A CUSTOMER service company which employs people from Bolton is looking to expand further this year - and is even considering opening up a premises in the borough.

Manchester-based "on-demand customer services" group alldayPA has seen rapid growth since the start of the Covid-19 crisis by more than doubling their revenue from £13 million in 2020 to £28 million in 2021.

Now, company bosses are aiming to also hire 300 new members of staff in the next six months due to the demand for its services.

The company handles phone calls for more than 24,000 businesses across the UK, ranging from small businesses to lawyers, accountants and GP practices.

They answer calls and emails 24/7 and offer services including dedicated customer service lines, appointment booking and online order verification.

alldayPA founder Reuben Singh says he is passionate about helping small and medium-sized businesses across the country.

He said: "The pandemic has accelerated changes that were already happening. The digital world has transformed customer expectations, with many wanting a 24/7 service - and businesses need to be accessible and responsive to compete.

"Small businesses can't afford the infrastructure of the big players, so the likes of Amazon and Deliveroo make life easier for small businesses. And so does alldayPA.

"We provide a 'pay as you go service' , meaning small businesses can offer exceptional levels of customer service, 24/7, and because alldayPA has thousands of customers, the cost of the technology and infrastructure is free.

"The last year has seen record numbers of new businesses created. It's an exciting time to be an entrepreneur, but you have to focus on your core business and your customers.

"We're not just a contact centre, we provide the back office support to move your business along - we're a flexible support service at a time when businesses need it most."

Mr Singh is passionate about creating jobs within communities, making it easier for people to get to work.

And he believes that offering flexible shift-patterns suits a lot of workers who no longer follow the "Monday to Friday, 9 to 5" agenda.

Company experts reported that their on-demand service offering has gained significant popularity during the pandemic, by helping businesses whilst their employees were supported by a furlough scheme. That said, they have also seen a record number of incoming customer calls during 2021.

Their recent telephone stats show that the May Bank Holiday was one of their busiest periods of the year.

alldayPA head of customer services Gareth Jeffery said: “One big shift in the pattern of calls is that there's no longer a spike at 9am or 6pm.

"It seems that people don't consider week days as work days necessarily anymore. There's been an obvious change in the behaviour of businesses and consumers."

The firm has plans to create hundreds of jobs over the coming months and years under its new expansion plans, with a variety of locations under consideration - including Bolton.