Estate and Lettings Agents - Never Miss An Enquiry.
Even in the most difficult of times, people still want and/or need to find a home, whether that is to purchase or rent or even as an investment/buy-to-let.
As in any industry, but especially those that are customer-facing, customer service, satisfaction, choice and convenience is a high priority. However, customers seem to be demanding more and more of a service provider, often expecting them to be available to answer their queries or provide updates at the most unusual hours of the day/night. This can put an unexpected and often unnecessary strain on a business, both in terms of cost and pressure on their employees.
Recruitment also presents its own set of issues for many businesses. Finding people with the right experience, commitment to the role and a desire to provide a quality service can be difficult at the best of times.
More and more Estate Agencies are outsourcing administrative and reception tasks, including having an answering service in place to either provide support to their in-house staff and/or answering their calls outside of normal office hours. Not only does this provide their customers with exceptional customer service, it also gives their employees much needed support and saves them money by eliminating the need for additional employee hours.
Whether you are looking for a partner to provide support to your existing team or one who can answer all of your customers’ calls, The Call Answering Company can tailor a support package to suit your individual business needs.
The actions we currently take for our clients include:
Providing tailored support, up to 24-hours a day
Dealing appropriately with calls from people enquiring about properties for sale or to let
Directing calls to the correct department/contact in the business
Booking appointments for viewings
Taking call-out requests from tenants, including full details of the issue
Triaging call-out requests to determine which engineer/contractor is required
Liaising with out-of-hours support teams, i.e. engineers/contractors
Fielding calls from customers and tenants with non-urgent requests
The Call Answering Company provide a professional and rapid response to our Estate and Lettings Agency customers through our 24/7 virtual reception service, where we are experienced in handling the demands of this sector.
We provide the reassurance of:
Complete confidentiality
A hand-picked team of highly experienced virtual receptionists
The ability to manage busy periods
Unsocial hours support such as overnight, weekends, etc.
The flexibility to turn your support on or off as required
The ability to ensure your business works efficiently without distraction
A competitive edge within an industry where customer service is critical
Cost Comparison
This cost comparison is based on a client who runs a boutique hotel and for whom we provide a 24/7 Virtual Reception Service - answering overflow inbound calls received during office hours and all calls received outside of normal office hours, dealing with enquiries from prospective and existing guests and actioning appropriately.
Although the client has a 24/7 service, we provide overflow cover during normal office hours and full cover outside of office hours. The cost comparison below is therefore based only on the service provided outside of office hours.
Employee(s) Monday-Thursday 17:00-08:30 (each day) from 17:00 Friday to 08:30 Monday (incl.)
Average UK Annual Salary £22,000
Overheads - £11,000
holiday pay
maternity/paternity pay
overtime
employer’s NIC & pension contribution
cover for holidays, sickness, maternity and paternity leave
wasted/unproductive time (incl. breaks, socialising, sickness, etc.)
office space/rent/utilities
equipment, furniture & maintenance
software licences
supplies
training
Benefits
in-house staff
easier to supervise
other tasks can be undertaken
only working in your business
Productive Days
Average Weekdays per year = 261
Average Productive Days per year = 156
ANNUAL COST for 1 FTE
£33,000
(based on 40 hours per week)
NOTE: A minimum of 3x FTE will be required to cover the above hours
£99,000
Outsourced Virtual Reception Service Monday-Thursday 17:00-08:30 (each day) from 17:00 Friday to 08:30 Monday (incl.)
Average Annual Cost £4,317
Overheads - £0
None!
Benefits
No salary uplift for unsocial hours
Access to a whole team
Experienced call handlers
No downtime (leave/breaks)
No employer responsibility
Fully trained on your business
Calls answered in business name
For a fraction of the cost of in-house employees, you will have access to a team of experienced, friendly and professional call handlers, who will answer your calls as if they were part of your business.
Productive Days
Average Weekdays per year = 261
Average Productive Days per year = 261
TOTAL ANNUAL COST
£3,302
(including VAT)
Find out how we can save you money through our cost comparison tables
To discuss your business requirements, get in touch today!