However, please be reassured that at O'Brien^® the safety of our customers and staff is our top priority. Our employees are acting in accordance with state public health orders, and are testing and self-isolating as required which could lead to the temporary closure of a branch, longer wait times to secure a booking or last-minute rescheduling of bookings. For the latter, if this happens, O'Brien^® will be in contact with our customers to discuss alternative arrangements.

So this does mean there may be some disruption to our network in some locations, affecting service availability to customers.

If you have vehicle or property glass damage:
Contact us 24/7 on 1800 059 829 and we’ll schedule you in as soon as we can. The main areas affected by delays are currently metros in SA, VIC, NSW and QLD.

If you have an existing booking:
We recommend keeping that in place, otherwise you may have to wait longer if you reschedule. If O'Brien^® have to change your booking, then one of our team will be in touch and rearrange ASAP.

We strive to ensure all O'Brien^® branches remain open Australia-wide so we can be ready to help fix your damage. We can also come to your home or work for many services. We follow strict hygiene and safety measures and follow government regulations and health advice protocols.

During these periods of heightened awareness and uncertainty, we’d like to thank our customers for their patience as we work through the ever-changing situations.

Please check our COVID Support page for the latest updates on service availability.

The post O’Brien® COVID Update January 2022 appeared first on O'Brien.

Since the start of the Covid outbreak, we have put in place measures in each of our branches and with our mobile technicians to help reduce the spread of the virus. We have continued to evolve how we do business in line with best practices recommended by government and health officials.

This is now even more important as restrictions ease in certain states across the country.

To give you that extra degree of confidence when you bring your car in for vehicle glass damage such as a windscreen repair or replacement, some of the things you may notice are;

• While we will give you a very warm welcome – we won’t shake your hand when you bring your car to us at a branch or we arrive at your home.
• If we are attending a job at your home or workplace, we will politely decline any drinks or refreshments offered to us.
• We wear disposable gloves when handling equipment, these gloves are disposed of after each job.
• We clean and sanitise the work area and other areas of your car that were touched by us while repairing or replacing your windscreen or other car windows (this includes door handles, window hinges, steering wheels).
• At the end of each job, we sanitise the tools we use, and we wash our hands.
• We will keep a 2-metre distance from other people within the branch and out on mobile jobs.
• As per government requirements, we wear masks within the branch and on mobile jobs.
• We have QR codes at each branch so we can accurately record the details of all customers we serve for the purposes of contact tracing.
• Our technicians dispose of all rubbish at their workstations or within their mobile van regularly.

We are proud of all we are doing to help keep our communities safe as we continue to deliver you excellent service.

For more information please refer to our COVID-19 support page.

The post We Are Committed To Your Safety appeared first on O'Brien.

Update 31 August 2021:

Please find below an update following the continued restrictions for NSW, VIC and ACT. We are still open and providing essential and emergency services as usual, with COVID Safe protocols.

In NSW, VIC and ACT O'Brien^® AutoGlass branches are operating as an essential service provider and will continue to offer both a mobile and branch service for vehicle glass repair and replacement, and branch service for safety camera recalibration. O'Brien^® Glass branches will also continue to offer home and business glass services as an essential service provider.

O'Brien^® AutoGlass in NSW
For NSW branches located in and affected by LGA’s of concern, we are operating a contactless service, and now a ‘Drop And Go’ service, which means that customers will need to place their key in a dropbox and leave their vehicle. Customer waiting rooms are also unavailable. Phone details will be displayed on the door for the customer to contact to discuss any job-related queries. Our O'Brien^® AutoGlass branches outside of these LGA’s will continue to also offer both a mobile and branch service for vehicle glass repair and replacement and branch service for safety camera recalibration.

O'Brien^® Glass in NSW
We are still providing emergency home and business glass services to all affected LGAs as an essential service provider. Please know that O'Brien^® adheres to COVID Safe protocols and offer a contactless service. Our O'Brien^® Glass branches outside of these areas are operating fully.

Please contact us on 1800 645 011 if you have vehicle, home or business glass damage, or any questions and one of our agents will be happy to help.

For the latest service updates and changes due to COVID, please check our COVID Update page and Status Tracker here.

