Tag: Call management system for small businesses

What is BYOD and how small businesses can benefit

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What is a BYOD policy? 

BYOD stands for ‘bring your own device’ whereby employees are permitted to bring/use their own personal devices for work such as phones and laptops. Many businesses are adopting this option for employees due to its countless benefits. A BYOD policy is particularly relevant in the current professional climate as employers continue navigating flexible working. Such policies play a key role in supporting hybrid working due to benefits like cost savings and increased productivity. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the key benefits BYOD offers to small businesses and how you can implement them.

 

Cost savings

The biggest benefit of a BYOD policy is cost savings which is especially important for growing small businesses. It’s estimated UK SMEs spend upwards of £2000 per year to purchase business phones for employees [1]. This doesn’t include the additional costs to maintain, replace or upgrade devices for employees. For a growing business, it’s important to evaluate your spending and ensure your budgets are optimised to accommodate developing areas. Opting for a BYOD policy can save you a great deal in the long term as most employees have their own devices that can be used for work.

 

Increased productivity

Another perk of employees bringing their own devices is that they’re already familiar with the device. This can increase efficiency and productivity as it eliminates the need for training and time spent looking up how to do specific tasks using those devices.

 

Increased mobility

It can be a hassle to carry around two phones and remember to charge both so allowing employees to use their own helps to facilitate flexible/hybrid working policies. Since the devices are the employees’ own, they’re able to freely work from anywhere whether it be at home, remotely or even going into the office.

However, there are also concerns to implementing a BYOD policy that should be taken into account. Perhaps the biggest concern for businesses is privacy and security of company data. As employees are using their own phones which go with them everywhere, it can increase the risk of loss/sensitive company data being accessed by someone outside of the organisation. 

Additionally, employees are unlikely to have the same level of anti-malware software as that of business devices which increases the risk of data breaches. To overcome this, businesses should invest in cloud technologies which facilitate secure remote storage of data over a network of servers that operate using the internet. This means that if anything happens to the device, the data remains untouched as you’re able to ensure robust security on the cloud servers you use. Employers can also include training for employees on safe usage. As employees may be working from anywhere, it’s important to make sure they are educated on the risks of accessing work programs and data in public spaces where wifi connections aren’t secure. 

 

Employees may also struggle with work life balance if using their own devices for work as it opens them up to receiving/seeing work notifications after hours. It can be tempting for employees to give the email or message they received a ‘quick look’ when it pops up but this can lead to a cycle of letting work bleed through into personal lives and lead to an overall lower productivity level during work hours and possibly even a burnout.

 

The ideal solution is to invest in cloud business phone systems. A great one to check out is Devyce – designed for SMEs. Devyce brings simplicity and security to your business phone experience while also providing you a perfect balance between work and personal at the switch of a ‘Do Not Disturb’ button. This means you can set your business hours and ensure you don’t receive notifications outside of those hours, solving the problem of impaired work life balance resulting from BYOD policies. 

Get started building your BYOD policy with the Devyce virtual business phone system over on: https://devyce.com/teams-plan/

 

References: 

[1]

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/08/uk-sme-businesses-spend-2052-a-year-on-telecom-services.html

5 Common Customer Service Horror Stories and How to Avoid Them

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How much is poor customer service costing your business each year? UK businesses lose up to £37 billion a year [1] as a result of inefficient customer service yet it isn’t always a high priority improvement area for businesses. 

Contact centres are still the go to channel for consumer queries despite the rise in emergence of other consumer communication channels with businesses such as chatbots, forums and email. This is due to the desire of consumers for quick resolutions of their problem. 

The reality for many contact centres is the opposite due to poor organisation of procedures and use of outdated business phone technology. So how can investing in the right technology improve your customer service experience? We’ve gathered 5 of the most common customer service hurdles faced by consumers when contacting businesses and evaluated how tech can make the process less painful for both your team and customers. 

 

           1. Call transfer loops

We’ve all been there – you have a query, you call customer service and the agent you speak to is unable to help so you are transferred to another who should be better equipped to help. After a long wait and finally getting through, you need to repeat yourself to this new agent who seemingly has no information about your query. Then you’re met with another dreaded transfer as they’re unfortunately also unable to help you – the nightmare of a call transfer loop. 

Being shuttled between service departments is the biggest frustration faced by customers. The root of the problem is inefficient call routing to relevant departments. Without proper routing technology, customers end up being bounced from agent to agent as your team looks for the right person to help. 

