Meeting customer demand – virtually

I read with interest last Friday that 1 in 5 patients in the UK find it almost impossible to reach their GP reception desk on the phone (read the story here). Without naming and shaming my lovely GP, I’ve certainly been there and there is nothing more frustrating.

NHS grumbles aside – as a society, we increasingly want everything done yesterday, so it begs two questions: why are people waiting for something as simple as having a phone call answered and why are businesses, from your GP to your hairdresser, seemingly happy to keep customers waiting?

Is it simply that they can’t afford to hire a workforce to deal with the demand they have coming in?

Perhaps it’s about time that more businesses – private and public sector – embrace the idea of a virtual workforce. Here at Time Etc towers, we are confident that it is the future for many businesses. Not only does it save a large amount of time and money, but you have someone efficient at the end of the phone to avoid disgruntled customers, clients – or patients. In an age where technology offers so much, the inability to meet customer demand is now inexcusable.

We would urge all GP surgeries and businesses, who are struggling to take calls and keep customers happy, to  jump into the 21st century and think about operating a virtual appointment line/reception desk. We promise you it’s a win-win situation – some might say a virtual no-brainer.

Have a great week!
Ceri & the Time Etc team