Following the latest COVID guidelines, O'Brien^® would like to reassure customers that we are open and our O'Brien^® experts are available to provide essential vehicle and property glass repair and replacement services, and electrical and plumbing services in any affected areas and/or hotspots.

We are working on the latest lockdown guidelines and COVID safe practices including hygiene protocols, touchpoint sanitisation, contactless payment and mandatory wearing of face masks.

Don’t forget we can come to your home or work location as we do offer a mobile service. Check out your nearest O'Brien^® location here.

During these challenging and changing times, we continue to be committed to the safety of our customers, staff and the community and closely monitor the COVID-19 situation across Australia.

We want to reassure you that we’re still here to help. Where we can, we will continue to support our customers, and solve their problems with real care.

If you need help, our call centre continues to remain open 24/7. Call us anytime on 1800 059 829 that is convenient for you.

O'Brien^® AutoGlass services remain open!

We are operating to the new lockdown restrictions, which for our business, means we are still able to provide services to customers requiring emergency repairs.

As customers in states with restrictions can only leave home for certain reasons, we believe it is essential that your vehicle is safe and secure in the event you need to travel, which includes vehicle glass such as the windscreen.

In support and understanding of the requirements for people to stay at home, O'Brien^® is also able to come to you via our mobile service team.

If your vehicle has broken glass that will impact your safety or the security of your vehicle, please contact us for support. If you’re unsure, call us, and we can help you.

What to expect when making a booking?

When you call us, we’ll ask you a series of questions to ensure we can complete the work.

Our technicians will be wearing face masks and adhering to all the necessary hygiene restrictions in place, they may also carry out touchpoint sanitisation on your vehicle.

If your car has a forward-facing safety camera, we also offer a recalibration service after a windscreen replacement for many vehicle types.

O'Brien^® Glass services remain open!

Under the latest restrictions, we can repair the glass in your home or business for safety and security reasons such as broken glass in your windows or doors.

If you have a safety or security concern, you can contact us 24/7 to see how we could help you.

What to expect when making a booking?

When you call us, we’ll ask you a series of questions to ensure we can complete the work.

Our glaziers will come to the place of damage and advise how they will undertake the repair to address your safety or security concerns.

They will be wearing face masks and adhering to all the necessary hygiene restrictions in place.

O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing services remain open!

Our O'Brien Electrical and Plumbing businesses are independently owned and operated. Each business has its own COVID Plan in place. Click here to find your nearest location.

The post COVID Restrictions Update appeared first on O'Brien.

So, we’d like to share Adele’s story, who lives and works in Melbourne.

The O'Brien^® success wouldn’t be possible without the hard-working people who stand by our business and put our customers at the heart of everything they do, solving their problems with real care. Adele, our Melbourne Glazing Manager, is one of those people.

Having worked with O'Brien^® 30 years ago, she recently re-joined our network as she was looking to get more involved with a committed and passionate team. But who knew there was going to be such a significant challenge, particularly for our Victorian community in 2020?

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the city of Melbourne took a pretty big hit. And with lockdown restrictions, businesses of all kinds and their employees have been widely affected.

We talked with Adele about the difficulties of this time to learn about what she is doing to lead her team forward, and the changes involved to continue caring for her customers.

What’s the biggest concern for Adele and her team during these times?

“Safety,” Adele said with certainty. “We aim to have a balance between being vigilant and remaining calm while still being approachable to clients to not cause panic. Yet, it is very tricky.”

“COVID-19 is something we’ve never faced before. It’s an uncertain time, and that can take a big toll on everybody including the physical and mental health of our employees.”

To accommodate for this, Adele ensures that all training and engagements are still being performed as a team to keep up morale and a sense of normalcy while following physical distancing measures.

“Communication really is the key,” Adele said. In maintaining a resilient team, Adele discussed the importance of communication – not only within her team but also with the staff, management and customers.

“As safety is always a top priority at O'Brien®, it’s important to avoid ambiguity and sugar-coating things. So long as everyone is communicating, we can all collaborate together.”

What operational changes have had to be made when working with customers?

Due to the circumstances surrounding Melbourne’s lockdown, Adele’s team members have shared responsibility for taking leave to match resource demand. However, this has also created an opportunity for everyone to take on extra responsibilities and learn new things.

