subject: Multi-prong Call Center Services [print this page] There is a continued effort on the part of call centers across the globe to provide a multi-channel approach for the consumers and users. The users are increasingly relying on various different modes of communication to get their voice heard. To keep pace with the changing scenario, the BPO companies have to be accommodating about these new channels of communication. Relying on telemarketing calls to sell products is now a risky proposition.There are restrictions from the telecommunication watchdogs against calling numbers listed on the national Do Not Call (DNC) lists. Violations are leading to hefty fines for the call center units. Moreover, the users prefer emails and online chats over phone calls. These factors have combined to make business process outsourcing solutions a multi-channel bench of reaching out to users and customers.
The primary medium that gave rise to an alternative mode of lead generation is the Internet. Some months back, call center agents could not think of generating leads without picking up the phone and making cold calls. That has changed since. Now websites and search engine optimization (SEO) are all that a company needs to get subscribers in the kitty. The method works efficiently because the users have accepted this mode as a suitable alternative to telemarketing calls. More consumers are Internet-savvy these days. They prefer to Google you rather than calling your customer service desk for information. When it comes to building up online visibility, search engines are the perfect vehicles. Call centers are actively building and optimizing websites that can work as beds for sales lead generation.
Websites and SEO are only a part of the multi-channel call center services. Email marketing is another aspect of web-enabled services that get you quality leads. Emails are most effective for B2B lead generation. The contacts are busy professionals who have no time to answer phone calls. The wiser way to touch base with them is listing the services/products and mailing them across. You can then call them up and use these emails as reference points. This approach would get you farther and also smack of immaculate professionalism. For the B2C projects as well, numerous consumers would prefer touching base with you through emails. They may ask for more information or send in complaints through emails. The inbound call center desk has to be available to answer these calls.
Another emerging medium of call center communication is online chat. Chat transcripts are yet to be considered official, but that does not prevent consumers from talking to BPO representatives on Google or Yahoo chats. Chats are an informal way of communication, with the ease of sharing concerns that you can do on telemarketing calls. Agents deployed on the chat lines have to tread a fine line. On one hand they cannot be too formal and at the same time, they cannot be very casual. They have to be informative and effective. Chats may take a while to translate into sales. Basically, online chats can be used for promotion and branding, rather than hardcore sales.
