The AA are already reporting that many car owners are cutting back on their vehicle usage, a trend that could have a serious effect on business owners and employees. For instance, if you rely on cars and vans for your work, such as a tradesman or courier, you may have to cut back on other less necessary expenses to be able to afford the petrol you need to be able to continue with your core work. If you are an employer you may have to find alternative work environments for staff who can no longer manage the costs of commuting to and from the office on a daily basis, rather than risk the chance of losing them.
Any such changes, if not managed correctly could have a negative impact on your businesses productivity. Without access to daily business tools, via a central office, your workforce could become isolated and unproductive.
Luckily, in this day and age IT systems are quick and easy to share and home offices can be set up remotely. However, how do you manage the more tricky issues such as phone systems? Without integrated phone systems you and your staff may find it difficult to stay accessible to callers and each other at all times. You may see mobile phones as a solution, but first impressions count.
The first few seconds of a client call defines their opinion of your brand and mobiles can make it difficult to present a professional image. The background noise or loss of signal can make conversations unclear and you can be limited in the details you can record when out and about. Prospective clients can get the impression you are disorganised or disinterested and if you are unable to pick up immediately or your phone diverts to voice-mail you are likely to lose the prospect to a competitor that is more responsive.
A representative from alldayPA, a leading UK call centre, commented on the news story.
“With the news of motorists being faced with higher prices at the pumps, business owners should consider the impact this price rise will almost certainly have on their business and their employees”
The representative goes on to say,
“It’s not just the businesses that rely on vehicle usage, such as tradesmen and couriers, who will feel the strain of this price rise, but other businesses too. Virtual companies, solicitors, accountants, and any other company with a team of employees will also be affected as staff members struggle to afford the commute to work”
“Business owners need to start preparing for this rise and looking for solutions without compromising on customer service or brand image. Allowing employees to work from home is one possible resolution to the problem.”
“Every business knows that the way customer phone calls are handled can make the difference between a good first impression, or not, meaning businesses will not want to put their customer service levels at risk by allowing employees to work from home.”
“ A company like alldayPA can answer business calls in a professional and efficient manner, regardless of whether staff are working from home or in the office, no caller need know you are using an outsource call service, meaning staff can maintain productivity wherever they are based, without compromising customer service or brand image.”
Resources:
http://www.alldaypa.com/
http://www.alldaypa.com/
http://www.alldaypa.com/
