CorpComms Magazine

It is just before 6pm on a rainy Friday and a throng wearing brightly coloured t-shirts in shades of blue, purple, green and red is gathered  at the entrance to the iconic BT Tower in London's Fitzrovia. To a passer by, it looks as if the hordes are about to embark on a fun run, and, indeed, they are poised to start a marathon because tonight, these volunteers will be manning the phones for Sport Relief, the bi-annual sporting-themed telethon for charity Comic Relief.

But first there is the airport-style security to manoeuvre, identity badges to be issued and a briefing in the theatre style auditorium telling more than 150 volunteers what to expect and how to behave. (In the event of a bomb threat, listen carefully for background noise and raise your hand to summon the supervisor. Do not panic.)

They are told to answer the calls with the words Hello, Comic Relief. How much would you like to donate? as speedily as possible (time means money). Nobody is to leave their station without alerting their supervisors (in pale blue t-shirts), who will find a temporary replacement to ensure phone lines are never left unattended.

All pledges are to be recorded online and the need for accuracy is stressed. Each year about ten per cent of all pledges are lost because the wrong information is recorded; most relate to confusing expiry dates with start dates.

My neighbour is writing down everything. Her emotions vary from excitement to nerves. Though not her first time to volunteer, she has never previously used the computer system (which turns green when the information is correctly processed). She feels the pressure.

Just two years ago, pledges were written down - making an accurate running total difficult to calculate - requiring photocopying, transportation by security firms to fire proof warehouses and necessitating a lengthy system to tally up the figures, process the pledges and battle with incomprehensible handwriting. Today, donations will transfer into Comic Relief's accounts immediately, ready for spending.

After 11pm, the television screens will also offer donors the chance to make their pledges by text message. Past experience has shown that those who may use this method (the younger, technologically savvy generation) will only just be returning home after an evening out, and to display the message any earlier sparks calls from people asking for help on how to use it.

The different colours of the t-shirts signify the location of the volunteers for the tonight's telethon. The prime spot is the 34th floor, with a full wall of glass windows through which the sparkling lights of the capital's tourist attractions can be seen, which has been closed to the public since 1981.

The instructor makes the announcement. Those with security tags numbered one to 50 (in turquoise t-shirts) will be based on the ground floor. There is an almost imperceptible groan, and then a sharp intake of 'yes' echoes around the room as the lucky high flyers realise their fate. 'We know how important it is to the volunteers to spend time on the 34th floor,' says Beth Courtier, community investment manager at BT, and the force behind the telethons. 'We make sure that, during the evening, everybody gets a chance to go up there.'

Operation donation

Every foot of available floor space on both the 34th and ground floors is filled with tables covered with red paper cloths, and heaving with dishes of sweets, bottled water, computer screens and phone sets; at 6.45pm, the volunteers take their numbered seats.

Across the country, in more than 30 call centres donated by other phone companies, white goods manufacturers and financial services institutions, 6,000 volunteers are taking their seats.

Television screens with volumes turned down and subtitles switched on are in clear sight of every volunteer in the BT Tower. It is not just to watch the show, and laugh at comedian James Corden's antics with Manchester United and Jensen Button, but an important indicator of when the phones might ring. Segments where celebrities reveal Sports Relief's funds in action generate an uptick in calls.

It is 7pm. The telethon has begun; minutes later and the lines are already ringing, with a mixture of tones and pitches. Behind the scenes, BT's analysts are already studying the call volumes, and comparing the flow to historic data from past telethons. 'We do real time analysis of the statistics,' explains Courtier. 'We can see how the public are responding to the appeal. We have a red phone that goes directly into the BBC studios, and we can feed in the statistics or say There's not a lot happening, read out the phone number or It's quieter than normal, cut to an appeal.' The record remains 138 calls in one second.

The analysts are also checking the performance of each call centre. 'They can often recognise a problem with a call centre before the guys there even realise there is one,' adds Courtier. 'They may ring and say You're not taking the volume of calls that is expected or Your call handling is not as efficient as it should be and then redirect the calls to another centre until the issues are corrected.'