“People may think that work should be a breeze now that volumes are down, but there’s a whole other set of tasks to do with only limited people to do them.

In fact, there’s extra cleaning, safety regimes and registrations that all have to be done. I’m sure I’m not alone in this when it comes to other businesses in Victoria.”

With the current conditions and people on lock-down at home, clients have been focusing on home improvements – this often involves glasswork.

While regular O'Brien® Glass services are restricted due to Government regulations, there is still a need for essential glass services that fall under the safety and security category.

“Our customers still need us, even during these uncertain times because if any glass gets shattered or broken with everyone home, it’s certainly a risk to safety. That has been our primary concern right now: being there for people in Melbourne who need us.”

Of course, in an emergency glass repair scenario, this involves our O'Brien® Glass professionals going to a client’s home.

“The reality is, we need to ask people about virus symptoms upfront. It’s part of the process of being vigilant for their safety and ours. Sure, it’s intrusive, but it’s important, and most people understand this.”

The staff at O'Brien^® Glass Melbourne always make sure they empathise and manage the concerns of clients before entering into their homes.

Adele and her team have implemented additional hygiene steps to help keep staff and customers safe. For instance: when the team performs an installation, clients are not permitted to be present in the area because of physical distancing requirements.

Adele also explained that there is definitely a change in the tone of enquiries they get now.

“People are feeling very uncertain. They now call to ask if we’re still open or if we can still help them with our services. Again, I’m sure our business is not alone in this.” 

“As long as the glasswork requested is essential and poses a safety or security concern, then we certainly can help. Otherwise, we’re having to postpone the work until after the Melbourne restrictions have been eased.”

How has O'Brien^® supported the team?

“In times like these where you can no longer give someone a pat on the back or a handshake, it’s important that your team still feels that you understand the hardships they are going through and acknowledge their hard work.”

O'Brien® has been providing extra support and appreciation to the Melbourne team with our “Taking Care Of Your Own” program. This involves providing small gifts through our employees’ internal recognition platform, organising talks on mental health and opening up communication channels to be more approachable and willing to listen. There has been an increased use of Zoom to keep up communication, and a lot more access to the Senior Management Team to ensure staff and their families are being supported.

How will this pandemic affect Adele and the O'Brien® Glass team in the future?

“There will still be residual vigilance, even after the majority of COVID passes.”

Adele and her team have decided that we should always remain cautious and maintain some safety guidelines even after the pandemic.

“Practising excellent hygiene is a lesson the world has all learned from this.”

What is Adele looking forward to?

“Since this whole thing started, I haven’t shaken hands with anyone from my team, patted someone on the back or sat across the table and had a laugh with them.”

For a tactile person like Adele, she looks forward to getting back these kinds of interactions with her team as she believes these interactions are very important in building great culture and rapport that will then reflect on how they deliver in their work.

“I’m looking forward to a hug. That’s a very motivating thought if I’m honest!” she laughs.

“But right now, we’re all extremely focused on keeping our doors open, our customers happy and safe, and making the best out of the situation.”

In fact, the O'Brien^® Melbourne Glazing team has reached a whopping 80 in their NPS (Net Promoter Score), which is their best score in 3 years!

“It’s interesting to see what change and adaption can do. I encourage everyone to think this way, despite the challenging times.”

Is there any advice Adele would give her fellow Victorians?

“Staying in touch is what will get us all through. Try not to remain isolated; the good thing is we don’t have to with all the digital technology we have today.”

For Adele, keeping your lines open for communication is crucial during this difficult time.

“We can all give someone a call just to vent, and vice versa. It’s not about giving solutions – by just being there and listening to one another, we can keep each other sane.”

“This pandemic has caused so much tragedy in the world, but at least there has been one benefit: people have all learned to hit pause on the rat race and take a step back to reflect on what really matters in life. That’s important.”

Our doors remain open at O'Brien^® Glass in Victoria.

For any glass and glazing safety concerns and emergencies in Victoria, we are here for you to help keep you and your family safe.

Our call centre is open 24/7 to answer your questions and to help you get the service you need.

You can rest assured that all COVID-19 lockdown measures are strictly followed to protect both you and our team members.

You can be confident that with O'Brien^® Glass, safety is our #1 priority.

