5 Customer Retention Best Practices Call Centers Must Consider

Julie Pearl Published on July 23, 2014 Last updated on March 1, 2022

Customer retention seems to have acquired a different meaning in the call center field where it’s generally defined as any activity that a company undertakes to keep customers from leaving.

In firms that deliver inbound call center solutions in top outsourcing hubs like the Philippines, retention activities can be as specific as talking customers out of canceling a service. However, the job is not as easy as it sounds.

The customer retention team must observe certain practices to successfully make a brand supporter stay. Otherwise, the effort might result in the opposite of its intention.

Here are some customer retention tips that your outsourced call center agents can apply:

  1. Direct cancellations to voice channels

    dissatisfied consumer frowning and giving thumbs down on bad customer service

    Agents are only given the opportunity to make someone stay as a customer if they are able to speak with the person who intends to cancel his service. If the request to unsubscribe is sent to non-voice channels like email, the decision to leave becomes final to the customer, whereas in a live call, your representative is there to make customers change their mind.

  2. Use the right offer for every case

    smiling call center agent talking to customer

    Every customer has a different reason for unsubscribing from your service or cancelling their orders, and each reason calls for the right approach. If the customers find your prices too steep, offer an alternative that they might afford. If they’re not satisfied with your services, ask what you can improve on and promise to work on it. And if they’re switching brands, mention your edge over the competitor and match the other company s offerings.

  3. Confirm to the customer what they could be letting go

    customer customer agent in call center explaining to consumer

    Your agents should use lines that prompt the customers to rethink their decision to stop doing business with you. Something along this line could work: “Are you sure you want to unsubscribe? If you cancel this service, you lose your access to monthly discounts and special privileges to XYZ that only our company can offer.”

  4. Conduct an “exit survey”

    serious customer support agent

    It’s mandatory to ask the customers why they want to leave, but the questions should draw out specific answers that you could use to avoid losing more customers in the future and improve the service as well.

  5. Say thank you

    smiling call center agent

    Even if it might be the last time that your customer will call your company, your customer retention agent must maintain courtesy and keep the customer’s experience pleasant. This would leave a positive impression towards your company so that the leaving customer wouldn’t have reasons to bash your brand after.

There are so many things that your customer retention team can do, say, or offer to keep your consumer base intact, but other than knowing the approach to use, your agents should learn when to stop and let go. They shouldn’t be too pushy and desperate to kill off cancelations. If there’s nothing more that could change the customers’ minds, you should respect their decision to leave.

Customer retention is more sustainable when brands outsource their call center and back office needs to a BPO that knows how to put these best practices into good use. Trust Open Access BPO multilingual agents in helping you improve not only your retention rate but also your customer satisfaction. Get in touch with us to find the best solution for your customers.

Read More

OABPO-Julie Author
As one of Open Access BPO's content writers, Julie Pearl shares her BPO knowledge through her blog posts, research papers, and other resources. She writes about outsourcing news and call center management tips and insights.
Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO Yesterday
#SocialMedia has become an essential tool for brands establishing a connection with their customers.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮, 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻-𝘁𝗼-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?

Find out some useful tips here: https://buff.ly/eK8cznZ

----------
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 #𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟒/𝟕 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 #𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟎 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬.

Start elevating your brand's service standards today: https://buff.ly/E4ypAtc

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CX #CSat #CustomerService
#SocialMediaCustomerService
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
Today, we celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of a month of reflection, prayer, and community.

We at Open Access BPO extend our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating.
May this Eid bring you and your loved ones happiness, peace, and prosperity.
We hope you enjoy this special time with family and friends.

Eid Mubarak!

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#OABPOholidays #EidAlFitr
#EidAlFitr2025
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 #𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

These statistics, pooled from various surveys among customers, show why every business needs a team to screen, evaluate, and manage all online content to ensure your brand maintains a good online reputation: https://buff.ly/MpBUNv4

----------
Outsource your #ContentModeration needs to a trusted partner: https://buff.ly/PRIUd8B

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
Open Access BPO 5 days ago
#CustomerLoyalty is a privilege businesses strive to achieve.
𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱?

Take a deep look at the stages of #CustomerLoyalty and see how you can shape your customer experience strategies and get your repeat buyers to continue supporting you: https://buff.ly/mNMdlGq

——————————
Let's create memorable #CustomerExperiences and keep your customers coming back for more: https://buff.ly/0mgDGzC

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerService #CX #CustomerSupport
Open Access BPO 7 days ago
A customer-centric support culture is built on a lucid and compelling vision.
A well-articulated 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮 is essential for bringing this vision to life, as it:

• Communicates the intended #CustomerExperience, fostering clarity and understanding.
• Standardizes agent interactions, ensuring consistent brand representation and customer engagement.

The following questions will facilitate the creation of a resonant customer service mantra: https://buff.ly/YMTI4r2

——————————
Get a reliable outsourcing #CX partner with empowered agents who can go the extra mile to deliver exceptional service: https://buff.ly/l4YDYb5

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerService #CustomerSupport
#outsourcing