BT has handled telethons since the 1980s, and has been involved with Comic Relief since 1999 and Sports Relief since its inception in 2002. It has also worked for one off appeals, and supports the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella organisation for 13 humanitarian aid agencies, which recently raised money for Haiti.

As BT has gained experience and technology has advanced, its role in telethons has evolved into more than a telecoms provider. 'We work much more in partnership with Comic Relief now,' adds Courtier. 'It is much more than providing the telephones. We add value and insight.' Preparations for this telethon began a full year ago, with regular planning and strategy meetings. Next week, discussions will begin about Comic Relief's 2011 fundraising plans.

Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT Retail, who has flown in from San Francisco, is meeting the volunteers. 'An awful lot of skills are required to make the telethon happen,' he says. 'We've got to manage people and ensure that 30 odd call centres (four of them ours) are operational.' It is important that there are not too many call centres fielding too few calls, which would demoralise volunteers. Again, it's a tried and trusted formula. 'There's a different buzz on the day of a telethon,' adds Patterson. 'People in the call centres get right behind this as it's so different from their day to day job. It builds camaraderie and team spirit.'

Patterson is BT's CSR champion. Last September, he visited Zambia for three days to see examples of Comic Relief's funds in action. 'It was a very moving experience, very powerful,' he recalls. 'I wanted to see how the money was distributed; it was a sort of due diligence. And I found that not a lot of money can make a dramatic difference to people's lives. But it's not just about doling out the money. It's about helping people to help themselves over time.'

Employee pride

Last year, the telecoms company donated £25 million in time, cash and in-kind contributions, to initiatives that support society, while staff volunteers contributed more than 20,000 days to local charities and communities. Every person here tonight has already worked a full shift. 'Our volunteers have worked all week; they have not had days off, and they will be here until 2am. They see this as a very tangible way to make a difference. This is very real for them. They can touch it and feel it,' says Courtier. More than 95 per cent of BT staff state that its involvement with Comic Relief and Children in Need make them proud to work for the company.

'We tend to do telethons, such as Comic Relief and Children in Need,' says Patterson. 'Both resonate with our employees and gain good support and a lot of volunteers. It is very difficult if you don't believe in something. An organisation will benefit from something that employees feel proud of. Telethons also demonstrate our products and services, which is why we feel it is money well spent.'

Comic Relief works on the Golden Pound Principle, which also appeals to BT's staff and customers. Every single penny raised is spent on charitable projects. All operating costs are borne by corporate sponsors or interest payments on money waiting to be spent. Tonight, BT has laid on hot food - 'one visitor was excited to have sausage and chips, cause his wife won't let him eat that at home,' says Courtier - fridges filled with snacks and sandwiches, and cabs to take the volunteers home.

The calls are still coming. Courtier and her team have a rough schedule of the telethon, but as it is live television they know anything can happen. A cheer goes up when a pre-recorded sketch involving children's presenters, comedians Dick and Dom, manning phones at the BT Tower is shown. Every major corporate sponsor, such as Sainsbury's and TK Maxx, which sold t-shirts designed by the Beckhams, gets a short section in recognition of their efforts.

BT executives, including the newly appointed group director of communications Michael Prescott, visit the volunteers and, on occasion, man the phones. It is fair to say, however, that the biggest excitement is generated by the appearance of Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton, who kayaked 2010 miles down the Amazon for Sport Relief, achieving two world records - for the longest solo journey by kayak and the longest distance in a kayak in 24 hours by a woman. 'She doesn't look strong enough,' says one volunteer of the petite 26 year old.

For her part Skelton, who posed for pictures with volunteers, was surprised at the mix of ages and cultures participating. Her appearance certainly made the year for four teenage apprentices, who openly admitted to usually spending Friday evenings in the pub. 'We get mums, dads, children, friends, colleagues,' agrees Courtier. 'They come of their own accord and feel part of something valuable. Many return, year after year.'

When the volunteers leave at 2am, having collectively answered 239,597 calls - peaking at 137 per second - the total raised stands at £19.6 million. Days later, as additional donations filter through, it emerges that Sports Relief has smashed all previous records and raised more than £29.3 million.

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