UK business leaders estimate they lose an average of £3,462 in revenue every year because of running out of mobile data. Research involving 1,000 company bosses and decision-makers found that 56% of those whose data had expired over the past two years suffered monetary setbacks as a result.
The most damaging interruptions were not being able to make transactions (35%), clients not being able to make contact (34%) and losing access to essential business applications (33%). Nearly half (45%) said running out of mobile data would be worse for their trade than running out of stock.
Nine in ten described connectivity as the 'lifeblood' of their business, with 54% saying not having any data left would create greater headaches than a complete power outage. The study also found a third of staff lose access to data at least once a month, due to caps being reached earlier than expected (37%), unexpected surges (30%) and staff not being aware of data limits (28%).
To prevent this, 94% take measures such as setting data alerts, paying for unlimited contracts and using data-saving apps, while 24% go as far as checking their usage on a daily basis. More than a third (34%) said they would judge a company if customer experience was interrupted due to data problems, and 33% would hesitate before using those services again.
Mayuresh Thavapalan of Sky Business, which commissioned the OnePoll research, said that when mobile data dries up, payments, purchases, deliveries and all-important customer service can be affected. He added that running out of data has a tangible impact on current opportunities and can have long-term effects on loyalty and reputation, making it vital for SMEs to eliminate waste while ensuring connectivity.
