Fun Mobile Phone Facts

Many businesses these days are run primarily on mobile phones. Naturally, this doesn't present a problem from a call answering perspective as we can just as easily transfer calls to a mobile device as to a landline. We can even send any messages to your mobile phone as a text message.

Here are a few fun facts about mobile phones:

• The first mobile phone call in the United Kingdom was made in 1985. Comedian Ernie Wise of Morecambe and Wise fame, called Vodafone's Newbury, Berkshire offices from London.
• There are more than 4 billion mobile phones in the world, and over 1 billion of those are smartphones.
• The most commonly number which is dialled accidentally by your mobile phone is in your pocket or bumping around your handbag, is 999. Not really surprising when you consider that most of us lock our phones so that's the only number they can call...but a bit annoying for the emergency services!
• Mobile phone internet use is expected to overtake desktop internet use by 2014. Already the majority of local internet searches are from a mobile phone.
• Need to bling up your iPhone? A British jeweller created the iPhone 4 'Diamond Rose' which features 500 diamonds with over 100 carats between them, including a 7.4 carat rose diamond on the home key. Not a phone you'd casually stick in your pocket, with a price tag of £5 million!
• New phobias have risen since mobile phones have appeared. Have you ever felt horribly uncomfortable just because you haven't got your mobile phone with you, it has run out of charge, or has no signal? There's a name for that - 'nomophobia'.

What A Receptionist Shouldn't Do

Your company's receptionist is usually the first point of call for clients old and new, so it is absolutely crucial that they know how to speak to clients on the phone so that they portray the appropriate image of your company. A friendly, cheerful and professional sounding receptionist gives the impression that your whole company is friendly, cheerful and professional.

It is very obvious when you are on the receiving end of a badly handled phonecall. Most of us will have experience of rude or grumpy receptionists, so I'm sure you know what you wouldn't want a receptionist representing you to do! Some examples we have experienced are:

• people only saying "Hello" when answering company calls instead of introducing themselves and the company - this leaves the caller feeling unsure that they dialled the right number, and it sounds very unprofessional.
• an abrupt receptionist gives the impression that their time is being wasted by answering the phone and does not give a welcoming feel to your company.
• telephone calls transferred without any warning - at best the client is left confused about what the receptionist is actually doing, and at worst they can think they have been disconnected and hang up.
• receptionists who don't ask your name before transferring the call and don't announce the call to the recipient. This is frustrating for the caller as they then have to explain themselves again.

Our virtual receptionists not only answer calls promptly, we use the same company spiel you prefer (E.g."Good morning, [Company name], [receptionist's name] speaking, how can I help?") and represent your company to the highest standard. Calls can be transferred easily, just as if we were in your office with you, and we always try to take a thorough message so you know what people were calling for before you call back. Customer service is paramount, so let us know what you need; our service is totally flexible.

Speed Of Call Answering

Many people think that the first step to effective call answering is to pick up that phone as quickly as possible. It's not! It may come as a surprise, but if you think it through, it makes sense; people just don't expect their call to be answered that quickly. You may be ready to answer as soon as you hear the phone ring, but callers expect it to ring a couple of times before anyone picks up. Before two rings have passed, they are probably distracted, or even finishing off something that they were doing before they picked up the call. You don't want to start the call off with the caller feeling like they were caught out, so give them a chance to ready themselves.

Waiting for at least two rings also gives you the opportunity to prepare yourself. Cast an eye at the clock so you know whether you should be saying "good morning" or "good afternoon", remind yourself of the appropriate greeting spiel, and smile. Then you are ready to pick up the phone!

Answering too quick risks an unprepared caller, but take too long and you risk losing the call altogether. Generally speaking you should aim to answer before 6 rings have passed. Some very impatient callers may hang up before that, but most will wait at least that long. Not many will wait much longer.

Businesses in Multiple Locations

Businesses based in multiple locations are becoming very common these days; more so when you consider that more and more staff are able to work primarily from home. In these situations, deciding which location should receive the telephone calls can be a challenge, especially if there are few people at each location. Once you have answered the call, dealing with it when the ideal recipient is miles away can in practice mean taking a message and offering to ask the right person to ring the caller back.

These call answering woes can easily be remedied with a virtual reception. Our Zoomettes can easily act as a centralised reception service, ensuring calls are answered promptly even during busy periods, and calls can be transferred to the right person wherever they are based. We will answer the call just as if we were in the same building as you, and even if you are working from home, or out on the road, the call can be transferred seamlessly, giving the impression that you too are right there in the office! Message handling is also easier to keep track of, with all messages sent instantly via email, SMS or fax directly to the relevant person. Don't let multiple locations stop you from having a professional reception service.