Business phone systems like Devyce allow you to set up an auto attendant which automates the routing process to ensure your customer calls are being directed to the right person/department so they are able to promptly get assistance. 

 

           2. Slow responses and lengthy wait times

Since the pandemic, 48% of customers say their expectations for customer service standards have risen [2], with focus on it being quick and efficient. No one likes to be kept waiting on hold or worse, calling customer service and not being able to get through with no one following up on their call. 

To decrease customer wait times and avoid missing their calls, ensure your business phone system allows call forwarding so that at any point if a member of the team is unavailable to pick up, the call can be directed to a line that is free.

 

           3. Repeating information to different support staff 

Often customers may reach out across multiple platforms so it’s important to ensure consistency of information across all channels. It not only provides a more seamless customer experience, it saves both parties time as it decreases wait time while support agents look for the relevant information. 

CRM platforms integrated with your business phone system helps to achieve this so you can assign support tickets to customer contact details. This is also great for providing a great omnichannel customer service experience as any member of the support team can quickly access the support thread of a specific customer across different platforms. 

 

           4. Unfriendly customer service

85% of customers have reported they will avoid repurchasing with companies where they’ve experienced poor customer service [3]. Customers who have bad experiences are also likely to leave negative reviews and a reputation for bad customer service will impact acquisition. 9 out of 10 consumers read reviews before making a purchase which greatly affects the buyer’s decision.

 

With features like recorded calls and call listening allowing other team members to listen in on your customer calls, Devyce can help you regularly improve the customer experience by analysing and utilising previous calls to train your team. You can also utilise CRM integrations to collect feedback such as sending out quick surveys which will help with optimisation of your customer service operations. 

 

           5. None to little after sales follow up 

The customer journey doesn’t end after a sale is made. The aftercare customers receive greatly impacts customer retention. Increasing retention rates by 5% can increase profits by between 25-95% [4]! Often a simple follow up email or call following a customer support request can make a great difference to the overall customer experience rating and lead to formation of long term consumer relationships which increase customer lifetime value.

By making the switch to a modern business phone system, you can build a better tech stack to help you better structure your customer service team and operations. 54% of customers feel that customer service is only an after thought for companies [2] and improving customer service often costs a company less than acquisition therefore companies shouldn’t neglect investing in tech for customer service teams. 

Start streamlining your customer service operations and improving customer experience today by checking out our Teams plan!

Are you curious to find out more and like the idea of a discount to get you started? Drop us your email here!

References:

[1] https://www.smart-pa.com/uk/blog/how-much-does-bad-customer-service-cost-your-business

[2] https://cx-trends-report-2022.zendesk.com/challenges

[3] https://www.revechat.com/blog/customer-service-problems/

[4] https://media.bain.com/Images/BB_Prescription_cutting_costs.pdf

5 Emerging tech trends for 2023

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The tech industry grows exponentially every year and 2022 was no different. This year we’ve seen exciting tech trends like cloud computing and decision intelligence grow. 

So as the year draws to a close, we thought it’d be interesting to take a look at some of the emerging tech trends for 2023. 

  

1. Industry Cloud Platforms 

Cloud computing has definitely boomed with the huge emergence of SaaS and is set to continue developing as the demand for cloud computing increases. 

So what are industry cloud platforms? 

They are essentially an all inclusive platform with various cloud applications that users within a business are able to adapt to specific industry needs [1]. While cloud applications usually provide a few business solutions, an industry cloud platform encompasses all cloud applications that are useful to a business. 

This emerging trend is beneficial for businesses as the adaptable nature of the cloud platform accelerates the adoption of cloud technology. While 94% of enterprises already use cloud computing [2], implementing their use is still slow. This is due to various reasons including: too much choice/information to sift through when deciding between offerings, large variations in price points and hard to use applications. 

That’s why at Devyce, we’ve made our solution super simple for you! We provide the hybrid business phone system for the future of work so you can have two numbers on your phone – all on one handy app. Signing up only takes seconds! Don’t believe us? See for yourself over on Devyce 😏

 

2. Super apps

Much like industry cloud platforms, super apps are “like Swiss army knives with many tools that serve a purpose” [3]. These are apps with multiple “mini apps” within that can be added or removed per the user’s needs.

