"OpenContact have contributed to Go Ape’s success for several years and we have always enjoyed working with them.” “We couldn’t do it better ourselves and have no desire to move anywhere else."

Rebecca Mayhew, Communications Director
Go Ape!

Industry Sector

Leisure, Activities

Client Objectives

To deliver a consistent brand experience for Go Ape! customers, in the context of huge seasonal variances in call volumes. 

Go Ape!

Go Ape! is an award-winning forest adventure course of rope bridges, tarzan swings and zip wires, all set high up in the trees. The first course opened in Thetford Forest in 2002. 12 years and 29 courses later, they’ve built one of the fastest growing companies in the country. Their plan is to take the Go Ape! message all over the UK and beyond. 

The Challenge

Inevitably Go Ape! experience a high level of seasonality, with the courses generally closed over the winter months and peak levels of demand during the summer and over bank holidays. Go Ape! quickly identified that an in-house call centre was not a realistic option for them given the huge seasonal variations, so they opted to outsource. However, as a company with strong brand values and a very clear vision, they were concerned that any outsource contact centre should be capable of mirroring these attributes for a complete end-to-end experience.

The Solution

Go Ape! decided to appoint OpenContact, who subsequently had all of their agents enjoy the Go Ape! experience before handling any calls. Now the agents are all able to advise Go Ape! customers with enthusiasm, having experienced the course firsthand. This, coupled with a rigorous training and ongoing call coaching programme, helped to establish and maintain the Go Ape! spirit among OpenContact agents. In the early years, OpenContact developed a booking system specifically designed to deal with the complexities of the Go Ape! session booking requirements, both online and by phone. OpenContact continue to provide a wide range of services on Go Ape!’s behalf, including:

• Telephone Booking Services
• Customer Enquiry Handling
• Back Office Administration

OpenContact also manage all: -

• Email Traffic
• Credit Account Applications
• Webchat Response Handling
• Leaflet and Gift Voucher Fulfilment 

The Result

Go Ape! and OpenContact have experienced a long and happy partnership. Go Ape! now see all of OpenContact’s management and staff as important members of their team, co-guardians of the Go Ape! brand and an integral part of the structure that has enabled the company’s considerable growth over the last 10 years. Go Ape! and OpenContact mirror one another in their hands-on, familylike cultures, and Go Ape! have valued OpenContact’s commitment to mirror their planned growth in the future.