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Mango’s 2023 Year in Review

Posted on 29 December 202322 December 2023 by Mango

What a year it’s been.

There’s a lot that goes on in 365 days. Some days are quieter and busier than others – but there’s no doubt that the time flies in fast!

Working in a live environment, we sometimes don’t pause and reflect on all the amazing moments we share with our colleagues – who we actually spend more time with in a year than we do with our very own family!

That being said, with 2024 just around the corner, we want to take this chance to stop and remind ourselves of all the milestones and highlights we’ve had in 2023.

Year in Review: Mango’s 2023 Highlights

Sit back, relax and enjoy this wee round-up of our past year – and feel free to share your own achievements in the comments so we can celebrate these together!

Mango’s 15^th Birthday

Mango opened its doors on 4th August 2008, in the middle of the recession. So, celebrating our 15th year in business was a pretty big deal in our books!

To commemorate the occasion, we hosted a company-wide birthday party across the Mango offices. The day was jam-packed, covering everything from breakfast baps for all to games, prizes, live music, speeches, champagne toasts and a cocktail hour to thank our staff for helping us get to where we are today.

Plus, we all had a good laugh pranking the Managing Director by filling his office with 500 balloons…check it out over on our TikTok.

We’ll have to get our thinking caps on for how we’re going to top that for our sweet sixteenth birthday next year…

Walk to Scotland

In October, the Mango team hopped aboard the Stena Line boat from Belfast to Cairnryan to ‘Walk to Scotland’ in support of NI Children to Lapland and Days to Remember Trust.

NI Children to Lapland and Days to Remember Trust is a charity which gives terminally ill, life-limited and deserving children from across Northern Ireland a magical, memorable day that they and their families can cherish forever.

The annual Walk to Scotland event is an essential part of the charity’s fundraising efforts to facilitate an annual trip to Lapland, bringing 100 young children from Northern Ireland to visit Santa in his homeland.

To support the charity in co-ordinating its annual trip to Lapland, the team raised over £1,000 in the run-up to the sponsored walk, which contributed to the incredible £14,000 total raised at the event!

From this, Mango and NI Children to Lapland Trust have now initiated a new corporate partnership aimed at broadening our social impact and expanding the reach of the charity’s impactful work for children.

We can’t wait to see what this new endeavour will bring in the new year!

Watch the video of our walk to Scotland here.

Bangor Business Awards

In October, the team attended the local Chamber of Commerce’s acclaimed Bangor Business Awards 2023, having been shortlisted for several awards.

Our longest-serving fundraiser, June Cowan, was nominated for ‘Employee of the Year’ – a win we were crossing our fingers extra tight for before her retirement next year!

With her 13 years at Mango, June’s commitment to charity work has seen her raise an incredible 1.5 million pounds for our clients – an amazing achievement that we were ecstatic to see her win the coveted ‘Employee of the Year’ award on the night!

With plenty of dancing and singing had, we were delighted to give June a well-deserved celebration for all her hard work. Check out the video over on our TikTok.

Achieving ISO Certification

Becoming ISO certified had been a goal of ours for years and years. So, in 2023, we decided to make it happen!

Not only this – we didn’t just go for one ISO certification – we set ourselves the challenge of going for both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 at the same time!

After several process optimisations and audits over the course of Q3 – as well as top tips from the teams at Quadra Consulting and Auva Certification – in Q4 we were overjoyed to receive certification for both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

With our international industry-approved quality and environmental standards, we can’t wait to see what new opportunities these will bring to Mango in the future.

Here’s to 2024!

It’s hard to believe another year has been and gone. That’s why it’s so important to give yourself a moment to see how far you’ve come – no matter how big or small the achievement.

With so many successes under our belt this year, we’re excited to rethink our goals for 2024 and make these ideas a reality. Watch this space…

We would also love to know your 2023 highlights – so please feel free to give yourself a shout-out in the comments!

If you’re strategising for 2024, you can also talk to Mango today about any and all things Contact Centre related. Whether it be customer services, telephony, email management, fulfilment or response handling – we can help you regardless of your needs.

Customer Experience Trends for 2024

Posted on 14 December 202314 December 2023 by Mango

Providing a memorable, positive customer experience is what sets us apart from competitors. It really is make or break when it comes to creating customers for life – something the Mango team know a thing or two about!

As we look towards 2024 (after the quickest year ever!) – we expect a lot of new focuses and mindset shifts when it comes to servicing customers. We’re thinking cutting-edge technology, having a better understanding of customer needs, and leveraging these to redefine how we engage and retain for the long-term.

With that being said – here’s our top four customer experience trend predictions for next year!

Mango’s Top 4 Customer Experience Trends for 2024

The contact centre environment is becoming more dynamic each year, embracing new strategies that satisfy the needs of today’s customers when it comes to efficiency, ease and personalisation.

We’re talking real-time analytics, omnichannel offerings, and security-first approaches which are transforming the art of customer service as we know it, for the better!

Let’s get into it…

Focus on the Customer Journey

Nowadays, it is essential to prioritise relationships over transactions. Rather than solely focusing on standalone interactions, organisations are making greater efforts to tailor their customer journey as a whole.

The customer journey is all-encompassing, looking at how people experience an organisation from the initial awareness stages right through to retention.

It helps you see things from a customer’s perspective to understand expectations and needs. By thinking about the overall process, you’re more likely to optimise internal operations, customer communication and sales potential!

