1) Despite advances in technology, businesses still receive up to 80% of incoming communications via telephone. 2) Poor customer service costs businesses - 7 out of 10 consumers have ended relationships with companies due to poor service and 61% take their business to competitors. 3) Unanswered calls are costly - UK businesses lose £31.6 billion annually from unanswered calls and SMEs with 100 employees could be leaking £309,000 per year.

1. HOW MUCH ARE MISSED CALLS
COSTING YOUR BUSINESS?
Despite advances in technology, businesses still receive up to 80% of
their incoming communications via the telephone
2 %
ON AVERAGE, SME
EMPL O
YEES SPEND
7 OUT OF 10
consumers have ended their relationship
with a company due to poor customer service.
HOW MUCH ARE MISSED CALLS

2. HOW MUCH ARE 7 OUT MISSED OF 10
CALLS
COSTING YOUR BUSINESS?
HOW ON AVERAGE, MUCH SME
ARE MISSED CALLS
EMPLOYEES COSTING SPEND
YOUR BUSINESS?
77 OOUUTT OOFF 1100
consumers have ended their relationship
with a company due to poor customer service.
Despite advances in technology, businesses still receive up to 80% of
their incoming communications via the telephone
Despite advances in technology, businesses still receive up to 80% of
their incoming communications via the telephone
61%
2 %
2 %
of these consumers take their
business to a competitor instead
OF PEOPLE (NEARLY ALL OF US)
say poor phone skills leave a bad impression
PER WEEK DEALING WITH
COMPLAINTS BECAUSE
THEY CAN’T REACH
EMPLOYEES IN A TIMELY
MANNER
ON AVERAGE, SME
EMPLOYEES SPEND
77 OOUUTT OOFF 1100
consumers have ended their relationship
with a company due to poor customer service.
61%
ON AVERAGE, SME
EMPLOYEES SPEND
77 OOUUTT OOFF 1100
consumers have ended their relationship
with a company due to poor customer service.

3. 61%
61 PER WEEK DEALING WITH
COMPLAINTS BEACUSE
THEY CAN’T REACH
EMPLOYEES IN A TIMELY
MANNER of these consumers take their
of these consumers take their
business to a competitor instead
business to a competitor instead
PER WEEK DEALING WITH
COMPLAINTS BEACUSE
THEY CAN’T REACH
EMPLOYEES IN A TIMELY
MANNER
15 people 24 people
A recent YouGov survey shows a
WHOPPING
OF PEOPLE (NEARLY ALL OF US)
say poor phone skills leave a bad impression
83 %
OF PEOPLE (NEARLY ALL OF US)
say poor phone skills leave a bad impression
15 people 24 people
of people said they did not trust
overseas call centres
to keep personal data safe.
A recent YouGov survey shows a
WHOPPING
4 out of 5
83 %
A recent YouGov survey shows a
WHOPPING
83 %
4 out of 5
ON AVERAGE, CONSUMERS TELL
15 people
about good customer service
24 people
about bad experiences
of people said they did not trust
overseas call centres
to keep personal data safe.
ON AVERAGE, CONSUMERS TELL
of people said they did not trust
overseas call centres
to keep personal data safe.
ON AVERAGE, CONSUMERS TELL
15 people 24 people

4. a1b5o upt egooodp clues tomer service
experiences
15 people
about good customer service
experiences
OF MISSED CALLS
WILL NOT CALL BACK
OF MISSED CALLS
WILL NOT CALL BACK
OF MISSED CALLS
WILL NOT CALL BACK
%
%
%
of people will not leave a voicemail
and will hang up when confronted
with an automated system.
a2b4ou pt beaod epxlpeer iences
24 people
about bad experiences
! ! ! ! !
of people will not leave a voicemail
and will hang up when confronted
with an automated system.
! ! ! ! !
of people will not leave a voicemail
and will hang up when confronted
with an automated system.
! ! ! ! !
SME’S WITH 100 EMPLOYEES COULD BE LEAKING
SME’S WITH 100 EMPLOYEES COULD BE LEAKING
SME’S WITH 100 EMPLOYEES COULD BE LEAKING
£
£
£
£
£
£
%
4 out of 5
people say they have lost
their patience and hung up
when faced with a long call
centre queue.
£309,000
annually as a result of communication barriers and latency
£
£
£
£
£
£
%
44 oouutt ooff 55
people say they have lost
their patience and hung up
when faced with a long call
centre queue.
£309,000
annually as a result of communication barriers and latency
£
£
£
£
£
%
4 out of 5
people say they have lost
their patience and hung up
when faced with a long call
centre queue.
£309,000
annually as a result of communication barriers and latency

