Reaching out to customers who don't want to be sold to
 Half of our customers are no longer accessible to our direct marketing. They have either decided to get onto the various registers that block them from our reach, or they're ticking the "opt out" box. Either way, we're running out of people to call, eMail and write to.
Which is why companies are turning to outbound customer service.
Reaching out to customers to ask if everything is all right, if they have a problem that we can help them or just get their views on our services reinforces and reinvigorates our relationship with them. What's more, provided overt marketing messages are avoided, this is done in a way that doesn't cross the regulatory boundaries that bar unsolicited direct marketing.
This approach, however, needs to be done to both the letter and spirit of the law. This is particularly true on outbound calling. eMails are an annoyance at worst and can be disposed of quickly. But a call interrupts. If the call is not about service a customer will be turned away.
One company decided to generate sales by outbound customer service calls. The idea was the agent would engage in friendly conversation, then lead into a sale by getting the customer's permission to sell during the call. In theory it was suspect, in practice worse. If a customer expressed dissatisfaction the agents did not have access to any information, systems or training that would allow them to help. All they could do was ask the customer to dial a different number.
Relationships are precious things that need to be nurtured, developed but never betrayed. If you set out to trick customers into buying from you again expect problems to emerge.
Previously on this blog...
the global leader in Contact Center Consolidation 2.0
2.0 has become a meaningless addition to already poor tag lines.
A dozen beautiful images of Saturn
Wired presents a dozen of the best images from the Cassini mission
Setting up shop in a new country: beyond the website
Building a website for multiple languages is not just about translation. It is a critical business decision that has to be taken carefully.
Why call centre staff deserve your respect
If call centre staff set the first impression for your business, why do we treat them so badly?
Becoming a Specialist? A hard decision to make ...
Specialising requires hard strategic decisions to be made about your business.
When good people move on
Losing a member of staff to another company is not necessarily a bad thing
The quest for quality in Agile Software Development
Why quality assurance remains a central part of project management, regardless of the use of Agile methods
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