The Guardian recently reported that unwanted ‘nuisance’ phone calls have trebled to almost 10,000 a month, with a lot of the blame being laid on PPI and accident claims firms.
In the home, they are a source of annoyance and stress. In the workplace they cost time and money.
Telecoms expert Ian Hilton believes that there are ways to cut down on over half of the calls that come into the office without losing any potential business.
It is reported that over fifty percent of calls coming into businesses are either a marketing nuisance call, or from costumers who need help with minor issues that could easily be solved by a simple redistribution of information. OFCOM, Sky and BT, to name a few, provide simple guides on how to deal with such calls, while the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) acts as an opt-out service for receiving them.
Despite all this, calls still seem to make it through to citizens registered with the TPS, and a spokesman from the Direct Marketing Association claims that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has not been “flexing its muscles. As a result there’s no real deterrent for wrong-doers.” Outside of the TPS, service providers offer their own services along with other products on the market such as CallBlocker.
Director of telecoms specialists, Tech Advance is Ian Hilton who believes that there is a smarter and cost effective way to help business avoid this issue. He recalls: “After some research we found that a lot of calls can be handled more efficiently without speaking to an actual person. We can reduce the amount of time a member of staff is on the phone by offering recorded information: i.e. Press 1 to hear our returns policy, press 2 to listen to our opening hours, etc. Installing a system like that with the appropriate options can save up to 60 % of calls coming in to a business.”
Speaking of a recent installation that TechAdvance completed for Pugh’s Property Auctions, he continues: “Pugh’s, like many organisations today, were receiving incoming telephone calls requesting the same information over and over again. In this scenario, the use of technology to automate the delivery of this information has produced great benefit.
The team do not have the same level of repeat information requests this way and callers can gain access to the information they need quickly and efficiently. With this type of system it is all about making sure the telephones on your desks only ring with the calls you need to handle in person.”
Ian added: “This ensures that your customer gets the information that he needs, quickly and effectively”.
For more information about providing your customers with great service whilst saving you time and money, contact Ian on 0845 389 2311 or by E-Mail: ihilton@techadvance.co.uk
