Live Better Blog: July Round-Up
It may well be summer now, but after a month or so filled with bouts of thunderstorms mixed with intense heat (not something we’re quite used to in the North), you’d be forgiven for thinking we’re living in a big leaky greenhouse.
Alas, it is definitely summer and, also alas, football didn’t end up coming home for Euro 2020 (but boy did it come close!), so we’ll turn our attentions to more positive stories from the last month instead – a month of excellent customer service, as always, and a very special birthday!
Customer (dis)satisfaction.
We’ve heard a lot in the news about customers being fed up of the widely-used excuse that the poor service they’ve been receiving lately is down to the pandemic.
While that may have been a legitimate reason for businesses a year or so ago, things have come a long way since we were thrust into the unknown. Unfortunately, we’ve had to learn to live with this terrible virus, and for MoneyPlus, that’s meant adapting our customer service levels to be flexible when the pressure is on (like, say, in a global pandemic…)
We’ve got proof.
We pride ourselves on our customer service – always have. So if you told us 18 months ago that there would be a devastating worldwide event that would threaten lives, livelihoods, and shake even the strongest economies, we would have some questions of course, but ultimately we would have simply done what we always do; provide excellent customer service, even in times of great stress and uncertainty.
And that’s exactly what we did.
Before the pandemic, our Advisors answered calls in under 12 seconds (that’s lightning speed, if you ask us). During the height of the pandemic, we still managed to keep call wait times across our Advice, Legal and Energy companies to under 50 seconds. If that sounds like a lot, recent research into average call wait times for other UK energy providers came in at a minimum of 20 minutes!
And now? We’re back to answering calls in under 12 seconds, just like before.
It seemed to have worked out for everyone, as we received less complaints throughout the pandemic, and for those we did get, we resolved them quicker than ever before.
It just goes to show you what can happen when businesses care as much about customer service as we do!
Global pandemic? We’re prepared.
It’s our birthday.
Last Friday we celebrated turning 11 years old. Well, kind of. MoneyPlus Group actually began way back in 1996 as debt management company Chiltern, and we’ve come such a long way since then…
From humble beginnings as a debt management firm in Altrincham, to acquiring 21 businesses, and now making waves in the legal and energy industries – what a journey!
We’re celebrating our brandiversary (11 years since the start of the MoneyPlus Group brand) by taking a look back through the years and sharing our story. Take a look below to read all about where we started, and how we got to where we are today…
The small stuff.
Here’s the latest bite-sized stories from across the personal finance world…
London living.
Looking to rent in London? Prices in the capital went up 4.3% last month – the biggest increase in 7 years! The cause? People returning to offices and an awakening social scene. Still, the pandemic’s impact means rent on an average inner London home is still £415 per month less than this time last year…
Lifting optimism.
Ahead of the lifting of lockdown restrictions next week, business optimism appears to be growing, according to a survey by BDO. Businesses are at their most confident since 2005, and have big hiring plans coming up…
Amber alert.
Holiday bookings to amber list destinations have surged by 400% according to EasyJet. From 19th July, those who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to quarantine when coming from an amber list country, such as mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Portugal, and Greece…
Legal action.
New build homeowners in England and Wales will be given 15 years after construction of their homes to take legal action against developers for poor building work (an increase from the current 6 years). This comes in response to the cladding crisis brought to light by the Grenfell tragedy.
Right to repair.
TV, fridge and washing machine manufacturers will have to make spare parts available under new Right to Repair rules set out by the government. The aim is to extend the lifespan of products by up to 10 years, helping customers save money by not shelling out for a new product so often!
You could WIN a FREE bouquet from Bloom & Wild!
We’ve partnered with Bloom & Wild to give 5 of our social followers a monthly chance to win a free bouquet! To be in with a chance to win this month’s bloom, just do the following:
1. Like our Facebook page
2. Then share our latest Bloom & Wild post with the hashtag #12MonthsOfBloom
Simple! (Don’t forget to set your shared post to ‘public’, otherwise we won’t be able to see who shares it!)
Winners will be announced at the beginning of next month, so stay tuned to our social to see if you’ve won.
(T&C’s apply – https://bit.ly/2uhOyZx).