The key to achieving this in 2024 is being prepared and versatile. Consider how your customers see you, how they can learn about you and how they can reach you. By being readily available, your customer journey is already off to a good start!

With customers having plenty of options to find out about you, get in touch with you and stay up-to-date with what you’re doing – this means you’re being inclusive and providing them added value from the get-go – something which won’t go unmissed.

From IVR messaging to scriptwriting, outbound calls to follow-up emails – at Mango, our services cover each and every stage of the customer journey. For more on how we achieve this – check out our blog on customer service, written by our very own inhouse experts! Customer Service Tips – Hear it From the Experts!

Being More Security-Centric

Personal data is precious to customers, so showing that you recognise and honour this will help instil greater trust and confidence in your organisation.

Ensuring information is safely stored and protected is key. For example, 63% of customers say they are happier dealing with businesses that make it easy to see how their data is used – so we expect this to only get higher as the years go on.

Not only this, but enhanced security and privacy safeguards are non-negotiable for meeting regulatory compliance as well as boosting consumer loyalty as the industry continues to evolve in 2024.

Our advice is: make sure you have clear data and privacy policies in place, as well as strong security measures. At Mango, our security measures revolve around:

Encryption: A security method where information is encoded and can only be accessed or decrypted by a user with the correct encryption key.
Access Control: Strict access controls which ensure that only authorised individuals can access sensitive data.
Multi-Factor Authentication: 2FA adds an additional degree of protection by requesting many different forms of identification before providing access.

Opt for Omnichannel

How we provide customer experiences is always adapting. With so many new methods now available, it is essential that you cater to your audience across multiple touchpoints, as this opens up so many new opportunities!

Whether it’s over the phone, or via email, social media or live chat – we say the more, the better!

When thinking about 2024, what will make an even bigger and better difference is having a unified identity across all these channels. By delivering a coherent and personalised experience across the board – this is what will catapult service quality and help customers feel even more supported.

It’s this added value that an omnichannel approach brings to ensure a customer’s journey is always continuous, regardless of whether they start a conversation through chat and move to a phone call afterwards.

That’s one of the main perks of having an inhouse IT team like we do. Thanks to their technology know-how, they are always looking to create new, innovative solutions to streamline customer experiences and optimise client campaigns. From message automation to real-time analytics and everything in between – they really are modern day superheroes when it comes to staying ahead of the customer service game!

If you don’t have the resources readily available to implement bespoke IT solutions, you can speak to us or find out more here: The Benefits of an Inhouse IT Team

Continuous Upskilling

As we get ready to kick-start 2024, we are continuously striving to strengthen customer experiences, which involves consistently developing the skills of those on the frontline – our agents.

After all, the main reason the Contact Centre industry evolves so much when it comes to customer support is because of the people pioneering this change!

With the sector now being so technology dependent, this means staff must be empowered to manage these advancements at expert level so they can provide first-class services.

Prioritising training and upskilling means agents can be better prepared to:

Problem-solve with ease by thinking with a solution-first attitude
Handle customer conversations with professionalism and sensitivity
Spot opportunities for upselling/upgrading
Build relationships with customers and nurture their experience

Whether it be through independent microlearning, group training or team leader-agent one-to-one sessions, the more effort that is put into upskilling staff, the more we all reap the rewards, including:

Enhanced competence
Sustained motivation
Greater employee satisfaction
Improved performance
Career milestones and opportunities for progression

Customer Service in 2024 in a Nutshell

As we learn to accept new changes, implement smooth, secure solutions and invest more in people – we believe a firm focus on innovation, protection and staff development will help us achieve more positive customer experiences in 2024.

As we prepare to say goodbye to another year in the Contact Centre industry – one thing remains the same – customers will always be at the heart of all success stories.

For more top tips on mastering customer services for 2024 and beyond, talk to Mango today!

Giving Back to the Community – Why it Matters

Posted on 28 November 20238 February 2024 by Mango

Supporting the local community is becoming a growing priority for companies both big and small.

Why? Because giving back to the community – whether it be through volunteering or fundraising – comes with lots of benefits for all involved. In this blog, we dive deep into these many advantages, and detail why it matters to play an active part in helping your local area flourish!

Why is it Important to Give Back to the Community?

Whether it be donating time or raising funds – even the smallest of tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, animals and organisations in need.

Not only that, but another pro of being community-focused is the positive impact it makes on staff morale and future business prospects.

Without further ado, let’s get into what you can expect from upping your CSR efforts…

Encourages Team Bonding

Regardless of the size of your company, making a team effort to support a local cause or improve your surroundings will instil a sense of reward and unity among your staff.

We know from experience that coming together as a team over a meaningful purpose (e.g. for the betterment of something/benefit of others) has created lifelong memories and friendships within our team.

Some highlights include challenges like Tough Mudder, sponsored head shaves and a 10-mile walk from Holywood-Bangor in aid of local charities, volunteering at nearby animal shelters and food banks, as well as doing beach cleans to reduce pollution and protect the environment.

With taking part in events like these regularly, we see closer bonds among the team, as well as with other like-minded people from the community. It also helps employees feel greater satisfaction in their job, and embeds a stronger sense of company pride and advocacy.

mango giving back to the community volunteering at The Barn Animal Rescue - two woman and one man holding puppy — *The Mango team volunteering at The Barn Animal Rescue*

Learn More About the World

Getting your team to spend time enriching the community and meeting new people is a brilliant way to broaden their perceptions and learn new life skills.

