Image: Google Inc. [CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
BT Business published the results of a survey carried out in the UK in 2014* in which participants were asked the estimated cost of missing a call and the average answer was £1,200 per call. If this true, it is a significant cost to any business. A fifth of participants in this survey revealed that they would only call a business once and if the call went unanswered they would move on to the next supplier.
In an era when it is so difficult to win new business it makes good business sense to ensure that each and every call to your business is answered promptly and professionally. Companies who fail to address the possibility of lost sales due to leaving calls go unanswered are unwittingly losing large revenues and simply referring the lost business to their competitors.
Most searches for business products and services take place on line nowadays and budgets spent on increasing your profile and ranking on search engines will be diminished if some of the resultant sales inquiries are not handled when the calls come through.
We should also recognise that missed calls from existing clients can be just as costly as they may also make a call to your competitors as they shop around for the best price on a product or service.
So why do businesses run the risk of losing potential new business to their competitors when a very cost effective solution can be put in place so easily?
Companies may not be aware that they are losing out on business as they may not be tracking missed calls. As they say ‘knowledge is power’ and when a company is tracking missed calls the real extent of the problem can then be addressed. Maybe calls are missed at lunch time when the receptionist is away from her desk. Perhaps calls between 5 and 6 are missed as people believe that nobody calls at that time. Perhaps there are not enough incoming lines to your switchboard and callers receive an engaged tone when they try to get through. Holiday cover and sick leave are two more instances when calls can be easily missed as other staff struggle to provide telephone cover while also doing their own jobs. Companies need to put a plan in place to cover all these circumstances and thereby ensure that each and every call to their business is answered.
A lot of business owners take the view (perhaps erroneously) that supplementing their reception with an outsourced telephone answering provider is an overhead they can do without. However, given the result of the BT survey referred to above, the cost of hiring such a service may well be paid for many times over and your companies reputation enhanced.
5 Top Reasons Why Companies Use Call Centre Customer Solutions.
- PA’s handle calls 24/7.
- Every call is answered in person and messages are forwarded immediately.
- Look for an ISO Accredited provider which operates to the highest customer service standards.
- No more complaints from staff who have to provide holiday and sick leave cover for the receptionist.
- The benefits far outweigh the cost.
Try Before You Buy
A lot of Call Centre Customer Solutions offer a free trial to companies who are interested in using their services. Use this opportunity to see how such a service can work for your company and experience the benefits of a professional receptionist service.