Super apps are developing to encompass commonly used app services such as messaging and financing apps all in one place, allowing individual users to tailor their user experience. They will also have applications in business as the technology develops to include enterprise mobile and desktop experiences [3]. 

The technology is still fairly new but is expected to grow in 2023 so we are excited to see where it will take us and businesses! 

 

3. Adaptive AI

Traditional AI technologies have been widely applied to industries to automate decision making by utilising advanced analysis and logic based techniques [4]. However traditional AI systems need to be programmed to update their processes when there are new insights and developments to its application. Adaptive AI eliminates this as it absorbs learning as it’s being built [4]. 

The pandemic had highlighted to many that flexibility and fast adaptability are crucial to businesses. Adaptive AI technology aims to provide this flexibility to companies as it is constantly learning and updating their models therefore making companies more resilient to unexpected changes in industry. 

Implementation of adaptive AI technologies is set to increase in 2023 as the technology develops and will greatly improve responses to real world changes as well as broaden decision making processes. 

 

4. Wireless Value Realisation 

This trend is all about integration of various wireless technologies to create a more reliable and cost efficient tech foundation for businesses [5]. Gartner expects that by 2025, 50% of enterprises will be using networking services that provide value further than communications [6]. 

The development of 5G is transforming how technologies work together to solve problems and improve existing models as it increases speed of connectivity and access to data in real time. As we continue into 2023, it’s expected that the use of wireless technology will go beyond connectivity and offer wider innovative value. 

 

5. Sustainability 

Green technology has risen to the top of priority lists for many enterprises and many look to develop more sustainable tech frameworks within the business [6]. Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in a company’s environmental and social governance as it becomes a leading factor in consumer decision making. This is pushing companies to revise their energy and material efficiency of IT services. 

 

Businesses have been using technologies such as AI, automation, advanced analytics and cloud services to reduce their environmental impact as well as provide consumers with the tools to track their efforts towards their sustainability goals. This trend will continue to grow and by 2025, Gartner predicts that 50% of CIOs will have performance metrics tied to their IT sustainability within the organisation [6]. 

 

If you’re looking for ways to improve your company’s sustainability efforts, have you considered the impact of what having a work phone does for your carbon emissions? 

Devyce can help you to reduce your carbon footprint from phones by providing you two phone numbers on your personal phone so you can eliminate the work phone! Find out more about how Devyce works here

So that rounds up some of the emerging trends in the tech industry for the coming year! Are you as excited as we are for the growth and development of these trends? Head over to our socials to share your thoughts! 

 

Reference articles: 

[1] https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/what-are-industry-cloud-platforms

[2] https://webtribunal.net/blog/cloud-adoption-statistics/#gref

[3] https://www.gartner.co.uk/en/articles/what-is-a-superapp

[4] https://www.gartner.com/en/topics/artificial-intelligence

[5] https://shapeitrecruitment.co.uk/gartners-top-strategic-tech-trends-for-2023/

[6] https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2022/10/19/gartners-top-10-strategic-tech-trends-for-2023/?sh=105420514cb4

How you can leverage technology to reduce pressure on customer support teams

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The demand for customer support has increased greatly over the years, putting pressure on companies to meet consumer demands. However, many businesses struggle to keep up due to lack of resources and evolving landscapes for customer support teams. 

In a survey carried out by Intercom [1], it was found that the top challenges faced by customer support teams are:

  1. Poor workflow efficiency
  2. Attracting and retaining quality staff
  3. Inefficient handling of customer queries

Support teams can leverage technological advances to optimise their way of working in order to adapt to growing demands. Here are a few ways you could utilise tech to alleviate the pressures your customer support teams face:

 

        1. Use a phone system that supports remote work 

Customer support teams have reduced in size due to the pandemic resulting in increased pressure on staff. Team leads have also faced difficulties attracting and retaining staff due to large scale burnout. 

To overcome this and adapt to the changing landscapes of work, support team leads should look into investing in phone systems that support remote working like Devyce. 

With the Teams Plan on Devyce, you can provide your employees with two numbers on their phones allowing them to work from anywhere meaning employees can prioritise their wellbeing. This will also enable hiring of talent remotely – an attraction point in hiring which could lead to increased retention of staff. 

 

        2. Use a phone system that facilitates call groups and forwarding

Customer expectations have grown and only 24% of support teams surveyed stated they were confident they could meet them [1]. Often customer queries can’t be answered by the first person they get in contact with. The biggest challenge here is transferring calls to the right person on the team in a timely manner.  

