Call Center idea

[faye kerr]

Hello all

Please let me know your thoughts on the below idea!

I am thinking of starting a call center (hot line) service for plumbers and trades that don't have an office and are too busy to answer phone calls all day. I have worked in Gas call centers for a number of years and now after feedback from a few engineers and helping my brother start on his own, i think i might be on to something.

The service would offer either 12 or 24 hour support, calls would be diverted from the companies normal phone number and come straight to my office where i could handle the call professionally, then pass on the message or if diaries are known to me book an appointment.

would you use this ????

thanks

faye

 

[hammers4spanner]

Welcome,

And in all honesty no as I have answer phone on my mobile where they leave messages

 

[Dotty]

Welcome Faye.

Assume you'd be charging a monthly fee? Most of us either use answer phones or divert the phone home for our other halves to answer.

While I don't doubt your intentions there are also companies out there who claim to offer the same, or very similar services , have delivered chuff all and vanished over night.

So you'll have to excuse our scepticism.

And the name's either unfortunate and real or you're on a windup.

 

[faye kerr]

i understand its just an idea thanks for the feedback.

very unfortunate for me ..... my name is real and was born with it !!!

 

[julesverne]

Thers a similar offered through huddlebuy. Where charge a quid a call. Dont think its of any use to most tradesmen. Although i do notice if i cant get to the phone some wont leave a message and just move to the next plumber they can find. If you were doing this i wouldnt just limit it to plumbers.

 

[Dotty]

i understand its just an idea thanks for the feedback.

very unfortunate for me ..... my name is real and was born with it !!!

Ok Faye, sorry about the question there but it sounds as though you're used to it now. Have you ever thought of killing your parents?

I don't like bursting anyone's dreams kid, but I will always tell you the truth.

If your heart's truly in it, go for it as a back up to your existing job at first. Make it multi trade if that helps.

And be completely transparent with your business and pricing structure, as I said there are con artists out there pulling and offering similar schemes. Don't ask for a start up fee.

 

[SimonG]

My phone rings and if I can I answer it. If I miss it and they leave a message they get a call back. If I miss it and they don't leave a message, tough. Works for me.

 

[Rickster123]

I've been ignoring calls for years!

 

[mutley racers]

SimonG, was it you that paid to be advertised on radio? If so, how did it go

 

[TomLane]

Don't like the sound of this!

It may work for large companies but my customers prefer the personal one-to-one, cut out the middle man service they get from ringing an independent tradesman!

As already mentioned, if my phone rings I answer if I can, if not a message is left & I call back ASAP!

Yet more ways for tradesman to spend money unnecessarily in my opinion.

 

[SimonG]

SimonG, was it you that paid to be advertised on radio? If so, how did it go

It was, well remembered. It went poorly, very poorly. £100 for the month and not one single call. They spouted about continuing, but for zero return it wasn't worth the money. Even if I'd had half a dozen calls. But nothing.

I haven't even renewed my weekly advert in the local paper. So £90 a month better off on that front and busy. But it's nice busy, work booked in about a week and half to two weeks in advance. It's nice to get a call and be able to sort something quickly rather than having to work till daft o'clock at night or all weekend.

 

[mutley racers]

awesome, am glad things are going well for you. I guess you must have to be already quite a big branded company for the radio. I bet Bg do ok from it hey

 

[Jimbob]

I quite like the idea... Can't see many going for it though. If somebody doesn't want to leave an answer phone message, I prefer to wait for the next person who will.

Would you simply convert any calls to emails and send them to the trades people?

 

[REDSAW]

simply no!.

my cousin already runs a business that you are suggesting there so unfortunately you have not re-invented the wheel. 🙂

asonda.co.uk

 

[Mrs Tara Plumbi]

There are a number of companies who offer this service. you probably know this and need to think about how you will be different.
One thing to look at carefully is pricing structure and how you classify/ deal with the 20% of rubbish calls we get... sales people offering alternative telecom services, etc...

We have used this sort of service from 2 different providers in the past and would consider doing it again. I would compare you to the providers we have already used as we were happy with both of them.
I seem to recall they would txt & email details of each call.

Our callers really thought they had got through to a member of our staff in our office.