Feature

blackberry becomes business essential

Retailers who meet any resistance from business customers could do worse than quoting this new research from T-Mobile and YouGov – 90% of BlackBerry users say it’s a business lifesaver helping them to avoid a variety of damaging business situations, particularly when it comes to customer service.
40% of respondents said a customer relationship would have been compromised if they had not responded to an email quickly, whilst a third found the ability to access email on the move enabled them to respond to enquiries more rapidly.
The findings proved that BlackBerry-enabled businesses were better able to meet Service Level Agreements, therefore avoiding compromising and potentially damaging situations with their customers.
68% also thought that their BlackBerry handset made them look more professional and improved the way they are perceived by customers.
BlackBerry has also been a deal maker for a number of users. 15% of respondents have won new business, and 12% were even able to avoid a tricky legal situation because they could send and receive emails on the move.
However, fear of having their BlackBerry handset taken away was a big concern – more than one in ten respondents said they would be devastated if it happened, while 50% said they would be worried about missing important emails and calls. More than a third of respondents said they would feel more stressed when out of the office and a further 18% felt that they would be unable to cope with their current workload.
Other key findings from the research include:
36% of respondents said that having BlackBerry has helped them out of a compromising business situation on more than five occasions
88% of users that surf the Internet from their BlackBerry handset use it to keep up to date with the news
61% of users find BlackBerry helps to strike a work-life balance by being able to stay on top of both business and personal lives whilst out of the office.
Derek Williamson, Head of Business Marketing, T-Mobile UK summarised: “BlackBerry is no longer simply a nice to have – it is a crucial ingredient in businesses’ success. We live in a world where business is done anywhere, anytime, and the ability to check emails on the move is keeping BlackBerry users one step ahead of the game. It is helping businesses to avoid legal issues, improve customer service and even convert new business leads. Mobile working has truly come of age.”
The research sounds right, but it’s a shame that it was based on a study of just 251 BlackBerry users in the UK. Surely there must be more than that …
 
• T-Mobile has just added the BlackBerry 7130g to its portfolio – it’s a BlackBerry that actually looks and works like a phone. T-Mobile UK will have it on contracts from free up to £139.99.