Key elements of a best practice framework

Article published: Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Call handling as a service has many definitions; the perceived value of this function varies dramatically and is often underrated.

Call handling is a far more skilled and diverse function than simply answering a phone and responding to basic customer queries. Expert Call Handling can fulfil multiple tasks from pre- and post-sales customer support, multilingual global response and product recalls, to inbound lead management and lead qualification. This broad scope and the alignment to emotional customer experiences gives this function arguably greater potential impact on the health and wealth of a brand than pure acquisition-based activity.

Call handling isn’t typically viewed as a revenue generating service in the same way as lead generation or appointment setting but is nonetheless intrinsically linked to the bottom line. Here's how:

Brand reputation

If a customer or prospect reaches out to you at a time when they really need support and reassurance, how you respond dramatically impacts how they perceive your brand. Studies show that negative experiences stay with us longer and, in the age of social proof, an unhappy customer sharing their views on social media can seriously damage your reputation and future revenue.

Product acceptance and utilisation

If customers have problems or issues with your products or tools, they need to be able to rely on your support line. Particularly in the early stages of on boarding when there may be greater need for support and greater likelihood of churn, the quality of support will influence their acceptance, enjoyment and future usage of your product or service. This in turn will directly impact their levels of adoption, future upsell, and cross-sell opportunities, subscription renewals, loyalty and retention.

Marketing ROI

If customers interested in your proposition are calling but you aren’t picking up, you are leaving money on the table. Turning your back on customers who already have an appetite to buy whilst spending heavily on acquisition is throwing good money after bad. If you have invested in an expensive product launch or marketing programme that creates high demand, responses need to be fulfilled in a timely manner so that investment doesn’t go to waste.

Not only does lead backlog eat into your acquisition budget, qualifying and routing leads quickly and efficiently ensures a consistent flow of sales-ready leads to your team, improving conversion, driving revenue and ROI.

Compliance

If your call handling agents are well trained and supported with the right systems and processes, you are much better placed to meet client SLAs (Service Level Agreements). If agents fully understand policies, procedures and industry-specific legislation, your business will avoid fines for regulatory non-compliance and damage to brand reputation.

Customer experience

It isn’t as easy to measure as pure acquisition but there is strong evidence to link high levels of customer satisfaction with increased revenue, retention and profitability – simply put, why would an unhappy customer want to buy again or recommend your brand to others? Brands that understand the significant cost of a poor customer experience elevate their CX and differentiate their brand through high-quality, responsive call handling.

These are just some of the ways that a call handling service has potential to either enhance or detract not only from brand reputation, customer satisfaction and loyalty but significantly, the bottom line. If you are interested in solid growth and profitability, this function needs to be given the status it deserves and developed to realise its full potential.

If you don’t have the skills or capacity in-house to meet your call handling needs, outsourcing is a good solution. An outsourced option can manage unforeseen, short-term or fluctuating requirements to ensure SLAs are met. It can deal with lead backlogs if in-house resourcing is limited so marketing investment isn't wasted and no opportunity is missed. And, it can help you remain compliant and protect your brand reputation in the case of a crisis or product recall.

If you would like to discuss how we work with our clients to provide tailored, compliant call handling services, either standalone or integrated with outbound calling and other channels, get in touch today.

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