Category: Services

The General Election 2024 is fast approaching, and the competition for political parties across the United Kingdom to get their message and values heard is at its peak. 

As 4th July approaches, we understand time really is of the essence! With campaigning in full swing, parties need efficient, effective communications to secure support from volunteers and voters alike.  

To make sure you don’t miss any opportunities, we’re here to lend a helping hand as a seamless extension of your political party. 

Ways to Spread the Word 

There’s lots of ways political parties can promote their views to the public.  

For example, there are traditional methods such as advertising displays, newspaper ads, billboards, street signs, brochures, articles, flyers, letters, radio/TV interviews and door-to-door knocking. 

Parties can also make use of modern features via social media and online advertising. 

However, the most direct and impactful option is undoubtedly via telephone support. Here’s why… 

How Political Parties Use Telephone Support

Telephone support is the simple act of connecting with potential and existing voters over the phone to have meaningful conversations about what matters to them, and how your party can help. 

It involves outbound calling to a range of individuals for different purposes. For a political party, these could be: 

• Volunteers e.g.: 
  • Recruiting new volunteers to increase circulation of the party’s mission 
  • Managing existing volunteer schedules to ensure attendance at events 

• Voters e.g.: 
  • Gauging support for the party (survey calling to assist with campaign strategy) 
  • Discussing party and candidate stances and values 
  • Persuading people to register to vote and cast their vote on election day 

Regardless of the reason for calling, telephone support enables you to reach more people using fewer resources – and the benefits don’t stop there… 

The Benefits of Telephone Support During a General Election 

Through telephone, you can: 

• Reach a larger portion of the electorate faster than door-to-door canvassing e.g. a volunteer can knock on an average of 20 doors per hour, dialling can ring 50+ numbers every hour  
• Save time on canvassing efforts by using assigned contact lists 
• Build relationships with the public through highly experienced and specially trained representatives 
• Generate more proactive outcomes and positive results with pre-written scripts and objection handling techniques easily accessible on screen 
• Understand the level of support a potential voter may have for you or your party 
• Discuss your political policies and share your messaging with the electorate 
• Answer and alleviate people’s concerns through tailored training and ready-made FAQ responses 
• Generate a pledge-to-vote list to help your GOTV (get out the vote) strategy 
• Further party promotion and public interactions with complementary services including Social Media, Live Chat, Email Management and SMS Responses 

With telephone support proving its worth, the next step is finding an agency who can execute the above (and then some!) on behalf of your political party… 

Why choose Mango for Telephone Support? 

At Mango, we have extensive experience working with a diverse range of political parties to boost their connections with the public. 

Here’s how we can help you make a real difference this General Election: 

✅ Our services are extensive, covering not just telephone, but also volunteer recruitment/management, survey calling and added value services including Live Chat, Email, SMS and more! 
 
💰 We are extremely cost-effective compared to competitors, without compromising on quality. 
 
👍 We can be ready to make your calls within 24 hours. Being experts in the Call Centre industry, we promise a quick yet efficient turnaround time, and can get the ball rolling as soon as you like. 
 
🕐 We operate 24/7/365 – so you can sleep easy knowing that your party’s message is being spread by a highly trained team on your behalf, regardless of the time of day (or night!). 
 
📞 We offer a wide range of costing models as well as flat rates depending on volume – working with you to tailor a solution that suits your party’s exact needs. 

Telephone is a vital tool in securing support, but at the same time, it is about building relationships with the masses. By having a good script, efficient software, and expert representatives, you can create strong grassroots support for your campaign. 

If you would like to have a chat about what Mango can do for you, please email josephine@talktomango.com 

We know what you’re thinking – no one wants to be put on hold!

But during this rare pause, your callers are at peak engagement, giving you the perfect chance to tell them more about you! 

Known as on hold marketing, this phenomenon is proving popular with organisations of all sizes. 

Let’s find out why exactly… 

So, What is On Hold Marketing? 

On hold marketing offers a fantastic window of opportunity to provide information about a product, service or event to callers who are queueing, holding or transferring via the phone.  

The situation is so unique in that you’re in direct contact with a captive audience that’s already actively listening out for a call to action. So why not use this moment to showcase your brand and tell them something they don’t know about?  

Whether you’re a retailer wanting to offer an exclusive deal, or a charity wanting to educate callers on the amazing work you’re doing – you really can’t go wrong with leveraging the power of on hold marketing. 

Some ‘On Hold’ Stats… 

They say the proof is in the pudding! Here’s some interesting facts we’ve learned about the increased popularity of on hold marketing… 

• 60% of callers hang up if there’s no message or music; 
• 73% of consumers want to hear something other than beeps or silence while on hold; 
• 90% of callers hang up after 40 seconds if they’re not engaged by a voice; 
• 30% of customers who hear an on hold marketing message make a purchase of that product or service! 

That last statistic really does speak volumes. A single pre-recorded message has the potential to yield 30% extra conversion. Yet there’s so many organisations that haven’t tapped into this additional, lucrative revenue stream!  

The Benefits 

As the stats above show – having a professional, personalised on hold marketing message can open a lot of possibilities – but below are a few core reasons why on hold marketing is so useful for boosting businesses:   

Reduces Hang-Ups 

As we’ve discovered, 60% of callers hang up if there’s no message or music, so it’s vital to acknowledge and hook callers from the get-go to keep them engaged. 

