BT survey reveals missed calls are costing Northern Ireland businesses money as well as their reputation

Missing an important phone call because you’re out of the office can cost a business dearly and now a new survey of small businesses in Northern Ireland has put a price on being out of touch.

According to the research for BT*, nearly seven out of ten SMEs believe calls missed by staff who are out of the office can hit their bottom line as well as their reputation.

Nearly a quarter of the businesses estimated the potential financial loss associated with their staff missing an important call from an existing or potential customer, at between £1,000 and £5,000, while 16 per cent  said it could cost up to £1,000.

Some firms believed the penalties could be even worse - 6 per cent estimated the cost at between £5,000 and £10,000 and 7 per cent said it might even be more than that.

BT said the survey underlined the benefits of BT Cloud Voice, its cloud-based phone system that enables businesses to integrate mobile and office phones on to one single number via a handy app, keeping them connected even when they are out of the office.

Small business owners believed there was a low tolerance among customers for unanswered calls or staff who couldn’t be contacted. More than nine out of ten said it was important to be seen as never missing a call. Four out of ten believed a potential customer would try only once or twice to contact a company before giving up and turning to another supplier

According to Paul Convery, Head of BT Business, BT Cloud Voice is an important business tool that will help to equip local business for success.  

“With an ever-more mobile and flexible workforce, it is crucial that businesses are able to rely on a telephone system that works hard for them and keeps everyone connected, whether they’re in or out of the office,” he said.

"Small and medium sized companies in particular can benefit from the system because it is easily scaled up and adapted as the business grows. And, if you need help or advice at any time, BT is unique in providing as standard a single point of contact to all BT Cloud Voice users via a Belfast based dedicated support team who can deal with everything from managing orders to providing ongoing support."     

BT Cloud Voice uses the latest IP communications technology to deliver reliable, high quality calls over the internet. The simple set up is managed through an online portal so businesses can manage their own requirements.  And should you want to advertise your business locally a virtual geographic number can allow potential customers to get in touch easily.

Paul added:  "This system provides all the call management features you’d expect from a traditional phone system and, in the unlikely event of a disaster, all you need to get your business up and running again quickly are the handsets and access to the internet."