Outbound call centers are moving beyond telemarketing

Faith Ocampo Published on April 28, 2016

smiling-Asian-call-center-agent

Outbound call center services allow brands to reach customers in a more proactive way.

A quick glimpse at call centers today would tell us that they re leaning more toward inbound than outbound services. Outbound’s close links with telemarketing seems to have given it a “dirty” reputation, especially now that brands can easily take their marketing to YouTube or Facebook.

call-center-team-making-outbound-calls

A closer look, however, would tell us that outbound contact centers are cultivating new ways of engaging a brand s established customer base. Today, the typical day-to-day activities of an outbound call center ventures far beyond sales and into more relationship-centric functions.
So it s not surprising that outbound continues to be a non-negotiable component of customer care. Almost every outsourcing company still offer outbound services, although business owners may not immediately realize just how important they are. If used as a tactical approach, outbound calling can heighten engagement and strengthen customer relationships.
As the focus of outbound services shifts from making sales to proactive relationship building, they carry out the following core tasks.

1. Welcoming new customers

smiling-male-call-center-agent-looking-at-photos-in-virtual-interface

Saying hello to new customers sets the tone of a brand-customer relationship. It levels off expectations and allows a business to reinforce its branding and create a memorable impression among consumers.

You might be thinking, “But I can do this through email, and that surely takes up less time!”

That’s definitely true, but voice calls give off a warmer and friendlier vibe. It s a more personal approach, and a call placed at the most opportune timing can instantly place you on a customer s good side.

Plus, outbound call center agents can do something extra for the customer, such as:

• introducing the services a customer is entitled to;
• offering assistance for first-time product buyers; and
• explaining perks and promos.

 

2. Lifting the burden from inbound

close-up-of-smiling-female-customer-service-representative

Compared with the inbound call center, outbound occupies a more strategic position in the customer care landscape. They must be able to anticipate the needs of customers and they have to get there before the customer picks up the phone to dial a brand s service hotline. This lifts a huge workload off of inbound agents and increases customer satisfaction.

Outbound agents therefore need a different skill set, but they need to work closely with the inbound staff. Outbound agents must be able to connect customers with the right products and services, which is only possible through data analytics. They need to extract the insights buried within previous customer transactions to accurately predict when and why their services will be needed.

 

3. Event-triggered calling

femalecall-center-agent-viewing-calendar-on-computer

Part of anticipating the customer’s needs or wants entails watching out for what s happening in their lives. Birthdays and other special occasions are great opportunities to make an offer—whether in terms of products or services. This is closely related to telemarketing, but this way, agents are more likely to get the timing right.

 

Shifting to proactive customer support

By focusing on more proactive activities, outbound call centers allow the inbound component of the company to focus on incoming calls. If you re planning to absorb an outbound sector for your customer care program, the easiest way to start is by welcoming new customers. This will allow you to get a feel of how your customers would respond to you. From there, you can create additional outbound programs that fit the preferences of your target market.

Faith is a digital media enthusiast aiming to become an active part of the tech world by sharing her insights. She likes to blog about everything digimarketing, technology, and social media.
Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO Yesterday
Compared to most industries, #CallCenters are known for providing a fun and positive workplace for their employees.
But more than just making daily ops light and dynamic, the agents, the contact center, and the clients benefit from this: https://buff.ly/3NiWbEB

----------
Let's create a program hyper-customized for your brand's goals, needs, budget, and customer demands: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerService #EmployeeEngagement
Open Access BPO Yesterday
Efficiency in #CallCenters involves enhancing agents' #productivity and #satisfaction.

Check out these 5 tips to boost #EmployeeEngagement and productivity in #ContactCenters: https://buff.ly/46H48KE

----------
Learn how our training, employee engagement, and culture of diversity contribute to our high-quality #CustomerExperience: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CSat #CustomerSupport #CX
#CustomerService #CustomerSupport
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
#CallCenters are made up of people from different cultures or backgrounds.
Each one is likely to have differing workplace habits and values, all of which can result in conflicts.

Here are the top 10 causes of conflicts in the call center: https://buff.ly/3GsT0GL

----------
Connect with an #outsourcing firm that provides great employee training and management programs: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CompanyCulture #EmployeeManagement
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
As more consumers turn toward online channels, businesses are struggling to provide quality #CustomerSupport for their international customers.
Partnering with a reliable #MultilingualCallCenter has, thus, become a valuable strategy.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 businesses must offer to remain competitive in global markets: https://buff.ly/4a7ocZp

----------
For #CustomerService and #BackOffice support in over 30 languages, contact Open Access BPO today: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐲.

Luckily for you, #outsourcing can back you up in this battle.
Here's how call centers protect your customers from ecommerce fraud: https://buff.ly/47GJvPX

----------
Partner with an #outsourcing partner that keeps #InfoSec a top priority alongside great #CustomerSupport: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerExperience #DataSecurity
#outsourcing #FraudProtection #FraudDetection
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
In celebration of 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 this December, Open Access BPO Davao collaborated with the Philippine Red Cross - Davao City Chapter for a blood donation drive held last December 1, 2023.

Our collective efforts turned moments of compassion into life-saving contributions.

Thank you to all our OABPO Davao heroes who rolled up their sleeves–you've proven that a small act of giving can have a monumental impact.

----------
Open Access BPO actively promotes community involvement in the workplace by supporting the annual blood donation activity among other causes.

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘈𝘉𝘗𝘖 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#OneWithHealth Philippine Red Cross
Open Access BPO