Immersing in a community and serving others in need helps your employees better understand people’s circumstances, gives them a more open-minded perspective, improves their communication skills and teaches patience and empathy – all of which will enhance other areas in their life.

What’s more, is that giving back to the community may even help your staff unlock a new passion, hobby or interest – something they will appreciate and reflect upon positively in the future. So, not only are you contributing to their professional development, but their personal development, too!

*Mango’s 10-mile walk from Holywood-Bangor for charity*

Helps Those in Need

Without volunteers or sponsors, a huge portion of the help our communities receive would not be so readily available.

By spending time assisting at local shelters or food banks, or even doing a whip-round of donations in the office, this support not only gives those offering a sense of accomplishment, but it most importantly provides an essential service to less fortunate neighbours.

With more resources helping those in need, this combats and reduces the key issue being experienced in the community. The more people feel a sense of reward, the more momentum is spread, and the more positive differences are made to make the community a better place.

Improves Company Reputation

These days, more and more people are making conscious choices to work for and work with companies who share their values and have a strong CSR strategy in place.

For example, businesses with a strong community presence often attract top talent. Plus, engaged employees who participate in community initiatives are more likely to remain, fostering a positive, stable workplace culture.

Long-term involvement in community development also builds credibility and reputation. Businesses that invest their time and resources become genuine collaborators in community development, making significant positive impacts that create lasting impressions to local and national onlookers, which can help with securing new business.

Where to Start with Giving Back to the Community?

There are so many important causes out there that always need fundraisers, volunteers or sponsors to support the work they’re doing. Many towns and cities have community centres, which can be a great place to start to search for new opportunities to give back.

To get your staff invested, you can ask for their suggestions via focus groups or questionnaires. At Mango, we make this a focus each quarter, so everyone gets a chance to put their ideas forward and contribute to something they’re passionate about.

You can also check websites like local Chambers of Commerce or councils for opportunities that fit your goals. Another alternative is joining local groups on Facebook so you can easily engage with others nearby and get feedback on where is in need of help.

No matter how big or small your efforts are in giving back to the community, we can guarantee you and your team will reap lots of social, professional and personal rewards.

Whether you want more pointers or have more questions on how to get started, feel free to talk to the Mango team today!

What are Response Handling Services? + 3 Benefits

Posted on 15 November 20235 January 2024 by Mango

‘Response Handling’ is a term that spans across so many sectors, it can often be difficult to find the exact information and services you’re looking for!

At Mango, response handling is one of our core offerings, taking the weight off organisations who want to save time, money and resources.

In this blog, we dive deep into the world of response handling, uncovering what it is, the process behind it, and a few benefits thrown in for good measure, too!

What is Response Handling?

In our industry, response handling is a standalone service that relates to managing, processing and delivering returns from fulfilment mailers and surveys to your customer base.

In our 15 years of offering response handling as a service, Mango has provided solutions to both charity and corporate markets. Examples include appeal mailing, catalogue coupons, raffle returns or market research surveys (to name a few).

One of our most popular services, response handling provides our clients with a reliable secure, flexible service, offering great peace of mind all while being a speedy, cost-effective and compliant solution!

hands organising orange filing system - response handling

Response Handling: The Process

Regardless of how a campaign works – whether it be via phone, email, live chat or letters – being able to process audience responses effectively is imperative.

Accepting mailer returns is a complex, careful operation, requiring several steps that need to be mastered to ensure a totally seamless service. As such, here is a *brief* insight into our process here at Mango…

Our response handling process includes:

Opening and batching: Our dedicated team opens, sorts and batches large volumes of mail quickly and efficiently into smaller, manageable ‘piles’ that make the next steps faster and more accurate;
Data entering and validation: To ensure the highest quality service, we update, clean and validate data in compliance with ISO 9001 standards, all while having as many automated procedures in place to support the process;
Scanning: We scan, upload and store data on a secure site (either chosen by the client or provided by Mango) that is credentials protected;
Banking: We link into your credit card processor to take payment as well as manage cheques and postal orders, alleviating administrative tasks for our clients’ inhouse teams;
Returning and reporting: We return data transfers to the client in a secure format, complete with bespoke income reporting and copy scans for transparency and future checks.

With this tried and tested process, we assure that no stone is left unturned and that clients can rest easy knowing that we are managing their response handling with the utmost care and attention.

3 Benefits of Response Handling Services

While we’ve already touched on some of the benefits you can expect from response handling services – here’s a few of our favourites…

Reduces Inhouse Admin

With response handling, it can sometimes be difficult to predict volume. If managing inhouse, it can be gamble because depending on the success of a campaign, resources can easily become overstretched and there may not be enough support to handle responses swiftly or efficiently.

With it being an intricate, admin-heavy operation – outsourcing response handling to an experienced, specialist company means the load can be shifted to a team that already work daily with a fully implemented, streamlined process that feels like second nature.

As a result, a client’s inhouse team can continue to thrive in their day-to-day roles and focus on optimising other areas of the organisation instead!