To improve the efficiency of your customer support service, look out for phone systems with features to aid your customer’s journey. For example, on Devyce’s Teams Plan you are able to set up an auto attendant which filters inbound calls to the relevant call groups, streamlining the workflow and minimising wait and transfer times. 

        3. Utilise CRM and analytic software with your phone system

Poor workflow management is a key reason for staff burn out. To optimise, team leads need to regularly revise operations by setting up and tracking call metrics. This is hard to do on traditional phone systems so companies should explore newer phone systems. At Devyce, we offer a Teams Management Portal – a platform to view call analytics, allowing optimisation of workflow to meet goals. 

The Teams Plan also offers integrations with CRM softwares like Hubspot so you can manage your customer’s journeys. Creating an integrated tech stack improves workflow efficiency as it reduces the need for switching between softwares and ensures all team members can quickly access relevant data to handle customer queries. 

 

Leveraging tech to optimise your support service strategy is the key difference between companies that exceed customer expectations and those that fall behind due to not having the infrastructure to handle the growing demands. Help your team flourish today by embracing innovative advances in technology with Devyce. 

 

References:

[1] https://www.intercom.com/resources/books/customer-support-trends-emea-2022

 

Impact of rising living costs on SMEs

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SME business owners are going through it this year. 

They’ve been hit with various economic factors fueled by the pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This is leaving a steady trail of small businesses closing down as the pressures they face become insurmountable. 

So exactly what pressures are businesses facing and how can they stay afloat throughout a storm that appears to have no end in sight? We’ve pulled together a few tips for SMEs:

 

Rise of living costs:

Inflation is forecasted to peak at 13% in Q4 2022 and was at its highest rate since 1982 this July at 10.1% [1]. The soar in living costs has various impacts on SMEs:

  • Decrease in consumption, especially of non-essential products/services 
  • Raises in price of products/services heightens competition possibly leading to lowered customer retention 
  • Overhead expenses to be cut eg. lowered budgets for marketing etc
  • Pressure for increasing employee salaries 

SMEs will need to internally audit and re-calculate their operations and budgets to tackle this. You’d be surprised how many unexpected costs could be cut down with simple solutions. An example of this is telecommunications costs. 

Many businesses still operate their customer support via traditional landline phone systems requiring contracts with carriers. As these contracts come to an end and with inflation at an all-time high, SMEs are faced with big telecommunications bills for the coming years. To cut down on these costs, switching to a VoIP phone system like Devyce will be beneficial.

Devyce is a hybrid phone system that provides two numbers on your phone. This means businesses won’t need to invest in physical landlines or providing handsets to employees while still operating with a reliable phone system. 

 

Energy crisis:

The price cap of energy costs is set to increase to 80% in October 2022 resulting in an increase of roughly £1600 per year for “typical” consumption levels of energy per household [2]. What does this mean for SMEs?

  • Providers are removing lower cost tariffs 
  • Pressure to reduce essential costs to accommodate which have negative long term effects 
  • Closures of physical locations 

Ways to overcome the spike in energy costs is to invest in sustainability and adopt greener practices. For example, with an abundance of reliable communications tools available such as Devyce, many businesses could look into adopting remote working models to cut down on use of office space. This saves businesses money, reduces impact on the environment due to reduced commuting of employees and use of energy at offices. 

For more sustainable solutions that could save your business on massive energy costs, check out our blog post:

Five unexpected ways businesses can be more sustainable 

Supply chain issues:

The supply chain problem is a cycle of poor management of logistics both internally and externally for businesses. The challenges with supply chain logistics are partly due to less staff resulting from the pandemic and is expected to continue into 2023 [3].

 

This has resulted in:

  • 79% of SMEs facing increased prices from suppliers over the past 6 months [4]
  • Major delays in exporting of goods leading to long wait times for customers to receive goods, affecting customer experience
  • Exacerbation of inflation leading to increased competition between businesses

What SMEs could do to minimise the effect is firstly to internally audit their processes eg. stock intake and maintenance etc. By optimising these processes, SMEs can mitigate the supply chain challenge by ensuring they can plan well for stock replenishment. Business owners could also look into working with more local suppliers which are more likely to be able to deliver with minimal disruptions. 

