Poor Communications Continue to Hold Back UK Business

News provided by

j2 Global

06 Mar, 2013, 07:00 GMT

DUBLIN, March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

  • Almost 2/3 customers won't leave a message if call unanswered
  • Staffing issues is the major concern, after the economy
  • Fax identified as safe means of document transfer

j2 GLOBAL (NASDAQ;JCOM), a leading provider of cloud business services for UK business,  today announced its latest research findings revealing the biggest issues currently impacting on small and medium enterprises. In this survey, 1,000 business people across the UK were asked about their company's biggest concerns. As expected the economic outlook continues to weigh on the minds of UK business as consumer confidence and red tape share the spoils as the major worries for UK businesses, with 26% and 25% of respondents respectively stating this was the biggest concern for their organisation.

Just below this were staffing issues (23%) - whether the loss of experienced staff or the difficulty in capturing the right kind of new-hires; finding and retaining the right staff continues to be a big concern.

The j2 survey also asked respondents what they would do if, when they made a call to a business or tradesperson, the call went unanswered. Surprisingly, almost two thirds of respondents (59%) said that they would not leave a message if the call was unanswered, with more than a third preferring to call the next business on the list.

Paul Kinsella, Vice President, General Manager, j2 Global Europe, said: "This is one of the key areas where small businesses are continuing to miss out on potential sales. We all have experience in having our calls unanswered, and - in the age of instant communications - consumers are voting with their feet and moving on to the next business."

"For the companies themselves, we see how crucial that first interaction with a business is. So, whether it's a lack of staffing or technology, these businesses will continue to miss out on potential trade - that's one of the primary reasons we developed our eReceptionist product. This product allows small and medium businesses to have their calls answered and routed, 24/7, without additional staffing costs. This means that customers reach the right person in the business for that first, crucial interaction."

The survey also asked respondents what their most trusted method of communication was when sending sensitive documents such as bank forms, legal documents or work contracts that require a signature. While the survey found that post remained the most trusted means at 51%, fax was also identified as one of the most trusted means of the safe transit of important documents.

"As businesses continue to rely on fax, what a Next Gen Fax service, such as eFax, allows is the safe delivery of documents to a multitude of devices, so that businesses can receive - and electronically sign - important documents anywhere," continues Mr Kinsella. "With business increasingly being conducted away from the desk, portability of documents is key to the timely conclusion of important decisions such as legal matters and order fulfilment. With eFax, not only can you send and receive these documents, you can store them in our cloud storage, allowing you to retrieve them anytime, anywhere."

"The idea that Fax involves a fax machine sitting in the corner of the office using up paper and toner is outdated - but the demand for the safe delivery of official, signed documentation still exists - eFax® provides the solution," he concluded.

About the survey

The j2 Global UK Small & Medium Business survey was carried out in December 2012 and January 2013 across 1,000 business people from UK enterprises. The survey was carried out by Cint Research on behalf of j2 Global.

About eFax
eFax is a brand and registered trademark of j2 Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: JCOM). The eFax branded service is a pioneer in the fax business, with a string of technology and business firsts dating back to 1996. Individuals and small businesses can learn more about sending and receiving faxes online at http://www.efax.co.uk.

About eReceptionist

eReceptionist is perfect for individuals or businesses that want their calls answered and routed professionally, without the need for an extra employee. From just 30p per day eReceptionist provides secure, private voice services with all the advanced features of an expensive phone system. Customers can choose from a range of national, international and local phone numbers. To learn more go to http://www.ereceptionist.co.uk

About j2 Global™
Founded in 1995, j2 Global, Inc. provides cloud services to individuals and businesses around the world. j2 Global's network spans 49 countries on six continents. The Company offers Internet fax, voice and email solutions. j2 Global markets its services principally under the brand names eFax®, Onebox®, eVoice®, FuseMail®, Campaigner®, KeepItSafe® and CampaignerCRM™.