If you do need help, you can contact us 24/7 on 1800 059 829 or fill in our online form.

The post A Day With Adele: O’Brien’s Glazing Manager in Melbourne appeared first on O'Brien.

Here’s how it all happened… and all within 2 weeks!

All staff who could work from home went home immediately so the Customer Solutions Centre could be split across two floors to allow O'Brien^® to follow social distancing regulations and implement key contingency measures. With strict rules in place such as no travelling between floors, separate entrance/exit by floor and zoom meetings between floors meant the part of the Customer Solutions Centre could still operate and support customers if there was an outbreak on one of the floors.

In addition, 40% of Customer Solutions Centre agents were set up and working from home within 2 weeks while still taking customer calls.

Extra hygiene protocols were put in places and floor champions were appointed to ensure the new rules were followed and to help identify any further risks.

This wouldn’t have happened without the flexibility and positivity from all our Customer Solutions Agents. Here’s what one of our Customer Service Agents, Adriana had to say.

Working in Customer Solutions is not an easy job. Our agents are trained and skilled to deal with resolving customer enquiries quickly, no matter how complex. In addition, they had to quickly adapt their working practices over the last few months, as COVID-19 emerged, to adhere to changing Government regulations and WHS guidelines.

Looking after our Customer Solutions agents is so important to us. We encourage lots of engagement each week, in the form of competitions, celebrations, support, story sharing and recognition, to keep spirits and morale high especially now the team are separated across multiple sites.

If this sounds like a great place to work and you would be interested in working for our Customer Solutions then check out any available opportunities on our Careers Website.

A bit about O'Brien^®

O'Brien^® has multiple divisions: O'Brien^® AutoGlass, O'Brien^® Glass and O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing. The biggest of which is O'Brien^® AutoGlass, where each year we complete over*:

• 289,000 windscreen replacements
• 44,000 windscreen repairs
• 28,000 side glass replacements
• 16,000 rear glass replacements

* Figures based on FY 2019

At O'Brien^® AutoGlass we can also recalibrate the camera in your vehicle to help ensure the proper working of many of the safety systems built into your car such as automated braking systems. This is our Windscreen Cal-Tech^® Recalibration Service which is done at the same time as your windscreen replacement.

Contacting Us

If you’ve got a chip or crack in your windscreen, or in need of glass replacement in your home or business then give us a call on 1800 059 829 and one of our lovely agents will help you.

We’re open 24/7 to take your call, so contact us anytime that is convenient to you.

The post How our Call Centre rapidly adapted to COVID-19 appeared first on O'Brien.

NEW RESTRICTIONS IN VIC ANNOUNCED

We are still open and our O'Brien^® experts are available to provide vehicle and property glass repair and replacement services. We are working to the latest lockdown guidelines and COVID safe practices including hygiene protocols, touchpoint sanitisation, contactless payment and mandatory wearing of face masks. Don’t forget we can come to your home or work location as we do offer a mobile service. For Electrical & Plumbing services or if you are in an area operated by an O'Brien^® Authorised Dealer, please contact them directly, check out your nearest O'Brien^® location here.

During these challenging times, we continue to be committed to the safety of our customers, staff and the community. We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Victoria and taking advice from the Department of Health and Human Services.

We want to reassure you that we’re still here to help. Where we can, we will continue to support our customers across Victoria, and solve their problems with real care.

If you need help, our call centre continues to remain open 24/7. Call us anytime on 1800 059 829 that is convenient for you.

O'Brien^® AutoGlass services remain open across Victoria

O'Brien^® AutoGlass is working to the new ‘circuit breaker’ restrictions, and for our business, this means we are still able to provide services to customers requiring emergency repairs.

As Victorians can only leave home for one of five reasons, we believe it is essential that your vehicle is safe and secure in the event you need to travel. A Certificate of Roadworthiness (RWC) in Victoria is required in some circumstances to check that a vehicle is in good condition for safe use on public roads. This includes parts of the vehicle such as the glass in the windscreen. For more information on RWC, please click here.

In support and understanding of the requirements for people to stay at home, O'Brien^® is still able to come to you via our mobile service team.

If your vehicle has broken glass that will impact your safety or the security of your vehicle, please contact us for support. If you’re unsure, call us, and we can help you.

