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June 2010

88% of people WILL leave a message on voicemail!

Survey results show surprising habits of UK telephone users

Bristol based 24 hour telephone answering company, Office Response Ltd, have revealed unexpected results from an online survey that challenged perceptions on how people use voicemail and answering machines in the UK.

Office Response had been aware of a research statement used within the call centre industry that “80% of callers won’t leave a message on voicemail” but, from their experience of operating a successful telephone answering service for over 11 years, they felt this statement did not recognise a number of important factors. The purpose of the survey was to gain feedback from a wide range of telephone users on whether they left messages on voicemail and answering machines dependant on the nature of their call.

“The survey took into consideration why the person was calling, who they were trying to contact and what their relationship was with the recipient of the call”, explained Steve West, Marketing & Business Development Manager with Office Response. “We had recognised for a while that people viewed voicemail differently dependant on what their needs were and this has been highlighted in the survey results. We hope that any organisation that uses voicemail or answerphone technology as an option for their callers can use the results to understand when callers will leave a message. If people aren’t going to leave a message then it may be worth looking at alternatives to ensure calls are answered.”

Over 500 unique survey respondents from a wide demographic of UK telephone business and consumer telephone users completed the online 10 question survey between April and June 2010.

The survey results reveal that:

• When calling a business during office hours in response to an advert for their services more than half of people will not leave a message on voicemail

• 83% of people are comfortable leaving voicemail messages on mobile phones

• Nearly two thirds of people will not leave a message on voicemail if they are calling to make a complaint

• The majority of people expect to be called back the same day if they leave a voicemail message

• 88% of people will leave a message on voicemail if they personally know the individual they are calling

• More than half of people leave less than 5 voicemail messages per week

• 79% of people will not leave a message on voicemail if they are calling to placing an order for a product or service

• More than three quarters of people think that voicemail has a place in today's fast moving business world

Office Response will be discussing the results of the survey through their popular blog www.office-response.co.uk/blog and encouraging readers to comment on the various problems and solutions companies face when managing their telephone calls.

“The survey has shown some quite surprising results, especially regarding how many of the respondents are happy to use voicemail when contacting someone they personally know and the high acceptability of leaving messages on mobile phones” explained Mr West. “Whilst we appreciate that voicemail is hugely useful as a communication tool the survey has also highlighted obvious disadvantages for any organisation that relies on people leaving messages”.

The full survey results can be obtained by contacting Office Response at marketing@office-response.co.uk

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April 10

BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME PROVIDES NEW JOBS

Bristol based telephone answering company Office Response Ltd has announced new jobs for young people completing its apprentice scheme.

Current winners of the Evening Post Business of the Year Award, Office Response currently has 8 apprentices and are looking to continue with the training scheme following the success of the recent job announcements.

The firm decided to launch their apprentice scheme, called Platform; The Office Response Call Centre Academy, following their success at last year’s Business Awards.

Iain McGregor, Managing Director, explains: “It is important for successful business to look at ways they can give something back to the local community. The apprentice schemes are one of only a few initiatives that exist to assist employers and help young people to get into the job market. Young people have been acutely affected by the current job shortages and lack of training is proving to be one of the substantial barriers to employment.  One of the reasons we launched our Call Centre Academy was to break down barriers and the negative perception of our industry. The scheme is now helping to inspire Bristol youngsters with confidence and give them the skills they need to move forward in their working lives.”

Laura Hayley has been awarded a full time employment contract following the successful completion of the apprentice scheme and an NVQ2 in Contact Centre Skills.

Laura Hayley, 19, from Warmley, joined the apprentice scheme in October 2009. “I had been unemployed for two years before coming to Office Response and was fed up with waiting to hear back from jobs that I had applied for” explains Laura. “My training college advised me about the opportunity of the Office Response apprentice scheme and I jumped at the chance. Everyone made me feel really welcome and the support from the trainers was fantastic. They treated me like an adult and the structure of working whilst gaining an NVQ qualification helped to build my confidence.”

“I was really nervous on my first telephone call but after a few weeks my coaching and quality scores were really good. I’m really proud of what I have achieved – especially as last week it was announced that I had gained the highest call quality score out of the whole contact centre!”.

Following success at last years Evening Post Business of the Year Awards, Office Response has gained new business and major local contracts as well as retaining a loyal customer base. Local organisations such as Great British Mobility & Merlin Housing Society are now working with the company to ensure their calls are handled 24 hours a day.

Apprentices entering Platform; The Office Response Call Centre Academy can expect to graduate with Key Skills training, a technical certificate and an NVQ Level 2 in Contact Centre Skills alongside 13 weeks of work experience.

