from his Subscriber Area, where he finds the schedules of his Free Proxi team, the name of his dedicated advisers as well as the current response time.
On paper, Free Proxi looks very appealing. If it keeps all its promises, there is no doubt that it will become a major argument for attracting new customers and, who knows, perhaps a model to follow. It remains to be seen whether all areas will really be covered, including for people living in isolated rural areas…