What to expect when making a booking?

• When you call us, we’ll ask you a series of questions to ensure we can complete the work.
• We’ll come to you via our mobile service teams.
• Our technicians will be wearing face masks and adhering to all the necessary hygiene restrictions in place.

What if your car requires Cal-Tech^® recalibration?

If your car has a forward-facing safety camera, we also offer a recalibration service after a windscreen replacement for many vehicle types.

O'Brien^® Glass services remain open across Victoria

Under ‘circuit breaker’ restrictions, we can repair the glass in your home or business for safety and security reasons such as broken glass in your windows or doors. If you have a safety or security concern, you can contact us 24/7 to see how we could help you.

What to expect when making a booking?

• When you call us, we’ll ask you a series of questions to ensure we can complete the work.
• Our glaziers will come to the place of damage and advise how they will undertake the repair to address your safety or security concerns.
• They will be wearing face masks and adhering to all the necessary hygiene restrictions in place.

O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing services remain open across Victoria

Our O'Brien Electrical and Plumbing businesses are independently owned and operated. Each business has its own COVID Plan in place. Should you require electrical or plumbing emergency services, please ask your local O'Brien business about their COVI Plan. Click here to find your nearest location.

Wherever we can, we will continue to service and support our customers while complying to the latest changes in the government regulations to keep our customers, staff and the community safe. You can always contact us 24/7, so if you have any questions, one of our friendly call centre agents will be there to assist.

The post VIC COVID Circuit Breaker Restrictions Update appeared first on O'Brien.

NEW RESTRICTIONS IN VIC ANNOUNCED | READ OUR UPDATE

We are still open and our O'Brien^® experts are available to provide vehicle and property glass repair and replacement services across Victoria. We are working to the latest lockdown guidelines and COVID safe practices. Click here for details on how we are continuing to support customers in Victoria.

During this uncertain time, our teams across Australia continue to be available to service your vehicle glass, glazing, electrical and plumbing needs.

We are monitoring the COVID-19 case numbers and outbreaks across Australia on a daily basis and putting the required changes in place according to the latest government regulations.

The below information continues to be applicable across Australia and contains everything you need to know about how O'Brien^® continues to operate and support customers during these times. 

Working with O'Brien^® during COVID-19

We’re still here for you! At O'Brien^®, we’re trusted around the country by Australians to help – and we believe that should not change during times like this.

To help ensure the safety of our team members, customers and the general public we are constantly adapting to the changing regulations. This way, we can still fix your problem while focusing on making the right choices to keep everyone safe.

We’re offering contactless in-branch and mobile payments and services to help limit physical contact between our staff and customers.

Here are the important and latest updates you should know.

1. What we are doing: continuing to increase hygiene practices as required

In accordance with the advice provided by the Australian Government, we have implemented new policies and hygiene practices to help protect you, and our staff. Some of these include:

• We are in constant communication with our colleagues, including our technicians and glaziers, to ensure that they are healthy and are following the latest advice from the Australian Government.
• We’re offering contactless in-branch and mobile payments and services to help limit physical contact between our staff and customers.
• We are following social distancing practices and will maintain a 2-metre distance between customers and colleagues – this includes not shaking hands.
• Our technicians and glaziers will be wearing disposable gloves throughout your appointment and will dispose of them when finished.
• Our technicians and glaziers are wiping down all tools, work areas, and common items like keys, with appropriate cleaning materials whilst completing your job.
• Our technicians are cleaning their hands before, and after, every appointment.
• We’ve increased the cleaning regime in our branches, particularly in commonly used areas and for commonly used tools.
• Hand sanitiser has been provided at all branches for customers to use upon entering and exiting the building.
• The mandatory use of face masks in locations across Victoria.

2. What to expect when making a booking

To keep everyone safe, we are asking you a series of health-related questions to help manage your appointment. This will include:

• Have you, or anyone in the household tested positive for COVID-19, or are awaiting test results?
• Do you fall into a category where you should be self-isolating for COVID-19? For example, close contact with someone with COVID-19, been told to isolate, recently arrived back in Australia (last 14 days)?
• Do you, or anyone living with you, have any flu-like symptoms, a fever, cough, or shortness of breath?

Depending on your answers provided, we will work with you on the best way forward to support your needs.