Head of Contact Centre, Heather Dawes, said “We are really proud of the apprentices. It’s taken a lot of work and our management team have had to learn new skills and techniques but it’s been very rewarding.”

When asked about the future Laura said ”Before working at Office Response it was really difficult to get motivated. I now feel that I have a career and am looking forward to getting my own place and gaining new skills with the company. I would say the biggest thing has been my self confidence. I now know that I can go on to achieve more with my life”.

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November 09

Engaging for Success Review

Further recognition of Office Response as a leader in achieving business objectives through the collective efforts of engaged employees has come in the form of an invitation  from the Bristol Evening Post to debate the recommendations of the Engaging for Success Review, an independent study exploring the benefits and drivers of employee engagement in the workplace. Commissioned by government, the Review examined the role that employee engagement can play in increasing productivity and enhancing competitiveness. 

The debate will involve senior representatives from the South West business community and will put forward recommendations of how organisations , particularly Small and Medium Sized organisations, can create competitive advantages via the efforts of the people they employ.

Office Response’s Managing Director, Iain Macgregor commented, “There’s no doubt that the difference between us and our competitors is how our people work , by engaging our people with the strategic goals of our company they know how their input moves us all toward greater achievements.   We’re happy to share our experiences with other organisations and we look forward to learning from them as well.”

Recommendations from the meeting will be appearing in the South West Regional media during December 2009.

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October 09

Office Response nets major Intranet Award

Leading UK call centre Office Response has scooped a major accolade after picking up a Greatest Business Impact intranet award.

The Bristol firm was singled out for its intranet work to develop new customer relationship management and HR systems by a panel of more than 50 judges at the annual event, organised by technology company, SORCE.

Iain McGregor, Managing Director of Office Response, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to win this award. It reflects the commitment we have made to streamline our business processes, which helps us provide a consistent, professional service to our customers.”

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September 09

New training college to help city's jobless

BRISTOL-based call centre Office Response is ringing the changes for young job seekers in the city following the launch of a new NVQ training scheme.

The initiative, which has been backed by the Learning Skills Council (LSC) through the European Social Fund (ESF), will offer 16-19-year-olds better access to employment by giving them the chance to become fully qualified call centre operatives.  The first apprentices are due to start the scheme on October 19th.

Office Response's NVQ programme is being spearheaded by the firm's directors Martin Blain and Iain McGregor.  "We are delighted to be launching the new college," Martin explains.  "With unemployment at its highest level for many years, it is essential that local businesses are participating in schemes like this."

"Young people have been acutely affected by the current job shortages and lack of training is proving to be one of the substantial barriers to employment.  We hope that this scheme will help inspire Bristol youngsters with confidence and give them the skills they need to move forward in their working lives," he said.

Places at the Office Response College are open to 16-19-year-olds who are not in education or training and have not been in employment.

"Each course is designed around each individual's skills, so it can take between 3-9 months to gain the NVQ," Martin said.  "The first intake of 20 students are due to start in October and, once they have completed the course, we will be offering jobs to some of the best trainees."

The Office Response College is thought to be the first ESF scheme of its kind to be launched in the contact centre industry. 

"Working as a call centre operative can offer a highly rewarding career with excellent prospects," Martin adds.  "Many of the original team who started out with us 10 years ago have since worked their way up to management positions, or transferred across to other areas of the business."

"Call centre work has had a fairly bad press over recent years; however, it can be a very interesting and varied job, which puts our staff in touch with people from all walks of life," he adds.

Carl Roderick, Managing Director of training specialists Lime, who introduced Office Response to the scheme, said: "We are delighted to be working with Office Response on this initiative.  Their proven track record in the contact centre industry built up over the last 10 years makes them an excellent partner for this project."  

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June 09

Office Response Ltd wins BUSINESS OF THE YEAR award

We are delighted to announce that Office Response Ltd has been awarded the prestigious BUSINESS OF THE YEAR award at the 2009 Bristol Evening Post Business Awards.

More than 200 Business Leaders and well known South West companies attended a gala ceremony, hosted by the Lord Mayor and other key business figures. Companies had been invited to enter the awards and undergo a strict judging process that took into consideration the growth, profitability, culture, customer focus, innovation and future opportunities of each business. There were a number of categories including Charity of the Year, Green Award, Lifetime Achievement, Entrepreneur of the Year and Community Award.

We entered the category of Businesses with Turnover of less than £5m and are delighted to be able to say that we won.  Managing Director Iain McGregor and Customer Relations Manager Steve West collected the award from Business Link South West.

