Company Overview
Shipley Blinds & Curtains Ltd are based in Ilkestone, East Midlands in the UK have been installing bespoke furnishings across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire for over 20 years. All work is ‘made to measure’ for each customer’s individual needs. As well as houses, Shipley blinds supply for schools, hospitals, offices, mobile homes and even house boats. Visit www.shipleyblinds.com for further details.
Challenges
The pandemic lockdown presented Shipley Blinds with an enviable challenge of high business levels as the demand for home improvements soared. This meant their team of six were receiving more calls than ever, and often from six different locations at one time. Their existing phone system couldn’t cope with the new high levels of call traffic and a team working from multiple locations including the showroom, home offices and customer visits. Call routing and lack of communication mobility meant customer services levels were under too much pressure. Director Ann Marie Dalton says, “It was manic, my phone never stopped ringing, and we had to find something more flexible".
THE CHALLENGE
- Surge in demand for home improvements during and after pandemic lockdowns
- Customer service levels increasingly difficult to maintain during busier times
- Employees in multiple locations/customer visits – current system didn’t support multiple locations
Solution
- UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT (UCaaS)
Results
- Better Team Communications – improved call flow, access to mobile staff, visibility of presence status
- Improved Customer Experience – enquiries went to the right person first time with less callbacks
- More Robust Feature Capabilities – Group Chat enabled easier visibility of inquiries and customer requests
UNIVERGE BLUE has made all our operations easier. Our whole team is more contactable and responsive from wherever they’re working
Ann Marie Dalton,
Director of Shipley Blinds
The Solution
UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT cloud-based phone system (UCaaS) was deployed including over 100 calling features, Team Chat and SMS. NEC business phones were installed in the showroom, remote workers used the Mobile App and homeworkers the Desktop App.
Other features have proved an essential part of their business operations. “Group Chat is more efficient for us than email as it gives the team full visibility of the latest customer enquiries and who’s dealt with them. We don’t duplicate efforts or waste time. It’s highly recommended!”
Results
Communications within the team were transformed with improved call flow and easier access to mobile staff. Their customer experience also enhanced with a prompter, more professional service. Ann Marie explains, “Now, most of our customers’ enquiries can be dealt more quickly, with easy call transfers to the right person first time. As a result, we have less call backs and voicemails to deal with.”
“It’s as easy to use as an iPhone”