After a booking is made, if you start to develop flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, fever or shortness of breath, please call us immediately on 1800 059 829  so we can help to manage your appointment.

3. What to expect when visiting an O'Brien^® branch

As the situation for COVID-19 is ever-evolving, instructions may change by state and by branch, so please read the notice on the branch door before entering.

To help protect each other, we respectfully ask all customers to follow social distancing rules and/or government guidelines.

In addition to our increased hygiene protocols, if you’ve booked your vehicle into one of our branches, you may see our team complete a Touchpoint Sanitisation service. This service is being conducted in locations across Australia where the government has raised COVID protocols. It involves sanitising your vehicle particularly around the door handle and steering wheel of your car – this is just to further help ensure the safety of everyone. Please read our procedure here.

4. What to expect when an O'Brien^® employee comes to your home or business

On arrival, our team will be asking the same health questions asked at the time of your booking, to ensure your circumstances have not changed. Plus they will be following our increased hygiene practices and any government regulations.

When undertaking the work, they will tell you exactly what they will do before they enter your home, business or vehicle and will clean all surfaces they touch with antibacterial wipes before and after your job. This will include any objects handed over during our processes, like car keys or house keys.

We’re always here for you

Our call centre is open 24/7 so you can always reach us about your vehicle glass, glazing, electrical and/or plumbing needs.

With the continued outbreak of COVID-19 across Australia, we want to reassure you that we are taking all precautionary measures to help protect you and to minimise the risk of further spread. Our teams are taking advice from the Australian Government and monitoring the situation daily, all to help ensure that we take the necessary steps to protect you.

We will continue to adapt to the changing government requirements, and we will continue to work hard to serve our local communities.

What safety precautions have been put in place to protect me and my family?

For the safety of you and our team, we have put in place additional rules and standards that must be complied with. Our technicians and glaziers have been issued a strict COVID-19 Customer Checklist to ensure consistency and care is taken at all times.

This includes hygienic practices such as frequent hand washing, wiping down tools and cleaning all surfaces. They may be wearing a mask and gloves, will remain at a 2-metre distance and will try to avoid all physical touch.

We’re also offering contactless in-branch and mobile payments and services to help limit physical contact between our staff and customers.

What if I feel a little unwell?

It’s important to answer our health-related questions honestly, when you make a booking over the phone, upon arrival at a branch or when our technicians and glaziers visit your home or premise. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the virus, it’s difficult to determine if someone has a normal cold or flu or COVID-19.

Because of this, if you are feeling unwell, sneezing, coughing or feeling short of breath, it’s best to let us know in advance by calling 1800 059 829 so we can help to manage your booking.

What happens if I become unwell between when I booked in my job and when my job takes place?

If you start to develop symptoms such as coughing, sneezing or fever, please call us immediately on 1800 059 829 so we can help to manage your booking.

If you have a job booked with us you may have received a booking confirmation email and/or SMS and you can change your booking via the link provided.

If you have booked an Electrical or Plumbing appointment, please contact your local Electrical or Plumbing Member.

What happens if I think I’ve been exposed to COVID-19?

If you have a booking with us, please call 1800 059 829 prior to your appointment and we will reschedule your booking to help keep both our staff and you safe.

If you have booked an Electrical or Plumbing appointment please contact your local Electrical or Plumbing Member.

Are you still able to come to my home/business to complete the job?

As long as you haven’t answered yes to any of our health questions, we are still able to do so. We’ve stepped up our hygiene practices and added precautionary measures so we can still come to your home/business as well as complying and adapting to any changes in Government regulations.

As part of their visit, our team will practise good hygiene, depending on the circumstances and changes in Government regulations may be wearing gloves and a mask, they will wipe down surfaces that they’ve touched and will be maintaining a 2-metre distance at all times.

What method of payment do you accept?

We accept debit cards and major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. To maintain a safe social distance, as recommended by the Government, we ask that you make a pre-payment over the phone.

Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.

Please know that we have your best interest in mind during these uncertain times and we are endeavouring to continue to provide the best service that O'Brien^® is known for.

We look forward to continuing to work with you on your vehicle glass, glazing, electrical and/or plumbing needs.

The post O’Brien® COVID-19 Update appeared first on O'Brien.