Update on service & industry insights

This article provides you with an update on service, and some insights into what we are seeing in our sectors at the moment.

Service continues to be our number one priority. Here’s a breakdown of some of the elements that make up ADVANCE’s approach to world class service

Calls

• Here at ADVANCE we continue to focus on answering all our calls within 3 rings.
• Over the last 5 weeks we have answered 99.1% of calls within 3 rings. 
• We continue to report on this daily to our teams, and share the stats on our homepage here

Business & Trade

• Main rate of corporation tax, paid by businesses on taxable profits over £250,000, confirmed to increase from 19% to 25%
• Companies with profits between £50,000 and £250,000 to pay between 19% and 25%
• Companies able to deduct investment in new machinery and technology to lower their taxable profits
• Tax breaks and other benefits for 12 new Investment Zones across the UK, funded by £80m each over the next five years
• Reduced paperwork for international traders, who will also be given longer to submit customs forms under streamlined rules

ADVANCE's goal

• Our business goal is to pick up every phone call within 3 rings.
• Contractors, Freelancers & agencies contact us and expect their calls to be answered promptly. Our teams are extremely focused and passionate about delivering this level of service, making sure that everyone one who calls in knows they are valued, and all receive an exceptional level of service

TrustPilot reviews

ADVANCE currently hold a rating of Excellent on Trust Pilot, with a Trust score of 4.6 stars.  In addition, we are rated 4.6 stars on Google.  Feedback is extremely important to us.  We hold weekly meetings to discuss feedback from our agencies and contractors, this then forms part of efficiencies & other projects to enhance our service levels. We don’t rest on our laurels, but look for continual improvement. If you have suggestions on how ADVANCE could improve on what we do, you are welcome to get in touch.

Proactive service calls

We have a dedicated Contractor Relations team who regular contact workers to offer our help and support and gain feedback on a weekly basis.  Rather than waiting for the phone to ring we make contact prior to making payments, and throughout their assignment to check in with them. We don’t wait for problems to happen – we ensure things are running smoothly from the start.

What we are seeing in the recruitment sector

• When we are engaging with new agencies & their preferred supplier list (PSL), their 3 priorities are service, compliance & security.  At ADVANCE we always invest heavily in all these areas and are constantly evaluating our business.
• Construction is starting to increase again, after Christmas this sector was heavily impacted with new house builds slowing and infrastructure projects being delayed, put on hold.
• With the increase in pension allowance, high-end Umbrella employees which were impacted by IR35 are looking at the opportunity with ADVANCE to ‘salary sacrifice’ which allows the employee to invest straight into a pension before tax and national insurance. ADVANCE are slowly seeing an increase in employees looking to contribute in this way.
• There is still a demand for skilled workers in IT, engineering & healthcare.  Contractors are continuing to dictate salaries in these skilled sectors.

The aim of this update is to provide you with up to date, useful information regarding our sector and specifics regarding ADVANCE. If you would like to discuss any of these topics in more detail please feel free to contact contact ADVANCE or your Client Relationship Manager on 01244 564 564.