subject: Customer Analytics in Call Center [print this page] Customer Analytics in Call Center Customer Analytics in Call Center
Redefining known metrics is the mantra of modern day business. Investors and planners are no longer thinking on straight lines only. They are looking at lateral ways to pull up that bottom-line. Call center units are being looked at with fresh eyes. This means that BPO firms are being assigned with functions that have not been explored before. What started off as answering service support, has slowly opened up its branches to get more area under its charge. The telemarketing agents who deal with customers on a daily basis are more than just communicators. They are a store-house of information that business investors want to tap into.
Mapping customer behavior and buying patterns was never an underestimated factor in business. It has received new impetus as business ventures began to be more dependent on customers than on anything else. Call center units helped firms cater to their customers in a better, improved way. Things improved when BPO firms supported not just voice calls, but emails and chats as well. Customers could contact the manufacturers of products/services they were using easily through the answering service facilities. It emerged that these inbound call center agents were privy to data that business firms could use to better position their products in the market.
Branding the product/service has a lot to do with knowing the market and customer trends. Market survey is a major outbound call center service. In this, the BPO agent calls up the targeted potential customers to find out what sort of a product/service they are looking for. They ask target callers what their needs are and if the existing products in the market are able to take care of those needs. The answers that the call center services agents get make for wonderful case studies that the marketing managers can use. Customers generally like to answer questions which address their needs and problems. They will gladly share information with you. In the process, you can also do some lead generation and follow them up later on.
Opportunities to cross sell and up-sell are always there for the call center agent. It's just that the person has to be aware of when to push in for sales and when not to. Working in these conditions gives the BPO executive an intuitive understanding of customer's needs. For example, a person who needs tech support would come across as more agitated than someone who's satellite TV is not working. A person would rather wait to buy a good TV rather than a cheap one because no one buys TVs every day. The signals are clear for the manufacturer to study. Customers are willing to pay a reasonable price for a TV provided it's good in quality. The manufacturers can then think of making TVs which fit the bill. It all depends upon how open you are with change. If you are a business person who would gladly embrace technology and new methods of doing business, call center firms can help you in more ways than you know of.
