BT HAS completed its commitment to answer 100% of customer service calls in the UK and Ireland a year ahead of schedule to deliver the most personal and local service to its customers.
The company is now the only major broadband provider to answer all calls across the UK and Ireland, with many calls answered at the nearest local contact centre to the customer thanks to regional call routing.
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BT has created the best and widest customer service network in the UK, with expert teams providing support in local contact centres, back on the high street in over 600 stores across the UK, and even in customers’ homes. BT also has 900 Home Tech Experts providing support across the UK and customers can also get expert, easy to access help 24/7 through the My BT App.
Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s consumer division, said: “We know how important providing a personal, and local, service is to our customers. Today we’re delivering on our commitment to answer all of our customer service calls in the UK and Ireland. We know our customers value speaking to someone who understands their issue down to the regional differences that make us so great as a country, whether that’s expert help with tech or chat about the local football team.”
“This is our latest move in creating the UK’s best customer service network to provide our customers with outstanding help and support. We’ve brought BT back to the high street, we’ve brought help and support into people’s homes with our Home Tech Experts, and to ensure we provide the best customer service we’re now answering 100% of our customers’ calls in the UK and Ireland.”
To mark this moment, BT spoke to people across the UK to reveal the differences in local phrases and dialects that relate and connect people when talking on the phone.
Across Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland, almost 40% of people say that ‘Hello’ is their preferred way to start a conversation, with ‘Hiya’ and ‘Alright’ coming in second and third respectively. This may seem very formal – and living up to stereotypes but we’re ending with ‘See Ya’ as our favourite way to end our chat.
Other popular phone phrases include ‘Wassup’ which was particularly popular in London and the South East of England, and in the north other favourites include ‘What’s the craic?’ and ‘Alright?’.
We aren’t just formal when it comes to phone calls either with ‘regards’ being the UK’s most popular written sign off (37%), followed by ‘many thanks’ (25%). Whereas one in ten from London and Yorkshire prefer signing off with ‘love from.’
Rob Temple, comedian and writer behind Very British Problems, says, “The Nation loves a good formal safe ‘hello’. We know where we are with a hello. It’s low risk. We shout all sorts of greetings to our friends and family to their faces, often becoming especially colourful when yelling across a pub, but stick a phone to our ear and suddenly we’re in Downton Abbey. Let’s hope it stays that way.”
The UK’s famed politeness and etiquette is internationally renowned through the varied ways people address and thank each other. The research shows that ‘thank you’ is the most popular way to show appreciation to someone with ‘ta’ and ‘nice one’ being the next two favourites, particularly in Scotland and the North West of England.
Rob continues, “The UK is a nation of different dialects, with unique lingo in every corner of the country. But, something that we all share is our love of local small talk; the weather, footie and the telly, all make us feel comfortable and able to relate to someone on the other side of the phone.”
BT has partnered with social media comedian, Very British Problems, by comically engaging Twitter users on picking their favourite phone sayings via a bingo meme.
