Global News
With companies continuing to use COVID as the reason for not answering calls, new research suggests the legal sector is managing their clients better than others, namely utility companies, doctors, phone companies, banks, and insurance companies.
The legal sector and property companies were mentioned the least as the worst for answering calls in a survey of 1,000 US adults by leading communications company Moneypenny. In it, 83% of people said an increasing number of companies claim delays in answering calls or engaging in Live Chat is due to unusually high call volumes caused by the pandemic.
When asked which types of companies and organizations are the worst for answering calls, or for not being able to get through to, utility companies and doctors were most frequently mentioned – 28% each, followed by phone companies and banks – 26% each, then insurance companies – 24%. Legal companies were mentioned by only 9%, and property companies by 7%. Regionally, utility companies were noted as the worst in the Northeast and South, doctors in the Midwest, and banks in the West.
People seem understanding of the situation, as 61% said they believe phone delays are acceptable due to COVID. Middle-aged US consumers were the most accepting: 76% of 35- to 44-year-olds, compared with 54% of over 55-year-olds. The youngest customers are most likely to give up waiting for their call to be answered: 22% of 16- to 24-year-olds, compared to only 16% of 35- to 44-year-olds.
Broadly across US industries, the average length of time customers have to wait for their call or Live Chat request to be answered was:
CEO of North America for Moneypenny, Eric Schurke, believes the legal industry has responded well: “This research bodes well for the sector since the telephone remains the most popular way for customers to contact legal providers. Last fall, we found in our report ‘The Inbound Phone Call’ that calls to law firms have increased by 26% over the last five years, with more than a third of those resulting in a new business inquiry, which equates to a staggering $266 million for small firms nationwide. It behooves any business to not only harness such a valuable channel, but to also provide the reassurance and validations clients may be looking for in a friendly voice on the other end.”
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