The past couple of years have undoubtedly been tough on small businesses. The differences between businesses that are able to continue trading and those that are forced to close are flexible businesses making necessary adaptations to face the piling challenges. Make a smart business decision and find out more about how Devyce could help you cut costs and tackle these challenges here:

References:

[1] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9428/

[2] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9491/#:~:text=The%20energy%20price%20cap%20increased,consumption%20paid%20by%20direct%20debit.

[3] https://www.resilinc.com/in-the-news/supply-chain-delays-will-spread-well-into-2022-and-possibly-2023/#:~:text=Supply%20Chain%20Delays%20Will%20Spread%20Well%20Into%202022%20and%20Possibly%202023,-Sep%2002%2C%202021&text=According%20to%20an%20analysis%20by,the%20overstrain%20in%20transportation%20systems.

[4]https://startups.co.uk/news/supply-chain-inflation-uk-smes/

10 Reasons Why Customers Choose Devyce

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What are the reasons our customers choose Devyce you ask? 

Here are the top ten reasons why our happy customers chose us and what you could benefit from by switching to Devyce for your small business:

  • Improve efficiency

We know the feelings. Carrying around two phones can get frustrating. Then getting confused which phone to use for a call and accidentally using your personal phone to call a client. Also feeling irritated from having to switch between Apple and Android systems if your work phone is not a system you are particularly used to. So inefficient right?

Devyce solves this problem by providing you two numbers on your phone. 

Your Devyce phone number is stored in the cloud and phone calls/texts are sent over the internet instead of traditional phone lines which means you can have an additional operating number on your phone.

  • Save money with affordable pricing

We help our customers cut down on a costly business expense by removing the need for a work phone. With Devyce, you don’t need to sign up for expensive handsets and contracts for your employees as they can bring their own device. 

Our pricing plans (hyperlink to price page) are simple, affordable and transparent. No hidden fees, no lengthy contracts that are hard to get out of and an easy sign-up process. Within minutes you’d have an operating UK number ready. Save time and money for your business so you can focus on the more important things. 

  • Improve Sustainability

While saving money and time for your business, why not contribute to saving the planet as well? Deloitte global predicts that around 146 million tonnes of CO2 or equivalent emissions will be generated from smartphones in 2022 and 83% of these emissions comes from the manufacturing, shipping and first year usage [1]. 

It’s estimated that 910kg of CO2 is generated per employee working in offices each year [2] and the use of a work phone contributes to this figure. Using Devyce decreases your yearly in office carbon footprint, helping to promote more sustainable practices within SMEs.

  • Fast and reliable

Our customers are always able to receive those essential business calls wherever they are. 

Devyce works by facilitating calls and texts over the internet. This means all you need is a strong internet connection either over wifi or 4G/5G. 

Advancements in internet access technology means staying connected wherever you are, has become increasingly easy. You’ll rarely have to worry about downtime which can happen more often with traditional phone line services. Never miss business calls again with Devyce. 

  • Improve work life balance

It can be difficult to switch off from the workday when your work phone is still pinging or maybe even still getting calls. Many people find it hard to resist looking at their work phone out of work hours “just in case” there is something important that has popped up. From there it can be easy to fall into the rabbit hole of responding to work notifications well past business hours. 

Devyce have helped our customers improve their work life balance with a single button. We have a handy ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature where you can set the business hours after which you won’t receive notifications. 

  • Work from anywhere 

Take your Devyce anywhere… and we mean, anywhere in the world. Over 50% of our customers currently use Devyce abroad. Whether you are travelling for business or working remotely abroad, you can keep your UK phone number operating from there while also saving your business money on roaming costs. 

If you have a phone number attached to your business that you’d like to keep using while abroad, you can easily port your number to us (if you need help with this, contact us here: https://devyce.com/contact-us/). All of this means you can facilitate remote working for your business and even hire globally, further saving you money from lack of need for office space. 

  • Easily manage your teams

It can be tricky to stay on top of your team’s client call activity with a remote or hybrid based working model. For rapidly growing businesses, you might also struggle with managing a fast-growing team. Devyce makes this easier by providing team leaders with access to a Team’s Management Portal on our Teams Plan (hyperlink to pricing page)

From the portal you can quickly allocate/de-allocate numbers and create call forwarding pathways or groups within your team. This means you can easily keep numbers operating while an employee is away and quickly route client calls to the right person, allowing you to create a seamless customer service experience for your business. 

