What does telephone availability really mean in sales?

Accessibility is more than just answering calls—it determines the quality of customer relationships. This article is aimed at decision-makers who want to optimize their service processes and handle customer inquiries more efficiently. Discover how modern solutions take customer service to the next level.

• Thoughts on the value of a telephone conversation for customer satisfaction and customer loyalty
• Sales availability is more than just answering calls
• How can we rethink accessibility in sales?
• An exchange of ideas about customer relationships instead of an off-the-shelf solution

Hey, I’m Matthias Sinz and I work in the Consulting team at matelso. Every day, I talk to companies about accessibility – but what does that really mean? Is a phone call “accessible” when it rings? When it is answered? Or only when the issue behind the call has been resolved?

We all know the frustration: you call somewhere, wait, maybe get transferred, talk to someone who isn’t responsible—and end up hanging up without a solution. But true availability means more than just answering a call. It starts with the caller speaking to a competent person who understands their concern and can help them. This is where the matelso ServiceCenter comes in: It ensures that calls are not only answered, but also recorded and structured in a targeted manner – so that every request is actually dealt with.

Many companies only address the issue of accessibility when they notice that customer inquiries are going unanswered. Our matelso Lead Management Study has shown that 26% of incoming inquiries are not processed even after follow-up. This means that someone deliberately picked up the phone, had a concern—and was not heard.

But accessibility does not end when you pick up the phone. It means that the person calling is actually speaking to the right person. That their request is understood. That they either receive an immediate response or the assurance that someone is taking care of it. Accessibility means structuring a conversation in such a way that it adds value for both sides.

I believe we need to redefine accessibility. It’s not just about answering calls or processing requests – it’s about making communication meaningful. Companies should ask themselves:

• How often do customers contact us without really getting a solution?
• How much time do our teams spend on initial calls that could be handled differently?
• How can we ensure that our sales team focuses on what really matters?

The matelso ServiceCenter can play a decisive role in not only ensuring availability, but also in organizing it in a meaningful way. It not only ensures that a call is answered, but also that it is processed correctly—whether through a direct response or structured documentation for follow-up.

Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as every company has different requirements and processes. But one thing is clear: if calls are only answered but not processed properly, companies miss opportunities and leave a bad impression on their customers. The matelso ServiceCenter can help make this process more efficient—without your team getting bogged down with unnecessary routine inquiries.

matelso Consulting can help companies not only ensure availability, but also integrate it optimally into existing processes. Together, we look at where the current bottlenecks are, which customer inquiries remain unanswered, and how the interaction between service, sales, and internal processes can be improved. Our goal is not just to handle calls, but to make them valuable—for your company and for your customers.

Let’s talk together about how accessibility is practiced in your company. What challenges do you see? What works well, what less so? I look forward to discussing this with you and gaining new perspectives on this topic.