5. A T
£30,614
£30,614
ON AVERAGE NEW EMPLOYEES IN
SMES (1-250 WORKERS) TAKE
to reach optimum productivity
WHEREAS MICROBUSINESSES
(1-9 WORKERS) typically take a
shorter amount of time to reach
optimum productivity at just
LARGE FIRMS WITH OVER 250
WORKERS REACH OPTIMUM
PRODUCTIVITY AT
A T
ON AVERAGE NEW EMPLOYEES IN
SMES (1-250 WORKERS) TAKE
to reach optimum productivity
WHEREAS MICROBUSINESSES
(1-9 WORKERS) typically take a
shorter amount of time to reach
optimum productivity at just
LARGE FIRMS WITH OVER 250
WORKERS REACH OPTIMUM
PRODUCTIVITY AT
A T
ON AVERAGE NEW EMPLOYEES IN
SMES (1-250 WORKERS) TAKE
to reach optimum productivity
WHEREAS MICROBUSINESSES
(1-9 WORKERS) typically take a
shorter amount of time to reach
optimum productivity at just
LARGE FIRMS WITH OVER 250
WORKERS REACH OPTIMUM
PRODUCTIVITY AT

6. BUSINESSES WHO USE TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICES
have claimed as much as a
BUSINESSES WHO USE TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICES
50% have PRODUCTIVITY
claimed as much as a
50% PRODUCTIVITY
INCREASE
INCREASE
UK BUSINESSES ARE
LOSING UK £BUSINESSES 31.6 ARE
BILLION
LOSING £31.6 BILLION
each year because they fail to answer calls
each year because they fail to answer calls

7. £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
365
£ COMPANIES £ £ £ USING £ VIRTUAL £ ASSISTANTS
£ £ £ £
SAVE UP TO £12,000 A YEAR
COMPANIES USING VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS
SAVE UP TO £12,000 A YEAR
“The first impression you give to your customers is the
one that lasts the longest.”
“The first impression you give to your customers is the
one that lasts the longest.”
Answer-4u.com - comprehensive 24/7 Telephone Answering Services catering for every customer
requirement from sole traders to multi-national corporate companies, and everything in between.
Answer-4u.com - comprehensive 24/7 Telephone Answering Services catering for every customer
requirement from sole traders to multi-national corporate companies, and everything in between.
Sources:
http://www.numberstore.com/call-statistics.html
Siemens sponsored SIS international research study - http://www.tdsbusiness.com/Resources/white-pa-pers-
Sources:
top-5-communication-pain-points.pdf
http://www.numberstore.com/call-statistics.html
Siemens sponsored SIS international research study - http://www.tdsbusiness.com/Resources/white-pa-pers-
http://www.contact-centres.com/0312.rage.htm
Study from The Study Shop - http://www.pcnanswers.com/so-you-really-think-you-dont-need-an-answering-service/
http://www.myasd.com/post/1788589-using-statistics-to-grade-your-answering
http://top-www.5-communication-contact-centres.pain-com/points.0312.rage.pdf
htm
http://www.greenbook.org/marketing-research/small-midsize-business-communications-hidden-costs
http://www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/recruitment/it-costs-over-30k-to-replace-a-staff-member
http://www.streetdirectory.com/etoday/top-5-ways-a-virtual-assistant-can-save-you-money-wuweof.html
Vodafone Survey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc3_G9SGQ8w
http://www.contact-centres.com/0312.rage.htm
Study from The Study Shop - http://www.pcnanswers.com/so-you-really-think-you-dont-need-an-answering-service/
http://www.myasd.com/post/1788589-using-statistics-to-grade-your-answering
http://www.contact-centres.com/0312.rage.htm
http://www.greenbook.org/marketing-research/small-midsize-business-communications-hidden-costs
http://www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/recruitment/it-costs-over-30k-to-replace-a-staff-member
http://www.streetdirectory.com/etoday/top-5-ways-a-virtual-assistant-can-save-you-money-wuweof.html
Vodafone Survey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc3_G9SGQ8w