  • Monitor the performance of your calls

Get access to a variety of key metrics like in/outbound call durations to monitor your performance as well as analysis tools. These can be easily navigated on the Team’s Management Portal and allows you to keep track of how well your business calls are performing, optimise your calls to drive KPIs and achieve those all-important business goals. 

  • Streamline your customer relationship management

Ensure that all your customers are taken care of by integrating a CRM platform like Hubspot with the Devyce Team’s Management Portal. This allows you to stay on top of individual customer queries and makes sure you never miss business calls. It also allows your team to have access to customer query logs so that any member of your team can quickly provide help. Streamlining your customer support flow is crucial to any growing business and Devyce helps you take that extra step for your customers. 

  • Flexible scalability

Whether you are growing or taking a step back before the next stage in your business, you can easily activate/deactivate numbers on your network to grow (or downsize) your Teams Plan. Our affordable price point also makes it easy for you to scale the usage to your businesses’ needs whether you are just starting out or already a medium sized enterprise, Devyce is flexible. 

To quote The Sound of Music: 🎵These are a few of (ours & our customers’) favourite things about Devyce. Our customers have thrived from using Devyce and we’re pretty sure your business will benefit too 😉 

If these 10 reasons aren’t quite enough to convince you yet and would prefer to see Devyce in action before you commit, that’s no problem! It’s super easy to book a demo with us here https://devyce.com/demo/ 

 

References:

[1] https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/insights/industry/technology/technology-media-and-telecom-predictions/2022/environmental-impact-smartphones.html

[2] https://observablehq.com/@mrchrisadams/how-do-i-work-out-the-carbon-footprint-of-providing-space-to-w

The Most Important Things Start-Ups Should Invest in Early

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When starting a business, you’ll undoubtedly have a million things to do, whether it be product development or fundraising. So, what do business owners need to prioritise for maximal growth? Truth is, there isn’t one area that should be prioritised more than another. This means it can get difficult to manage if internal processes aren’t optimised. 

 

Around 20% of businesses are dissolved in the first year according to research carried out by Fundsquire [1]. The reasons for startup failure could be one of many including: getting outcompeted, hiring the wrong people or burnout. 

To help better manage your business and avoid startup failure, owners should look to invest early into these things:

 

  1. Scalable Tech Solutions 

Whether it be long processes like data logging or physical equipment like work phones, there are almost definitely tech alternatives available that will make your life easier as a business owner. 

An example is Devyce – a modern business phone system.We provide you with two numbers on your phone through an app so you can affordably make business calls without having to commit to a lengthy contract with a phone provider. 

Devyce also offers a Teams Plan to provide your employees with business numbers and you have access to a Teams Management Portal where you can view call analytics and manage employee inbound/outbound calls. The Teams plan is scalable to your business needs and growth so it will save you money in the long run, allowing you to allocate more budgets to other departments such as Marketing. 

 

Check out our Teams Plan for your business here: 

 

  1. Marketing

So, getting Devyce has saved you a lot of money on the telecommunications side. Now what do you invest in? Marketing! 

Many businesses underrate the importance of marketing, especially in the early stages. An important component of marketing is customer relationship management. While many businesses’ marketing efforts are directed towards top of the funnel objectives and getting those sales, the actual relationship a business has with its customers is widely neglected. 

It can get difficult to stay on top of all your customers’ journeys without a system to collate all the information. To ensure you foster and maintain beneficial relationships with your customers, business owners should look to utilise CRM platforms like Hubspot. This will encourage more positive reviews to be generated for your business, further helping as 90% of consumers rely on reviews when making a purchase decision [2].  

You can also integrate your CRM system with Devyce to keep track of your client calls and the follow up! 

 

  1. Your Team

The people you choose to work with can be the make-or-break factor for your business. It’s important that you take the time to hire the right people to deliver on your long-term business goals. Not only will you need to hire the right people, but you will also need to invest time into their development as your business grows. 

However, the pandemic has changed the way we work, and many businesses need to hire remotely. This has many advantages for business owners including saving money due to lack of need for office space. Although, it can be challenging as business owners will need to find ways to seamlessly integrate new hires into the company from afar. 

Here’s how Devyce can help; our plans are easy to sign up to and within minutes you can assign business numbers to your employees. With Devyce your employees can work from anywhere in the world and the app is easily accessible on any smartphone – just download it from your app store! 

 

Find out how else your business can benefit from switching to Devyce here.

