Case Study: 1st Resource and the 2CanCall system
With many years’ experience in the telecoms and customer management sectors, Abigail Udenze and her business partner were looking for ways to expand their Leeds-based business, a successful healthcare recruitment company. Abigail’s partner’s background was in healthcare so it was decided that she would focus her efforts on the existing side of the company. Meanwhile Abigail would drive expansion by launching 1st Resource, a virtual contact centre where a team of dedicated professionals would be trained to the highest level to provide telephone answering and customer services management to clients.
Established in January 2007, 1st Resource took on its first major client in the same month, providing call answering and monitoring services for an FE college in London. Business has grown from here and the company now looks after a diverse range of clients including many from the public sector who demand high levels of reporting and call tracking.
From the outset, Abigail had very high standards ensuring that all staff were fully trained to provide prompt, courteous and professional call handling services. She also knew that she needed a telecoms system in place which would be cost-effective and have the ability to integrate telephone and data, using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to allow for accurate and effective reporting to clients.
Vice President of the Federation of Small Business (FSB) in Leeds, Abigail was flicking through an FSB publication when she came across an advert for a Voice over IP telephone system from Manchester-based company Computerised Business Systems (CBS). Interested to find out more about their offering, she contacted the company along with several other providers to see what they could offer.
“What stood out straight away was CBS’s approach to customer service,” says Abigail. “This was a new area for me and while other providers tried to sell me their systems over the phone, CBS sent someone over to Leeds to learn more about my plans for the business, assess our new premises and advise on the type of system most suited to our need. This personal approach was invaluable and they really took their time to explain their system to me and how it would work for my business.”
The system developed by CBS, 2CanCall, is an IP telephone system which include vTiger web-based CRM software as standard. This provides a database platform for 1st Resource, offering a range of different features. The system comprises of a PBX Unit and an initial four Elmeg IP290 handsets and, with no limits on the number of extensions, the business can expand at any time simply by adding more handsets.
“We only have four actual incoming lines yet are able to take up to 24 calls at any given time because of the way the system allows us to hold and monitor calls,” explains Abigail. “The PBX is configured to handle calls on an exclusive basis so we know which client the incoming call is for and whether they have connected immediately or are waiting in our holding system, and for how long.
“Another great benefit is that all incoming calls can be routed seamlessly to our clients without any disruption to the caller. This is done through their broadband connection which means considerable savings,” explains Abigail.
Indeed, the cost saving element of the 2CanCall system is another reason why it was the system of choice for 1st Resource. Compatible with conventional telephone exchanges, it also uses ‘voice over internet protocol’ or VoIP technology which utilises the broadband network to carry voice calls. Incredibly while eight out of every 10 internet connections are now broadband, only one in 10 internet users use VoIP to make free or cheap calls. In this respect the UK lags far behind the rest of Europe, notably France, where around 40% of all telephony uses VoIP.
“As well as cutting our phone bills considerably, this system is ideal for a growing business such as 1st Resource,” says Abigail. “We can produce accurate summary reports for all our clients at the click of a button, use the same telephone numbers from different locations simply by plugging into any broadband connection and expand the system at no additional cost.”
Furthermore, 1st Resource is now using the 2CanCall system to provide a telephone line service for start up businesses, yet another new offering from what is a dynamic small company with a rapidly expanding service portfolio.
“As well as providing us with a great product that allows us to run an effective and professional business, the on-going support and level of customer service we get from CBS is second to none,” says Abigail. “By installing this system we have not only made considerable cost savings, we have also made our jobs so much easier and are able to offer our clients the highest level of service possible which is why we are enjoying lots of repeat business as well as new business from client recommendations.”
For further information on 1st Resource, visit http://www.1stresource.co.uk or call 0113 322 0580
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