Michael Poole

Michael Poole is an estate agency with six residential sales branches and a lettings department located across the North East of England.

Business Challenge

The management team at Michael Poole was aware that periods of peak activity compromised the efficiency of its negotiators, who struggled to cover phone lines, front of house duties as well as manage the needs of their customers. Michael Poole, Senior Partner comments:

“In a competitive market it is imperative that customers receive our best service at all times. However, heavy foot fall in our branches and incredibly busy phone lines meant our team was being tested to the limit. We became concerned that service levels were being affected. Employing additional staff was an expensive solution and wouldn’t necessarily help, given that support was only needed on an ad-hoc basis to cover spikes in call volume levels.”

Solution Deployed

Seeing Moneypenny at an event prompted Michael Poole to enquire about overflow cover for all his branches. Michael concludes:

“Our Moneypenny Receptionist Shauna and her team handle overflow calls from all our branches and then forward detailed messages to the appropriate member of staff immediately. Our negotiators can now concentrate on managing customers without worrying about missing new instructions or valuation opportunities.”

Cavendish Rentals

Cavendish Rentals is a specialist Residential Lettings and Property Management agency based in Chester, with a second branch located in Mold, North Wales.

Business Challenge

The management team at Cavendish Rentals identified that its negotiators were struggling to cover busy phone lines whilst greeting visitors to their offices. Missing calls at peak times not only risked losing new valuation opportunities, but also meant service levels suffered. Christine Collins, Managing Director of Cavendish Rentals comments:

“Heavy call volumes and busy branches were stretching our team to the limits. We were concerned that our friendly and efficient service would be affected. We needed a solution that could be deployed easily, would take the pressure off answering calls and would allow us to pay only for what we used.”

Solution Deployed

Cavendish Rentals contacted Moneypenny in October 2006 to handle overflow calls. Christine concludes:

“Our dedicated Moneypenny PAs, Shauna & Gayle, are a great asset to the team here at Cavendish Rentals. They know exactly how to handle each type of enquiry and either take detailed messages for us or put the call through to mobiles or landlines. They even filter non-essential calls where appropriate. The branch staff can now concentrate on the job in hand and never worry that calls are being missed.”

Webbers

Webbers is an estate agent with 16 branches across the South West. As well as managing sales and lettings, the agency also specialises in surveying, commercial, land and property management.

Business Challenge

Spikes in daily call volumes often left Webbers’ property management department unable to cover incoming calls, as well as carry out front of house duties. Malcolm Prescott, Managing Director of Webbers comments:

“The property management team covers a wide range of services and is incredibly busy. It was noted that they were finding it increasingly difficult to keep on top of their own priorities and still deliver the high levels of service expected by customers. We needed a flexible solution that could be called upon at a moment’s notice to relieve the pressure when we were at our busiest.”

Solution Deployed

Having discussed their needs in full, Webbers opted for Moneypenny to handle overflow calls whenever lines were busy or their in-house reception team was unable to answer calls promptly. Malcolm concludes:

“Moneypenny has been an incredible asset to the team here at Webbers. Our dedicated Moneypenny Receptionist Gemma and her team handle our overflow calls, dealing with landlords and tenants, property enquiries, new instructions and requests to arrange viewings. This has ensured every call is captured and that we deliver the best possible service at all times.”

Fenton Board

Fenton Board are one of the largest residential estate agents in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. As an independently run and privately owned business, maintaining a sound reputation as a trusted agent within the local community is of great importance to the entire team.

Business Challenge

Fenton Board prides itself on good service and attention to detail. When the agency identified that high call volumes were compromising the team’s ability to adequately man the phones and attend to visitors, Managing Director, David Board, knew a solution would have to be found. David comments:

“Our team are local, highly-motivated people who know the area and work hard to help our customers sell or buy property. However, it was clear they were struggling to meet the needs of callers and visitors, along with the demands of their own workloads and priorities. I could see that we needed a solution that would allow them to work undisturbed, without going to the expense of overstaffing the office.”

Solution Deployed

David contacted Moneypenny in March 2007 to discuss handling overflow calls and subsequently decided to trial the service.
David concludes:

“Lisa, our Moneypenny Receptionist, handles overflow calls so that our team can focus on the footfall whenever required. As soon as any of the team become available, they respond to messages immediately - detail that doesn’t go unmissed by callers. The service has also increased our virtual opening hours to 8pm on weekdays, 5pm on Saturdays and between 10am - 4pm on Sundays. Providing such great service reinforces our ethos of giving local people an agent they can trust to be prompt and reliable at all times."

Lenwell Property Services

Lenwell Property Services is a lettings agency with four branches across Bedfordshire and Northamptionshire. Lenwell’s latest acquirement, Dunstable Property Lets, in February 2010 has seen the agency expand to managing over 2000 properties and employing 30 full-time members of staff.

Business Challenge

Customer service is important to Lenwell Property Services. Peaks in daily call volumes across the agency’s five branches often left team members unable to cover incoming calls, as well as carry out front of house duties. Rob Wellstead, Managing Director of Lenwell comments:

“Our branch staff do a tremendous job of managing the needs of callers and visitors, along with the demands of their own workloads and priorities. However, without going to the lengths of overstaffing the branches, there’s always the chance that high call volumes, combined with heavy footfall, will compromise the level of service we provide for customers. We needed a flexible solution that could be called upon at a moment’s notice to relieve the pressure when we are at our busiest.”

Solution Deployed

Meeting Moneypenny at the ARLA show in March 2010 prompted Rob to enquire about overflow cover for his branches. Rob continues:

“Moneypenny demonstrated a sound understand of a lettings agency’s needs and the property market as a whole from the very beginning. Having Jess, our own dedicated Moneypenny Receptionist, offers continuity of service and means overflow calls can be handled as per our requirements. We now capture every call cost-effectively, whilst still delivering the best possible service at all times.”

Using Moneypenny to handle overflow calls has allowed Lenwell to provide exceptional service levels. Additional benefits include:

• Over 200 overflow calls are answered promptly and professionally by Jess and her team each month
• Calls are either connected through to direct lines or mobiles, or messages taken and forwarded immediately by email
• Reception is covered automatically at all times, including breaks and holidays

Rob concludes:

“We’re so pleased with the way Moneypenny is working with our branches to capture every single call that comes in. Every one agrees that the service allows them to focus on visitors, without having to worry if the phone starts to ring in the background. The teams are confident that Jess will have taken the appropriate details so that the caller can be phoned back as soon as possible.”