References:

[1] https://fundsquire.co.uk/startup-statistics/

[2] https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/online-review-stats/

The strain placed on businesses that provide a work phone

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It’s time to stop carrying two separate phones and avoid using your personal number at work. 

Did you know that issuing a work phone and allowing personal numbers to be used can place strain on three focal areas of your business, its economic prosperity, the environment, and your employee’s well-being. Here’s how…

 

  • The economic prosperity of your business

Giving out a work phone is uneconomical. Especially when the majority already have a perfectly usable phone that they can just simply port a new number into.

An iPhone’s price can range from £300-900, that’s a large expense for any business. Considering also that this investment may only last a few years due to the constant upgrades and technology advancements.

 

As we are slowly transitioning back to normal life after COVID-19, business travel will inevitably continue to increase, and that alongside BREXIT means one thing… increased roaming charges when you send your employees abroad! 

Productivity. A new buzzword. Productivity is vital for a company’s profitability and ultimately its long-term success. But how are businesses tracking your productivity on a personal device? The answer is that they are struggling, as 40% of managers struggle to monitor performance, placing strain on businesses [1]. But by porting a second number onto an existing device, using Devyce, you can improve your business’s productivity and communication through the management portal. The portal allows transparent reporting of your employee’s data, so you can get the most out of every employee and know when to reward them or promote those that are excelling. 

Teams Plan – Devyce 

  • Your Employees

Using a personal number at work is accentuating the ‘always on’ mentality because you can still receive calls ‘after-hours’ to your main phone number, meaning you are always on the clock. This leaves your employee’s work-life balance far from balanced. This can lead to an array of negative effects, highlighted in a US Research study that found receiving messages after working hours increases negative emotions, stress and insomnia [2]. As well as excessive smartphone use affects your cognitive and learning skills. Ultimately leading to employee ‘burnout’; a recent study found that 77% of American workers have experienced [3].

A solution: It has been found that using your personal phone, with a second number, can rebalance your work-life and relieve the above effects as it is easy to clearly differentiate between work and personal calls.

Do Not Disturb Feature

Without this clear differentiation, all calls look the same, whether a personal or a work-related call. This means you don’t always know how to respond when answering the phone, which can leave employees feeling that they’re always on.

  • The Environment

Sustainability is a fundamental area to consider in your business today due to its importance for investors, employees and consumers. However, smartphones are a large contributor to the carbon footprint and are killing the planet. 

Did you know that…

  • By 2040 it is predicted that smartphones will have the biggest carbon footprint in the tech industry [4].
  • Just one iPhone X alone creates 79kg of CO2 in its lifetime [5].

By removing the need for second devices, you can lower your carbon footprint, lower your expenses, retain happy and healthy employees and in turn impress your stakeholders!

 

References:

[1]

https://hbr.org/2020/07/remote-managers-are-having-trust-issues 

[2]

https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2020/06/28/turning-off-your-work-phone-and-emails-could-help-reduce-after-hours-work-stress-study.html

[3]

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/burnout-survey.html

[4]

https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/science/2018/03/02/news/how-our-smartphones-are-hurting-the-environment-1268849/ 

[5]

https://reboxed.co/blogs/outsidethebox/the-carbon-footprint-of-your-phone-and-how-you-can-reduce-it

5 ways Devyce will improve your Real Estate Business

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  1. Improve your mobility
    Tell us we’re wrong but, estate agents are always on the go. Devyce allows you to call from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Additionally, realtors are finding SMS useful when on the go to communicate with clients, with nearly 93% communicating through text [1]. By using our app, you can message your clients, as well as phone them! 

    We can also improve your geographical presence, as you can select a phone number from a specific area, meaning you can create a local presence!

  2.  Secure and protect your personal and client data
    Devyce will protect your personal number, by providing you with a business number, meaning your personal details aren’t exposed. Whilst also protecting your client data, as data is handled in line with GDPR and messages are encrypted between the app and the carrier.

  3. Improve your Customer Experience
    Building good relationships with buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords is a critical component of being an Estate Agent. Devyce can enhance your customer experience, by allowing you to hear other team members voicemails and forward any calls, meaning no calls are missed whilst making it easy for others to pick up where someone else left off. The auto attendant feature filters calls and delivers them to the correct destination in the business. Creating a seamless and consistent customer experience. 