The judges were then asked to recognise an overall BUSINESS OF THE YEAR from the hundreds of entries.

We were still reeling from winning our category when the judges announced that we had also been awarded the overall BUSINESS OF THE YEAR award.

Mr Iain McGregor, explains “We are just stunned – we didn't expect to win one award, let alone two. It’s the first time we’ve entered an award like this and the reputation, size and recognisable names of the other competing businesses meant that we were surprised to be shortlisted – to win is just outstanding.” 

This is fantastic news for us and we would like to thank all of our customers, past and present, for their contribution towards us achieving such recognition. We couldn't have achieved this award without you.

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October 08

Office Response Ltd wins CAM-X Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service

Office Response Ltd has been honoured with the exclusive CAM-X 2008 Award of Excellence.

The Award is presented annually by an International Call Management Association (CAM-X), the industry's Trade Association for providers of call centre services including telephone answering and message delivery. Office Response Ltd was presented with the Award recently at the 44th Annual Convention and Trade Show held in Canada. 

Independent judges are contracted by the association to evaluate call centre services throughout the world over a six-month period. The criteria for scoring are extensive and include Courtesy, Response time, Accuracy and Overall service to callers. 

If a company scores 80% or better in ALL categories they are considered for the coveted Award of Excellence. Office Response Ltd excelled by scoring over 91%. 

Now in its 18th year of running, CAM-X President Casey Smith praised Office Response Ltd as the winner, "The Award of Excellence is a 'mystery shopper' programme that gives an independent assurance that the winners have passed a rigorous quality assurance process. We congratulate Office Response Ltd for their achievements."

Founded in 1964, CAM-X began as a national trade Association representing live answering services, the International Call Management Association now encompasses companies across the world offering specialised and enhanced operator based services including: call centres, contact centres, inbound telemarketing (order entry), paging, voice messaging, emergency dispatch, fax and internet service among others.

CAM-X extends its congratulations to the staff of Office Response Ltd for their proven quality service to their customers.

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July 07

Bristol Call Centre is Ringing the Changes

A Bristol telephone answering company has won industry recognition after completing a major improvement programme.

Office Response, which handles more than a million calls a year, beat off competition from hundreds of other entrants to reach the finals of the prestigious CCF European Call Centre Awards 2007.

The Portland Square firm is one of six companies to be short-listed in the Best Small Call Centre category following a year long restructure to improve customer service and staff training.

Heather Dawes, Call Centre Manager at Office Response, oversaw the recent changes and was responsible for putting the company’s award bid together.

“We’re thrilled to have reached the short-list for the Best Small Call Centre,” said Heather. “Office Response started out eight years ago as a small telephone answering company and today we still see this as a core activity however we have now developed the skills to act as full service contact centre. Our clients include a multitude of small businesses as well as household names, such as Easyjet and MORI, so it’s about time we started competing on a national level.

“Over the past 12 months the company has undergone a major restructure, which has included the creation of a new staff training department,” she added.

“We have also introduced new procedures and looked at the way the business is perceived by clients and their customers to help us continually improve the services we offer,” said Heather.

“It’s been a massive change, but it means that we can now rival many of the larger contact centres in terms of the range and quality of the services that we offer,” she said.

Established in 1999 by directors Martin Blain and Iain McGregor Office Response has grown into a £2.7 million turnover business (year end March 2007) with a 150 strong workforce.

It is the first time that Office Response has been selected for the prestigious CCF awards, which recognise excellence in the call and contact centre industry.

Altogether, 1300 of the industry’s elite are expected to attend the presentation ceremony, which takes place in September.

“An independent panel of judges worked through a record number of impressive entries this year,” explains Claudia Hathway, editor of Call Centre Focus (CCF). “Each short-listed centre will be personally visited and evaluated by members of the judging panel, giving the awards programme an integrity and professionalism that CCF is proud to be a part of.”

The awards, which are now in their 12th year, will take place at the Birmingham Metropole on September 26.

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June 07

Employers urged to get on their bikes for national Bike Week

A BRISTOL telephone answering company, which launched its own Cycle to Work scheme, is urging city firms to sign up to the initiative during national Bike Week (July 16-24).

Office Response, which employs over 150 at its offices in Portland Place, currently has over 15 staff signed up to the scheme, including director and cycling enthusiast, Martin Blain.

Martin, who regularly cycles into work from Holcombe, near Bath, thinks that many businesses aren’t joining the initiative because they think it’s too complicated to administer.

“It’s very straight forward to set up a Cycle to Work scheme, so it’s a shame more companies aren’t doing it” said Martin. “We’ve been administering our own initiative for the past 2 years, without any outside help, and it’s proved to be a resounding success.