It’s Fast, Accurate and Secure

Response handling services provide long-term satisfaction to our clients because it ticks so many boxes from an operational and cost-saving standpoint, such as:

Fine-tuned processes and state-of-the-art technologies mean responses can be processed faster and more accurately, so both data and income can be received sooner
With an IT team of over 100 years combined experience, we provide robust systems and the highest levels of security, with a secure response handling room which is access controlled with CCTV as well as being fully PCI compliant

Having a professional team to take care of the above can reap so many rewards – especially considering studies have found that customers’ expectations for speed and responsiveness escalate every year without fail, and that data security and privacy issues are a concern for 79% of people!

A Flexible and Scalable Service

With any campaign, it can be difficult to know exactly what the outcomes will be. That’s why it’s so beneficial to have a team that can easily flex up and down to suit spikes and lulls.

With an outsourced response handling company like Mango, we can offer resources to expertly manage this variable, often time-sensitive work. Plus, as a support to our response handling service, we can also take inbound calls, live payments, send thank you letters via post or email, make outbound calls to responders and lots more!

Not only this, but we can also manage response handling as a full-time service, or at peak times like Christmas.

Mango’s Response Handling Services

At Mango, we understand that proactive response handling increases income, insights and positive experience for both our clients and their customers/supporters.

That’s why we provide tailor-made, end-to-end response handling solutions to support all sectors, including charities and corporates.

Here’s what you can expect from our response handling services:

A bespoke service to suit your campaign aims
Dedicated, skilled and experienced team assigned specifically for you
A team with a passion for campaign optimisation; productively offering ideas and solutions
An experienced IT team that are situated inhouse; always on call to provide technical assistance and security

Whether you want to fully outsource your campaign on a large scale, or perhaps you need a helping hand with ad-hoc support, we would love to chat more about how Mango Direct Marketing can help!

The Benefits of an Inhouse IT Team

Posted on 2 November 20232 November 2023 by Mango

When people think of inhouse IT teams, the phrase “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” usually springs to mind. As a full-service Contact Centre with our own internal IT team, we can assure you that they’re nothing like the ‘IT Crowd’ you might be thinking about!

In fact, having an outsourced Contact Centre with its very own IT department comes with some superior benefits. From rapid internal systems support to end-to-end campaign builds and report production, right through to new tech deployment and 24-hour cover – they really are campaign life savers.

Read on to find out how our inhouse IT team are so imperative to us, and our clients!

*We promise you won’t hear this line from our guys! Source: People Management*

Experienced and Open-Minded Team

Having been in the telemarketing industry for over 15 years at Mango, the department is further backed up by another 35 years within the industry cumulatively – and many years across other sectors such as finance, software houses and manufacturing.

We match our expertise with fresh ideas, and love to hire up-and-coming IT talent who bring outside-the-box perspectives to an ever-changing environment.

We also pride ourselves on our strong links to SERC, our local college, and each year welcome students for 12-week work placements, helping to build their skills and advance the existing team’s knowledge, too!

Instant Support Onsite

With developers, analysts and systems all onsite, instant support gives a distinct advantage. No waiting on a third party, making numerous phone calls, waiting in queues (the list goes on) – our reaction times to the situation are instant.

The team are not just on-hand for Mango, but our clients as well, and are usually an extension of the client’s own IT team, helping where we can to bridge any shortfall in resources.

Having a team that are not only highly trained and skilled – but also exceptionally talented – means they are natural problem solvers that can ensure a speedy, robust solution for our clients, and a smooth day-to-day operation for our staff.

Full Understanding of Your Operations, Systems and Networks

With telemarketing, technology solutions must be all-encompassing. That’s because there is so much to consider and cover in order to provide the best service possible, such as:

Telephony management (DDIs/NGNs)
Hardware
Software
Security (internally and externally)
Campaign reporting and analysis
Script building and management
Application development and integration

With so many critical elements to manage, comes the need for intricate knowledge of internal operations, systems and networks – something that would take years for a third-party IT solution to grasp.

As our Technology Director has over 25 years of experience working in IT and has been the main overseer of every IT project in Mango for the last 15 years – it’s safe to say the team know a thing or two about how to facilitate a successful campaign!

Inhouse, we can manage a campaign from start to finish. From your first idea to a phone call or text from a customer or supporter through to your team looking at management reports – Mango IT are involved at every step.

Close Relationship with Other Departments

A campaign has lots of moving parts, with a range of departments working in tandem to help it seamlessly grow from strength to strength.

With multiple clients and campaigns running at once – our Contact Centre Operations, Client Management and IT teams like to meet daily to discuss new tasks, brainstorm new solutions and allocate assignments.

Plus, with all teams in the one office building, staff are only a short walk or flight of stairs away! This means that actions can be taken instantly, projects can be worked on collaboratively, and everything is a team effort with no delays or roadblocks.

Inhouse IT Teams Have More Room to Innovate

Having an internal IT team means they can spot areas for improvement and create new, innovative solutions for both major and monotonous operations.

One of the most impressive and invaluable solutions our IT team has designed, built and deployed is ‘MHub’; our very own internal platform which houses a range of innovative web applications. MHub is accessed company-wide, allowing each staff member to login to manage their own admin where applicable.

