An unbeatable deal

TALKING TO clients is a major part of Kevin Tullett’s business. As founder of RedFX, an independent consultancy based in London and the south of France, he’s in constant communication with CEOs, CFO and COOs, as are his colleagues.

The business deals with currency and payments solutions for corporates and private individuals. “So, the two elements are to protect against currency moves, and also to optimise when currency moves in their favour,” he says.

“Because the currency markets move so much, there needs to be an ongoing channel of communication and to be quite frank with you, there is no substitute for the telephone in order to keep relationships going.

“We prospect for new businesses, I’d say 60% on the phone, 40% by email, and then we are in contact with existing clients 100% on the phone. These are big, important decisions.”

Until about seven years ago, Red FX used only mobile phone numbers. Then a client in Spain, thinking the business would benefit from British and French landline numbers, suggested conXhub. “It was a very glowing recommendation, so I trusted it,” says Kevin. “And I think within two weeks of contact, we were set up and ready to go.

“It’s not easy to get a landline number in France, but these guys managed to find it. We also have a 04 number, which is very important. It’s important regionally for people to know that we are in the southeast of France, because it shows we have a footprint here.”

Reputationally, signing up to conXhub was a smart move. “The system means that we as a team can travel between France and London – literally travelling on the road, which we have to do all the time to see clients – and we still have that professional-looking point of contact.

“People want to see that you have that facility, and from my perspective, it’s important to know who’s calling on which numbers. We immediately know which one of the teams should take it, whether it’s French or English-speaking. “Also, and this is probably the overriding factor, every call we make has to be recorded. That is a regulatory obligation. The Financial Conduct Authority requires all our calls to be recorded and stored.

“To have that regulatory requirement being met is fabulous. For me, that was a game-changer. Without it, we would be struggling to find a solution for that.”

From a cost perspective, he adds, conXhub’s service is unbeatable. “I have partnerships with a couple of companies in France. They use a different system, and I don’t know why, because the quality of service they get for the amount they’re paying isn’t close.”