With on hold marketing, you are heightening the caller’s customer experience, making it more likely for them to stay around and take action. If a caller must be placed on hold, here’s a few ideas on how you can fill the silence: 

• Telling the caller interesting facts about your business 
• Describing loyalty programmes, current promotions and events 
• Inviting callers to follow your social media channels and browse your website 

TOP TIP: Regularly change your recorded messages so returning customers don’t get fed up with hearing the same thing repeatedly. 

Plus, on hold marketing has been proven to lower a company’s complaints rate by giving customers reassurance that their call is still connected and reminding them of the reasons that they should choose you compared to competitors.  

Increases Sales 

On hold marketing means you can effortlessly offer your callers better value for money and drive sales through upsell and cross-sell promotions. 

Through pre-recorded on hold marketing messages, you can more easily tell your callers about exclusive discounts, which will encourage repeat sales and strengthen customer loyalty. 

For charities, you could use on hold marketing messages to boost donations and even generate leads e.g. enticing callers to sign-up to give a donation to receive a free t-shirt, badge or tote bag for example.  

Low-Cost Solution 

The cost of on hold marketing is significantly lower compared to other marketing methods, yet is much more effective at getting your customer through the sales process. 

For example, most on hold marketing packages are paid monthly, which is the perfect solution for small businesses. At Mango, included in your package, we offer all the below free of charge: 

• Telephone audio marketing 
• Licensed on-hold music 
• Voiceovers to suit your branding 

All produced in our in-house recording studio! 

Mango’s On Hold Marketing Solution 

Making a great first impression over the phone can make a significant difference to your sales figures, customer loyalty and their experience.  

Maximise your business opportunities with Mango’s on hold marketing services. We also offer high-quality phone answering and message taking services as part of an overall package, so you don’t ever have to miss a call again! 

To find out more, talk to Mango today. 

The housing association sector has become one of Mango’s specialities over the last 15 years.  

Housing associations provide an essential service; offering shelter and support to their residents, which may be across thousands of different properties up and down the country! 

But how exactly do we help housing associations? From 24/7/365 out of hours support to overflow cover – there’s not much we can’t do! 

In this blog, we take a closer look at the housing association sector as a whole, and how we can aid the important work these organisations do. 

Housing Associations: What’s Involved? 

The housing association sector exists to provide their residents with guidance and assistance with a wide range of queries and requests. Whether they be simple or complex, housing associations have a big responsibility over the welfare of their residents, and so must focus on accessibility to ensure nothing’s ever missed. 

There are lots of reasons why residents might want to contact their housing association, some of which include, but are not limited to: 

• To report damages or faults so the housing association can quickly repair and maintain the property in accordance with the law 
• To obtain information about a property e.g. whether rent has been paid yet or to update personal details. 
• To inform of an emergency in relation to the property e.g. a gas leak or fire 

From working as the first point-of-contact for several housing associations across the UK, we know how important this responsibility is and that when residents get in contact, they deserve a reliable, speedy response. 

On Mango’s side, we exist to help housing associations ensure that no query goes unacknowledged. Oftentimes, we see housing associations struggle with the following: 

• Resource restraints e.g. not having the inhouse capacity to manage peaks in calls or offer out of hours support 
• Managing expectations e.g. residents not knowing what services they are and are not entitled to 
• Keeping up with technology advancements e.g. missing multi and omnichannel opportunities to reduce high call volumes and boost first contact resolution via Live Chat, email, social media messaging, video conferencing/WhatsApp 

How Do We Help the Housing Association Sector?

Covering Manchester to Cornwall (and beyond!) – we are experienced in offering first-class tenant support services. Our housing association contact centre services are extensive, covering the below (and then some!): 

• Emergency Lines 
• Day Time Cover 
• Out of Hours (24/7/365) 
• Overflow 
• Incident Reporting 
• Outbound 
• Lone Worker Checks 
• Escalation Services 
• Payment Lines 
• Decanting Services 

Our expertise in the above means we can offer these services on a round-the-clock basis, giving clients and their tenants peace of mind that whenever support is needed, there’s always someone there to answer the call. 

What are the Benefits? 

Through a combination of industry knowledge and proven proficiency, the Mango team offer many benefits to housing associations, including: 

Increased accessibility: By offering and managing several channels of communication such as phone, Live Chat, social media and email – we enable tenants with any and all preferences to reach out to have their queries resolved. 

Greater flexibility: We understand that call volumes for housing associations can be unpredictable, making it difficult to organise internal resources. We act as an easy, scalable solution, with our out of hours and overflow services providing a reassuring fix to this common problem. 

Bespoke reporting: We provide tailored result reporting, so all essential data is included for clients’ records, allowing performance to be accurately tracked and actively optimised. 

Faster resolution times: With more queries being handled with our help through various channels, we ensure issues are addressed and resolved more quickly, which is critical to improving tenant satisfaction, meeting regulatory measures and first-time resolution, helping to reduce repeat calling and overall call volumes. 

Regardless of the size of the housing association, we understand the importance of being resident-centred and always available. If you have any questions about our housing association services, please feel free to talk to Mango today! 

‘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! 

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!