    Easily integrate with Hubspot, and import your CRM’s contacts, so you can pull up your client information easily. See who’s calling and prevent prospects slipping through the cracks!

  4. Reduce your costs.
    Devyce can help you reduce your calling costs! No set up fees, no hidden fees and no contracts!

  5. Track sales and monitor performance
    We track calling analytics, including the proportion of unanswered calls, call duration, and call recording. This way agents are able to find the optimum time to reach clients. Whilst also providing valuable insights into how you can improve your calling techniques, for the future. Better calls, more leads! 


    References:
    [1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/12/17/implement-business-text-messaging-to-draw-more-local-customers/?sh=2b69c5be731a

5 Important Digital Tools for Small Businesses

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Starting a small business is daunting to say the least.

Picture this: a great idea for a business pops into your head one day. 

Ready to launch now? Absolutely yes. 

After months of hard work, you finally launch your business in high spirits. Then as your business grows, you are hit with an ever-growing mountain of things to do; from managing your employees to finances and every little detail in between. You are feeling overwhelmed and wondering how you will ever get on top of this mountain. 

No worries, we’ve got you. 

We know you’re extremely busy running your business so here are 5 of the most useful digital tools you can take advantage of: 

 

Communication tools:

Communication is the key to any successful relationship whether that be with your employees or your customers. To help with this you could get… 

 

  • Devyce – 2 numbers, 1 phone

Devyce is a cost-effective and sustainable digital solution to the work phone. 

It allows you to have an additional phone number on your phone to use for work communications. On average phones are replaced every two years [1] and each phone during its lifetime can create up to 110kg of CO2 per year [2]. Eliminate the use of a second phone and get Devyce. 

Another great feature of Devyce is the team management portal for you to monitor and manage your employee call activity and quickly access call logs. 

 

We know what you’re thinking, having your work communications operating on your personal phone might disrupt your personal life (or vice versa) however Devyce also has a handy ‘do not disturb’ feature where you can turn off work notifications to keep a healthy work life balance.

All these features make Devyce a great telecommunications tool for your small business! 

  • FreshDesk – A customer service software for your website 

Maintaining an open line of communication with your customers can be harder than it seems. 

Customers will reach out to customer support through multiple channels. This can become difficult to keep track of so let FreshDesk ‘delight your customers with effortless customer service’. 

 

Financing tools:

One of the top reasons why startups/small businesses fail is a lack of cash or failure to raise new capital. [3] Sounds pretty obvious right? However, many business owners struggle to manage their finances and budgeting. 

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a financial expert to be able to start your own business (even accountants struggle with the papers sometimes). There are many digital tools to assist you. Spendesk being one of them. 

  • Spendesk – A 7-in-1 spend management tool 

Spendesk encourages smarter spending decisions by providing:

  • A management platform where you can view and manage spending from company cards 
  • Review and pay invoices
  • Track expenses
  • Generate financial reports
  • Automate accounting
  • Create and optimise budget plans for your business

Make smarter money decisions, budget better and stay on top of your finances with Spendesk. 

 

Marketing tools:

Developing a solid marketing plan and creating great content for it is one of the key reasons for success for many businesses. 

  • BuzzSumo – an all in one content marketing tool 

BuzzSumo is a hub platform where you can:

  • Discover and research new content ideas
  • Find relevant influencers to work with 
  • Industry trend updates
  • Develop your content strategy and create compelling content
  • Analytics for content engagement

This all inclusive platform is great for industry trend research, allowing you to create and optimise your content marketing strategy. 

 

  • Buffer – social media management tool 

Buffer is a great tool for starting out with social media management as it offers a clear and easy to navigate platform for:

  • Creating and scheduling social media posts
  • Accessing all your social media messages across all platforms in one inbox
  • Social media analytics 

All of these features are great for effective communication with your audience, learning more about their preferences in regard to your business and utilising new insights to optimise your services and marketing plan. 

So, will you be using any of these digital tools? Feel free to head to our socials to share your business story and what digital tools you’re currently using! 

 

References:

[1]

https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/science/environment/the-hidden-environmental-toll-of-smartphones/#:~:text=Smartphones%20generate%20more%20greenhouse%20gases,the%20energy%20sector%20and%20transportation.

[2]

https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/europe2019s-consumption-in-a-circular/benefits-of-longer-lasting-electronics

[3]

https://www.cbinsights.com/research/startup-failure-reasons-top/

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