Some of the applications within MHub include:

MPlayer: Our own fully integrated, PCI compliant call recording system, used by both managers and clients to access calls and monitor quality scores.
Holidays: Allows staff to request holidays, change shifts and log sickness. The app also sends automated alerts to the relevant managers to review requests, as well as notifies employees to inform them of request responses.
MChat: Our internal chat platform for staff to communicate across all levels of the business.
Campaign Schedule: Enables our Resourcing team to determine where campaigns can be placed to best suit the client and our internal teams.
Agent Journey: Enabling Managers to add information about their teams to inform strengths and areas of improvement e.g. Team Leaders can add results, a Client Manager can add client feedback, Training Managers can log call monitoring etc.
Campaign Analytics: Where data from any campaign can be reviewed to identify patterns/trends, which we use to ensure client campaigns are as optimised as possible.
‘Mouse’s Wheel of Fortune’: An application that gives staff the chance to win prizes e.g. vouchers, experiences and retail goods based on their performance.

While every application within MHub is purpose-built and meets specific needs, they each exist to ultimately improve processes within Mango and optimise client campaigns.

For example: our call recording and listening application, MPlayer, helps both our teams and clients monitor performance and quality. Our staff can use these calls for training and benchmarking purposes, and clients can use these to keep track of their campaigns and fuel calibration sessions with the Mango team to continuously collaborate and boost success.

All-In-One Inhouse Solution

There are plenty more reasons why having an inhouse IT team is beneficial, but we really could go on forever!

Having an outsourced full-service Contact Centre solution means your campaign is good hands at every stage, with experts there when you need them to problem solve and optimise across all areas.

At Mango, we are a team of innovative, ethical professionals with a wealth of telemarketing experience in all its aspects. There’s not a lot we can’t answer, so if you are seeking an all-in-one Contact Centre solution, please talk to Mango today!

The 4 Benefits of Office Working

Posted on 3 October 20233 October 2023 by Mango

There’s no denying that since 2020, the way we work has completely changed. Almost every industry had to alter their day-to-day routines: with in-person office chats turning into Slack group channels, and boardroom meetings being swapped for screen sharing.

While these digital tools played a vital role in keeping us connected throughout erratic lockdowns, we always felt that there was something missing. Office working almost seemed like a ‘days gone by’ thing – something which we weren’t ready to let go of here at Mango!

The Benefits of Office Working

Now that we’ve returned to better days, the entire Mango team is (thankfully) back to being fully office-based – or, what we like to call – ‘back to normal’! To show our appreciation, we thought it would be fitting to run through the four top things we love about office working. So here they are…

Increased Collaboration

The famous quote “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” springs to mind when talking about collaboration. It’s so true though – working solo can only get you so far, whereas working in a team can help broaden potential in so many ways.

At Mango, we firmly believe that joining forces with others is what sparks creativity and strengthens work ethic. When you share a space with other like-minded people, it is far easier to voice ideas and stimulate productivity.

Whether it be in a training group, or in a brainstorming meeting – a positive energy and working atmosphere cannot be replicated remotely or through video calls, and it is 100% essential for the success of any team!

Builds Better Relationships

It’s rare that people make time for a proper chat with one another during a purposely scheduled Zoom meeting. Whether it be a spontaneous chat by the water cooler or in the communal kitchen – it’s these little moments that cement familiarity and develop relationships.

It doesn’t matter if it’s about a work-related topic or a personal problem, this social cohesion is what generates a company culture that gives people a sense of confidence and belonging.

At Mango, we strive to continuously nurture our culture by initiating regular in-office competitions, activities and events. We love it because not only does it create a social buzz, but it boosts team spirit and turns professional relationships into personal ones. You’ve maybe seen from our social media channels just how close the Mango family is!

Boosts Faster Learning

Being based in an office, especially if you’re just starting a new job, leads to speedier progress. Why? Because people experience a wide range of situations which they can learn from – something that is vital when it comes to professional development.

Plus, having managers present in the room makes all the difference to someone’s performance and growth. No need to bombard anyone with instant messages or phone calls! Instead, if there is a reliable presence nearby that you can lean on to ask for advice or share ideas with, this resolves problems quickly and ultimately benefits everyone!

Improved Wellbeing

Believe it or not, a huge 41% of people felt more anxious and isolated than ever due to lockdown!

That’s one of the reasons why we believe office working is so important. It’s the greetings of ‘good morning’, the in-office jokes and the farewells of ‘see you tomorrow’ that are so simple yet so effective in making someone feel valued.

Of course, wellbeing depends on a lot more than that, but it’s the small things as well as the big things that keep people feeling happy and healthy in their workplace.

Also, while balancing home and work life can keep us on our toes at the best of times – the good thing about office working is that the office provides a clear place of work. A place where people can physically leave at the end of each day and mentally switch off from until they return. This sets healthy boundaries, reduces stress, and promotes a better lifestyle overall.

At Mango, we know we deliver more from the heart of our office. So much so, that we’ve invested in purchasing the building next door so we can give our staff the space they need to be the best that they can be.

Of course, there’s plenty more where that came from – check out our video for more benefits of office working – or as we like to call it – #MangoWorking!

Getting Ready for Christmas: Your Essential Telemarketing Checklist

Posted on 22 August 202322 August 2023 by Mango

We may still have a few weeks of summer left, but it won’t be long until the most wonderful, busiest time of the year kicks in!

Yep, that’s right…we’re talking about getting ready for Christmas.

We can almost smell the mulled wine, taste the mince pies…and feel the chaotic buzz that comes with trying to prepare as much as possible before the big day comes.

While Christmas is always a manic time, last year total retail sales reached over 82 billion in the UK, making it the largest spending country compared with others in Europe. Plus, in 2022, half of people were more inclined to give to charities at Christmas, despite the current cost of living crisis.

