COVID-19 has truly tested business continuity. Many businesses are scrambling to respond to the deluge of calls with the majority of their workforce working from home. Every time a call is missed, the potential for revenue is lost. In a 2014 study of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), BT Business reported that missing one customer call costs businesses around £1,200 and the loss for businesses that are uncontactable for a full 24 hours ranges from £9,000-£20,000. COVID-19 has caused many businesses, especially SMEs, to struggle one way or another to handle clients and customer communications. With lockdown measures being loosened, businesses are desperately trying to formulate plans which strike a balance between employee health, client satisfaction, and the bottom line.
Human contact vital to generating revenue
Before COVID-19, clients and consumers preferred calling businesses and speaking to a real person played an integral role in their customer journey. A study commissioned by Google, out of 3,000 mobile searchers, 70% of them used the “call button” to contact businesses. Calling a business plays a vital role in a customer’s purchasing journey. This trend is seen across a range of industries:
Source: The Role of Click to Call In the Path to Purchase, 2013
During the virtual age, voice calls continue to surge
In 2018, it was found that 95% of respondents had used a smartphone in the previous day. While data usage has surged, the volume of calls made in the UK has dramatically grown as well. In 2009, in the UK alone, users of mobile phones placed 120.57 billion minutes worth of calls. By 2017, this figure rose to 148.54 billion minutes. Fast-forward to 2020, Vodafone has seen mobile voice calls surge over 40% across Europe. This surge has led to businesses scrambling to keep up with incoming calls.
Missed calls mean more than just lost revenue
Answering the phone during the time of COVID-19 is still a critical business activity. Missing a phone call means much more than losing business. During times of crisis, consumers look for continuity, transparency, and comprehensive crisis response plans. Now more than ever, businesses need to ensure that someone is there to answer the phone to instil confidence and reassure clients that they are in good hands. Missing a phone call could hurt your business’s image and jeopardise customer loyalty.
With this in mind, telephone answering is a key part of your return to office strategy. Strategies around managing transmission risk such as implementing hot-desking and remote working could mean more calls getting lost. Upgrading your telephone answering strategy will not only boost your business, but it’ll also ensure your employees stay healthy.
Verbatim is here to help
Just how have we provided exemplary service to our clients? For starters, we’ve helped a bespoke roof lighting service transition from being completely office-based to their admin and sales staff being remote. This was done with zero telephony changes to infrastructure, ensuring zero gaps in service. We’ve also effortlessly handled a 34% increase in call volume for one of our workplace equipment clients. While some of our client’s businesses have had to close temporarily due to coronavirus, they’ve chosen to keep us on for call answering as client calls have increased. These are just a few ways in which Verbatim has enabled businesses to survive and even thrive during the pandemic. Our plans have the flexibility to ensure that in times of uncertainty we can ensure we meet your changing needs.
We’re here to be your rock through this unprecedented time. Our team of talented call handlers and virtual receptionists are here to ensure that your customers and clients don’t fall through the cracks. We can help you adjust to what is becoming the new normal. We offer a wide range of services to boost your confidence that your client’s and customer’s calls are being answered and handled with care. Whatever your needs are, be it booking appointments, processing an order, or connecting calls, Verbatim is here for you. Try us now for 30 days and you’ll see why 99% of people who try us, stay with us. Don’t waste another second. Get in touch with us.
