Answer-4u says hello to it’s millionth call and expands business
10 February 2012
Answer-4u, the Nottingham based call answering business, handled over a million calls on behalf of its clients last year.
The company, which is based on Talbot Street, Nottingham achieved a 16% increase in turnover to the end of its last financial year, to record sales of £2.3 million, and forecasts that it will hit almost £3 million by the end of this financial year in June 2012.
Answer-4u was established in 2004 by Glenn Harrison, who, along with his business partners,set up in a dining room with just a couple of laptops and phones. “Those early days were very tough,” said Glenn. “I sold my apartment, my car and went months without any salary to get the business off the ground, but I was confident that eventually the business would be successful, and looking at where we are today, it proves that the risk was worth it.”
The company has come a long way since those days and currently employs over 130 people, with new positions coming available all the time as the business continues to expand. A further 13 people have started at the business since the beginning of 2012.
Glenn puts the success of Answer-4u down to the way in which the company has managed to capitalise on the growing trend for businesses to keep costs down by outsourcing their call answering service. In addition, they have also seen a marked increase in the number of small businesses which are using their service.
“Answer-4u has over 1,700 clients and more and more small businesses, in particular, are realising that it is more cost effective for them to let someone else handle their calls so that they can focus on their work and bringing in new business.”
Answer-4u offers a pay-as-you-go service for small businesses, which means that they only pay for any calls they receive. Businesses also receive an email message or can choose to have a text. Glenn believes it is the flexibility of the service which gives them the competitive edge.
“Some of our customers might only spend £10 a month with us, whereas others might be paying several thousand pounds,” said Glenn. “They aren’t tied in to contracts and so can opt in or out whenever they want to and they appreciate that freedom.
“I am very proud of the fact that we have not only managed to survive, but have expanded and increased our staff numbers year on year, even through the recent recession,” added Glenn. “We have a very loyal customer base consisting of some very large, blue chip businesses, right down to sole traders, and our Answer-4u service is still continuing to grow rapidly.”
Answer-4u handles more than 7,000 calls a day during its busiest times, for a diverse range of clients, including building societies, solicitors, IT companies, medical equipment suppliers and even a hat maker.
Looking ahead to the future, Glenn adds: “Our plan now is to expand Answer-4u at a controlled but accelerated pace. We have the right mix of people, systems and experience and we’ve repeatedly shown that we are innovative and determined to succeed.
“Businesses of all sizes recognise that it is vitally important that customers are dealt with professionally and courteously and that they don’t miss any phone calls. After all, in business, you never know when a customer might phone to place a major order with you. The telephone is still the first and most important point of contact with any business, so I am confident that Answer-4u is here to stay for the long-term.”