While this is great for corporates and charities alike – this demand means they must not only carefully plan their marketing and supply – but also their customer and supporter service provision.

With this in mind, it helps to be ready to jingle bell rock! As a Contact Centre, we are well-versed in the hectic run-up to Christmas, so let’s run through everything you need to sleigh this upcoming season…

Your Full Christmas Checklist for Telemarketing

They do say the best way to be organised is to make a list! Albeit a different type of Christmas list…

If you know your business or organisation will be affected by the festive rush, then it’s worth reviewing the key points in this checklist to make sure you’re as ready for Christmas as you can be…

1. Understand Your Goals

It may seem simple to determine that at Christmas, the main goal of organisations is to generate as much income as possible compared to the previous year.

But with this overarching goal, comes a lot of objectives to make sure your target audience experience is seamless and enjoyable. By putting the people who are the key to your success first – then you can be sure that you’re starting things off on a positive track.

The first few questions to ask yourself are:

‘How can my target audience reach me?’
‘If my target audience need to get in touch, can my inhouse team manage the influx?’
‘What is my contingency plan if my resources become limited?’

These may feel like pretty big questions to ask – but they are essential so you can properly prepare, and ensure you are building loyalty, generating a good reputation and increasing demand.

2. Forecast Volumes

Data is your best friend when it comes to predicting call volumes.

For example, you can use existing data to generate reports showing how your organisation performed during the holiday season last year. From here, you can use this as a benchmark to estimate what to expect this year in terms of resource management.

Another area to consider is your audience and employee feedback. Their experiences can provide you with valuable insights into how you can improve services from last year.

We also recommend looking at peaks within the peak season (e.g. Black Friday, flash discounts, postal Christmas appeals etc.) and assessing whether short-term outsourced support would help better manage this.

3. Scale Up Your Resources

Once you have a greater understanding of your goals and have estimated your contact volume, the next step is scaling up your resources to cater to those who need to reach you.

With demand suddenly skyrocketing during the Christmas season, it’s no surprise that some companies and charities alike struggle to keep up. Not only that, but it’s also the time of the year when patience is at its thinnest, as people try to get everything done ahead of the Christmas cut-offs and New Year closures.

As such, it’s only natural that your team will experience high levels of stress during peak periods. The best solution to this problem is hiring a specialist telemarketing agency to help ease the workload.

Hiring a Contact Centre during the Christmas holidays comes with many benefits, as it can help all organisations with:

Mitigating risks
Leveraging extensive experience
Saving time
Motivating staff
Meeting demand
Reducing costs
Boosting loyalty
Increasing sales and satisfaction
Generating leads
Improving efficiency
Being available 24/7/365 when you can’t be

The best part? All of this comes with no disruption to existing operations, it really is a win, win!

Not only this, but by outsourcing to a Contact Centre, you are investing in building relationships and bonds with your audience. Being professional communicators and listeners is just some of the many skills our advisors possess – but it’s what ensures retention and a good reputation.

4. Consider Omnichannel Support

We understand that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to how people communicate with organisations.

While being available via phone remains most favoured, offering alternative options is a must-have for satisfying and retaining your audience. And during an extremely busy Christmas period, omnichannel support may turn out to be your saviour!

Some ways you can ease up your call queues is by directing people to other channels, such as email, live chat or social media. These are great options to have as they fit into people’s busy lifestyles, can be managed on-the-go, and people can get instant access to a real person to help with their question(s).

Are You Ready for Christmas? Let Mango Help!

While we know summer isn’t over yet, now is the time to get ready for the craziness that is Christmas!

We all know being prepared has its inevitable perks; the less stress you’re under, the more you can look forward to Christmas and enjoy the festivities with your team!

Having been in the telemarketing industry 15 years now, Mango has well and truly mastered the art of managing telecommunications and support services on behalf of organisations of all sizes and sectors during the busiest time of the year. Our video below says it all…

Let us take the stress off so you can enjoy the Christmas season! Talk to Mango today.

How to Best Use Email for Customer Service

Posted on 8 August 202322 August 2023 by Mango

There’s a very good reason why we call ourselves a ‘Contact Centre’.

It’s because in today’s ever-evolving world, we are now spoilt for choice when it comes to communicating! From phone calls to emails, live chat to social media – getting in touch is literally just a few taps away.

Using email as a contact method has long been a firm-favourite among customers, staff and companies alike. Not only are they convenient, they’re super easy to track and they save time.

But using email for customer service is a very different game compared to other methods, and is only truly effective with the right tips and tricks. As we have been a professional email management service provider for the last 15 years, you can be sure we have a few up our sleeve!

In this blog, we reveal how we ensure great results using email for customer service…

How to Ensure Effective Emails for Customer Service

While anyone can write an email, believe it or not, there is a knack to being a pro when using it for customer interactions. So long as you tick the boxes below – you’ll be on a roll – trust us!

Set Up Automatic Email Acknowledgements

When a customer sends an email, it’s common courtesy these days to set up an automatic response that they’ll receive instantly.

It might not contain the exact answer they’re looking for – but it’s a great way to put a customer’s mind at ease. How? Well…

It lets them know that their query has been delivered
It gives you a chance to thank them for their time and get the communication off to a positive start
It allows you to set expectations, e.g. inform them when they can expect a response from a customer service agent
You can direct them to helpful resources that you have available, e.g. an FAQ page, social media channels etc.

