The Business Call Is Still an Essential Sales Tool.

International study reveals the enduring power of the telephone to businesses.

Support staff with mobileThe power of the business call

Finding Highlights.

AnswerConnect commissioned Arlington Research1 to conduct an independent study into the role of the telephone in modern business.

The study took responses from 400 professionals, including CEOs, decision-makers and senior managers of small, medium and large businesses. Respondents were evenly split between the UK and US and represented a range of industries.

Despite the diversity of respondents, the findings revealed some fascinating commonalities between departments, industries and countries.

A male business professional talking on the phone
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Some key findings:

  • 7 out of 10

    businesses agree the telephone
    is their best customer service tool.

    7 out of 10 people
  • 3 out of 4

    businesses agree the phone will continue to be an important customer service tool.

    3 out of 4 people
  • 3 out of 5

    employees juggle answering telephone calls with their other work.

    3 out of 5 people

How Much is a
Missed Call Worth?

Businesses are losing up to:

$1.6 million

in yearly revenue by missing 30%
of inbound phone calls.

missed call worth in dollars illustration

Hold Please.

Think back to last time you called a business. Did you hang up when you were left waiting on hold?

If you answered yes, then you are in the majority.

64%of callers hang up if they cannot speak to a person within 5 minutes of calling a business.

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Bots or humans?

  • receptionist icon

    4 out of 5 people
    prefer to speak with a human by phone, rather than a chatbot, email, or voice recording.

  • small business icon

    3 out of 4 small businesses
    rely on the telephone to create a personal rapport and solve customer problems.

  • active call icon

    2 out of 3 small business
    agree the telephone will continue to be an important sales tool in 5 years time.

Female receptionist taking calls

Time Well Spent?

  • Instant meetings

    Over half of senior managers
    spend more than 3.5 hours on the phone every day.

  • calender icon

    This equates to two working
    days each     week simply
    answering the phone.

  • headset icon

    8 out of 10 senior managers
    agree their business would benefit from a 24/7 answering service.

Industry Highlights.

  • IT professionals are spending too much time on the phone.

  • Phone is king for Real Estate.

  • Human connection is critical for Finance customers.

  • Telephone is still a powerful tool for eCommerce businesses.

Of the respondents from the IT industry:

  • 76%

    agree the phone is their best customer service tool.

  • 70%

    agree that customers will pay a premium to receive 24/7 top‑quality phone interactions.

  • 66%

    agree their work day would be more efficient if they had someone to answer their calls.

Of the respondents from the Real Estate industry:

  • 72%

    agree the phone helps to build rapport and their customers want to speak to a real person.

  • 60%

    spend over 3 hours answering calls every single day.

  • 72%

    agree the phone is their best sales tool.

Of the respondents from the Finance industry:

  • 79%

    agree customers want to speak to a real person over the phone.

  • 78%

    agree the phone is their best customer service tool.

  • 64%

    of finance professionals say they have to juggle answering telephone calls with other work.

Of the respondents from the E-Commerce industry:

  • 84%

    believe the telephone has value to their business.

  • 49%

    agree the telephone is their best sales tool.

  • 73%

    agree a 24/7 virtual telephone answering service would benefit their organization.

Industry Highlights.

  • IT professionals are spending too much time on the phone.

    Of the respondents from the IT industry:

    • 76%

      agree the phone is their best customer service tool.

    • 70%

      agree that customers will pay a premium to receive 24/7 top-quality phone interactions.

    • 66%

      agree their work day would be more efficient if they had someone to answer their calls.

  • Phone is king for Real Estate.

    Of the respondents from the Real Estate industry:

    • 72%

      agree the phone helps to build rapport and their customers want to speak to a real person.

    • 60%

      spend over 3 hours answering calls every single day.

    • 72%

      agree the phone is their best sales tool.

  • Human connection is critical for Finance customers.

    Of the respondents from the Finance industry:

    • 79%

      agree customers want to speak to a real person over the phone.

    • 78%

      agree the phone is their best customer service tool.

    • 64%

      of finance professionals say they have to juggle answering telephone calls with other work.

  • Telephone is still a powerful tool for eCommerce businesses.

    Of the respondents from the E-Commerce industry:

    • 84%

      believe the telephone has value to their business.

    • 49%

      agree the telephone is their best sales tool.

    • 73%

      agree a 24/7 virtual telephone answering service would benefit their organization.

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Summary.

The telephone remains at the core of business today; for sales, support and improving brand reputation. Yet businesses are regularly missing calls and leaving customers on hold.

Male receptionist taking calls
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How long do you spend answering calls?

Find out where you fall in the calls index.

Download the PDF
No one is too small to make a difference

Mindset

Carol Dweck

Our success is shaped not only by our talents or natural ability, but by our mindset. Personally or professionally, we have the power to make change happen.

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1400 online quantitative interviews conducted by independent market research agency, Arlington Research. 200 interviews were conducted in the US and 200 were conducted in the UK amongst business decision-makers for telephone technology to improve customer experience / customer sales within their organization. Organizations surveyed had 1 - 1000+ employees. Verticals for this research included IT, Real Estate, E-Commerce, Finance and Franchise (within Housing Services).