Telstra will today officially open the doors of its Sydney headquarters following a $112 million refurbishment that has transformed the site into a state-of-the-art customer technology hub.
The site includes a new world-class Telstra ‘Discovery Store’ and a transformed ground floor reception with new collaboration spaces for Telstra staff and guests.
CEO David Thodey said the 400 George Street building, which sits on the corner of George and King streets, demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovation.
“Technology is constantly changing, and the needs of our customers change rapidly too.
“This new flagship store is designed around our customers so they can have highly personalised experiences, guided by our expert team of consultants.
“Our customers are telling us that they appreciate our more personalised approach to service. We also know they like to touch and experience things in a store and they also like the choice, speed and convenience of digital channels.
“This store delivers all of that, in an environment where the physical and digital worlds come together and customers can move seamlessly between them. It’s a great way to discover the
‘connected life’ our innovative technology and services can provide," he said.
The Discovery Store concept is a major step in Telstra’s retail evolution with some of the technologies and concepts on show in the new Sydney store being rolled out across the country over the next 12 months.
The new reception and lobby in 400 George St have been designed to enable interaction between the public, customers and employees and form part of a broader strategy to ensure that
Telstra workplaces support flexibility and collaboration.
Telstra has taken three additional floors in the building and is continuing work to refurbish all office floors with leading edge workplace designs and collaborative technologies.
The new offices will support greater flexibility so employees can choose from a range of physical workspaces that support their personal work preferences.
Telstra’s 400 George St, which is the latest addition to the George Street technology precinct, also incorporates the heritage elements of the old Darrell Lea® building.
The refurbishment received significant support from Investa®, which will see Telstra remain in the building until 2025. The project also created an estimated 400 construction jobs throughout the build, providing a boost to the local economy.
Further information on key experiences and technology in the store:
Sandbox: interactive device labs where customers can compare handsets by placing them on a digital display to access information including price, camera, battery, speed and reviews.
Digital tickets: provide customers with an easy interactive way to find out more about Telstra’s products and services. They also make it faster for customers to purchase items as employees can scan the ticket directly on the floor rather than returning to a service desk.
Connected Life: a space where customers can explore how technology can enhance their day-to-day life, and consider what a Connected Life will look like in the future.
Connected Business: a dedicated space for business customers to learn more about Telstra’s business offerings, either by speaking directly with a Business Expert, or by exploring an interactive screen in their own time.
Centre Stage: an impressive three-storey high interactive screen displaying localised digital media content for customers to engage with.
Media Fountains: interactive displays that bring Telstra’s media properties including movies, music and sport to life for customers.
Beacons: customers using an iPhone 4S or above, with iOS7+ who are logged into the Telstra 24x7 App® will receive a welcome message on their mobile device as they enter the store and a “Thanks for visiting” message once they have exited the store. The launch date for this service still to be confirmed.
Further information on the 400 George building upgrade:
Telstra now occupies an additional three office floors in the building and is in the process of refurbishing all office floors with leading edge workplace designs that promote flexibility and collaboration among teams.
On the new floors employees will be able to choose from a range of physical workspaces that support the way they want to work including quiet and social spaces and collaboration areas.
The new offices also underline Telstra’s commitment to flexible working, through the All Roles Flex initiative introduced earlier this year.
Telstra is also developing a Customer Insights Centre, which will be completed in early 2015 and a staff collaboration zone on Level 4 to be completed mid 2015. The Customer Insights Centre will feature state of the art, fully immersive technologies.
These changes are the first steps towards Telstra’s new future Accommodation Strategy which will see Telstra create environments around Australia that are tech-savvy and flexible to the needs of the 21st century workplace.
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