In short: customers value companies that deliver prompt responses, rather than ones that have them feeling left in a limbo. Automation is an easy, effective way to meet this need.

Remember Your ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’s

While it is common sense to have good manners in customer service, it’s worth reiterating how it makes a world of difference in any and every situation.

For example, not remembering general niceties can be enough to lose a customer. People have high expectations these days, and missing out on showing consideration is very difficult to recover from – especially with emails being trackable!

Having templates ready-made for yourself or your colleagues is a super effective way to ensure manners are never put on the backburner. Plus, it saves lots of typing time!

Some phrases we recommend using are:

‘I hope you are well today’
‘Thank you for getting in touch with us’
‘Please can I ask for more information regarding XYZ’
‘I look forward to hearing from you’
‘Many thanks again for your query’

Respond With Either an Explanation and/or a Solution

Once your autoreply has been sent, it’s vital to investigate the customer’s query as soon as you can.

If you have a timeframe to work to (e.g. 24/48 hours), responding to them within or well before the deadline is ideal. Every scenario is different, but for more complex queries, don’t try to rush yourself. It’s important that you take your time so you can be thorough, and find solid answers to the questions asked to limit escalations.

Even if you don’t have a full explanation, remember to keep the customer up-to-date regularly with progress reports, just to keep them in the loop.

Of course, there will be other queries that you can resolve quickly and easily. Just make sure you educate the customer so they are gaining more value than just the answer they were looking for. This could be the case if they ask your opening times, for example. You can give them the answer, then highlight where this information is available on your website/social media channels.

Going back to the customer with an explanation and a solution will provide them with a sense of relief, knowing that their situation is in good hands.

Remember to Follow-Up

Whether it be an order confirmation, a ‘thank you’ after a donation, or a summary of next steps when dealing with a more complicated query – sending a follow-up email puts the customer at the forefront – no matter how big or small their initial reason for getting in touch was.

Being a Contact Centre, we know a thing or two about how important keeping in touch is – that’s why we use email services in conjunction with our telephony.

We find sending email responses at the end of calls, depending on the outcome, request, or individual requirement, makes for a great ‘switched-on’ approach to servicing customers.

Depending on the need, we do this either manually, or through automation. Either way, it provides added value in a world where customers expect more from companies and organisations.

Email Management Services at Mango

If your customer service emails are getting on top of you – fear not! That’s what Mango’s here for.

As an expert email management company, we will dedicate ourselves to learn all about your business, so that we can answer queries with confidence in the tone of your brand.

Whether it be a permanent fix, or a matter of lending a helping hand during a seasonal spike in volume; by outsourcing your email management to Mango, we help free up your internal resources, saving you precious time at a cost effective price.

Want to get started? Or have any other questions? Let’s chat! You can talk to Mango by phoning 028 9147 5200, emailing info@talktomango.com, or dropping us a message here!

For more top tips and insights, check out the rest of our blog.

Tracking Call Quality: Our Top Hints and Hacks

Posted on 25 July 202325 July 2023 by Mango

Call quality impacts everything in a Contact Centre; from operational efficiency to client satisfaction.

In an ideal world, it would be nice to assume that everything is always hunky-dory – but tracking progress is an essential procedure to ensure service is continuously optimised.

At Mango, we have honed the art of nurturing, tracking and improving call quality – in several ways in fact!

In this blog, we provide a full rundown of hints and hacks that we use to ensure call quality is in tip-top shape. But before that, let’s look at why it’s important to do in the first place…

The Importance of Call Quality Checks

Whether a person is calling to make a donation, purchase an item, or ask for assistance – they will likely encounter the brief message: “This call may be monitored for training and quality purposes.”

While this is a common occurrence in this day and age and may go unnoticed by most – this plays a huge part in how Contact Centres like ourselves measure how well a query is being handled.

This is vital because, according to 123 Form Builder’s 2023 customer service statistics, how we manage interactions and provide experiences is now more important (and demanding) than ever before:

Customer support requests are up to 14% from last year;
81% of people claim that receiving good customer service makes them more likely to return;
70% of the conversion experience is based on how the customer is treated;
More than 60% of customers now expect companies to meet all their needs;
64% of businesses say they can notice sales growth due to good customer service.

If done right, these benchmarks for success can reap many rewards across the board. For example:

Positive interactions provide an enjoyable experience for both the caller and the agent;
Consistently good experiences can nurture client-customer relationships and boost reputation;
Agents will enjoy praise, recognition and a boost in morale.

How We Track Call Quality at Mango

We understand that every agent will have different skills. So, to ensure the above outcomes, we track call quality in different ways to help identify gaps and set new goals as a result…

Call Recording and Listening

Call recording and listening is a classic quality monitoring method. It gives a first-hand, detailed insight into how calls flow, how the agent solves problems, how rapport is built, and so much more!

Using our very own PCI-compliant call recording app, designed inhouse by our expert IT team, our Contact Centre management and client services teams can securely listen to calls to spot areas for improvement from both an agent and process perspective.

These calls are then used to aid agent training and client calibration sessions…

Call Calibration

Call calibration sessions are regular meetings held between our client services team and clients to discuss and rate calls.

Not only do we understand that every agent is different, but we also know that each client has different expectations and requirements. Call calibration is the key to unlocking what these are, so we can work with transparency and partnership at the forefront.