“As well as cycling enthusiasts, there are many staff who aren’t that sporty joining the scheme. I’d far rather see my staff cycling to work than sat in a car. It’s a great way to encourage people to get fit and reduce their carbon footprints, whilst saving money at the same time,” he said.

Call Manager, Chantelle Davies, 27, joined the company’s Cycle to Work scheme three months ago and regularly makes the journey into work from St George.

“I joined the scheme mainly because of rising bus fares,” explains Chantelle. “It was costing me £65 every month just to get into work, but now I’m only paying around £20 – that’s a £500 a year saving!

“I’m not naturally sporty, so it’s also a great way for me to get fit and also gets me to work much faster,” she adds.

Chantelle regularly cycles into work with work colleague, Natasha Leahy, 23. Natasha said: “You can spend ages sat in traffic during the rush hour and I used to find it very boring. Now I’m cycling, getting into work is a totally different experience. I’m definitely a lot more awake and full of energy than I used to be,” she said.

Launched in 1999, Cycle to Work is a Government scheme, which uses tax incentives to encourage employees to use a greener mode of transport.

“We’ve created an information pack for businesses interested in setting up a self-administered scheme like ours,” said Martin. “This is made up of a straight forward agreement, whereby the company buys the bike and cycling accessories, on the condition that the employee makes a monthly salary sacrifice to pay for it.

“The bike remains the property of the company at the end of the agreement, but employees are given the option to purchase them back at their market value,” he said.

“There are immediate cost savings with the scheme as the VAT can be claimed back, whilst the salary sacrifice payments made by employees are tax deductable,” adds Martin.

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May 07

Bristol firm spearheads expansion with new look

BRISTOL-based telephone answering company, Office Response, has launched a major rebranding campaign as part of a new expansion drive.

The company, which was established in 1999, is one of the UK’s leading independent telephone answering companies handling more than a million calls a year for the likes of Easyjet and Mori, as well as a host of smaller businesses.

Over the past four years business has been booming, turnover has increased by 145 per cent to £2.7 million (year end March 2007), and staff numbers have doubled to 150.

Following the launch of its new branding and company website, Office Response aims to increase turnover by almost 20 per cent, whilst taking on more staff and expanding its range of services.

In order to accommodate the extra growth, Office Response has just leased two more floors at its Portland Place premises to occupy the entire 10,000 sq ft building.

“We expect to grow by at least another £500k turnover over the next year and recruit more than 30 additional staff,” explains co-founder and director of Office Response, Martin Blain. “We will continue in the markets we are in, but with a particular focus on companies requiring out-of-hours support services, such as those in the facilities management sector.

“Our existing customers have also indicated that they would buy other services from us and we are currently researching various areas which could complement our call handling. We expect these additional services to be rolled-out over the next 12-18 months,” said Martin.

Office Response directors, Martin Blain and Iain McGregor, attribute their success to their fresh approach to the industry.

“Neither of us had any experience in the call centre industry before starting Office Response,” explains Martin. “We came into the call centre business because we thought providing a telephone answering service for SMEs was a young market with lots of potential for growth. Previously, Iain and I had been working together in the trade association marketplace, providing support services to small businesses, and saw a market opportunity,” he said.

Since its launch eight years ago, Office Response has diversified from the SME sector into other markets. Current clients include several blue chip corporations, Government organisations, charities, as well as small businesses.

“Broadly speaking, our clients are grouped in three areas,” says Martin. “Small businesses, where we act as their reception when they are out of the office, or unable to answer calls, larger organisations, where we either help them with response calls from advertising, or take calls from their customers as part of their customer service.

“We also provide 24-hour support services to organisations like air conditioning companies, for example, where callers are reporting breakdowns and need to call-out an engineer,” he said.

Unlike some call centres, Martin is keen to point out that Office Response has remained largely unaffected by the growth in outsourcing to foreign call centres, due to its niche position in the marketplace.

“Many of the larger UK call centre outsourcing companies seem to have suffered lost business at the hands of the overseas competition,” he said. “For Office Response it’s had no effect, because we are in a different marketplace altogether.

“Most of our customers give us between 100 and 2000 calls per month - these volumes are too small to be sent overseas. The value of our service to our clients is in the successful outcomes of the calls and this vastly out weighs the cost savings to be had from the calls being handled overseas,” he said.

“We have very close relationships with our customers, where there is open and regular feedback between both parties, ensuring that objectives are met. If a face-to-face meeting is required, then it’s a lot easier to travel to Bristol than to Bombay,” adds Martin.