At Mango, we believe this strategy helps to:

Define best practices
Determine preferred call flows and formats
Optimise scripts
Set new objectives
Revisit how areas have been improved

We then use this information to map out feedback sessions with agents, or examine new processes and approaches that will enhance efficiency, productivity and quality.

Feedback Sessions

At Mango, we host regular ‘1-2-1’ meetings between Team Leaders and Contact Centre agents. They are used primarily to give agents feedback, but are also used to check-in with how they’re doing/feeling, and help them grow in their roles.

Having dedicated feedback sessions with agents gives them the perfect opportunity to reflect, learn and adapt – therefore optimising their performance over time. This is where the call recordings come in handy – allowing them to listen to their skills in action (as well as other agents’ high-quality calls), independently score themselves and identify focus points for the future.

Having the Right Tools

High-quality service is delivered in several ways. While the agent will be responsible for the spoken interaction, they still need additional tools to provide a totally seamless experience.

Our Contact Centre management and client services teams are always brainstorming and strategising new ways we can make processes sleeker and better than they were before.

Enter: our fabulous IT team to make the dream a reality!

With thanks to them, we have been able to create bespoke systems, tools and apps to ensure campaigns are fully catered for. Not only this, but they have also developed many internal solutions which help with tracking quality, such as:

Agent journey app – a record of agent progress
Staff training app – a record of what training they have completed/are yet to complete
Agent notes app – a space for agents to securely store training notes
MChat – our internal-only chat platform for staff to communicate updates across all levels of the business

Ensuring Consistent Call Quality

Quality monitoring is a continual process that forms an integral part of business operations, no matter what industry you’re in!

By implementing the above hacks into our daily processes, we have spotted huge opportunities for both our clients and staff, as they have allowed us to consistently evaluate and improve performance.

If you are looking for a high-quality Contact Centre solution – talk to Mango today!

Customer Service Tips – Hear it From the Experts!

Posted on 11 July 202311 July 2023 by Mango

No matter what industry you work in, it helps to know how to give someone a great experience.

Being a pro in customer service goes a long way in making a memorable impression. We’ve seen it first-hand – from our internal client service teams right through to our HR department – building a rapport is key in setting yourself apart from the rest!

So, if you’re on the lookout for some customer service tips and suggestions – the experts at Mango have you covered.

The Best Piece of Customer Service Advice We Can Give You…

While there are many ‘quick wins’ that achieve good customer service, it is best to have a solid understanding of what makes a real difference.

We live by what is known as “the three ‘Ps’” – AKA the most important qualities of customer service. That being said – in true Mango fashion – we’ve added a fourth element to the mix that we think is just as imperative.

These three qualities centre around:

Professionalism
Patience
Having a ‘People-first’ attitude
And, our fourth addition: being Proactive

Although it varies from customer to customer, as long as you’re following these guidelines, you’ll always be on the right track!

Here’s a few more top tips that are also fail-safe:

Be as Accessible as Possible

These days, customers want instant responses and resolutions. So, the more accessible you are, the more easily you can meet the needs of more people.

There’s a lot of things you can do to tick this box, such as:

Being open 24/7
Being available across multiple channels, including calls, email, live chat, social media, SMS and more
Making sure whatever methods you can be contacted on are obvious via your website’s homepage, contact page and social media channels

By doing this, you are proving that you are customer-focused, and that you’re invested in helping them with whatever query they may have, at whatever point in the day suits them.

Use the Right Tools

If you want to deliver the best possible support, then it benefits to have the right platforms and tools in place.

For us – whether it be answering calls or emails – we would be nowhere without our inhouse IT team. These guys are there to make sure we have all the essential components for great customer service – from data, equipment, software and scripts as and when we need. Thanks to this, we can effortlessly handle whatever is thrown at us, as everything is programmed to automatically guide us through each step of the way!

Helpful resources can be anything and everything – from handy cheat sheets, project-dedicated chat channels, to even industry-specific newsletters. These all add up in optimising your customer service, plus they make your life a lot easier, too!

Always Thank the Customer, No Matter What

Customer appreciation is important for many reasons. First and foremost, it can help make customers happy. And a happy customer is more likely to not only come back, but also spread the good word about your excellent service.

Everyone likes to feel valued, and customers are no different. That’s why it’s vital to say thank you and go above and beyond in any and every situation.

You can find more specific tips about rapport building techniques to boost your call quality over on our blog page.

Use Positive Language

Positive language is a great way to avoid accidental conflicts sprung from miscommunication. While it happens to the best of us, being proactive works wonders in changing a conversation around.

For example, a customer wishes to buy a product, but it is back-ordered for a month. Consider the following responses:

Negative language: “I can’t get you that product until next month. It is back-ordered and unavailable at this time.”
Positive language: “What a great purchase. That product will be available next month. I can place the order for you right now and make sure that it is sent to you the minute its available!”

What a difference it makes telling your customers what you can do for them instead of what you can’t! Redirecting the conversation from negative to positive places focus on the solution, rather than the problem. When the outcome takes centre stage, it eases the situation and distracts from potential backlash.

There’s lots more customer service tips that we could give you, but we’ll save these for another blog, and leave you with another great piece of advice from Douglas Adams: “To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity”.

Stay tuned to our blog page for more helpful tips and tricks every other week. Or, if you want to have a chat sooner rather than later, get in touch today!