Getting in touch with your customer base is a sure fire way to get them to remember you, however, how you reach out to your customers can be a sure fire way to get them to absolutely dislike you. In order to effectively communicate with your customers on the outbound level, there are a few dos and don’ts that you should pay attention to in an effort to avoid some serious pitfalls.
Always remember that it is better to retain a customer than to get a new one. Why? It won’t cost you as much, according to IVR experts over at Angel. This common sense tidbit is a good foundation for customer reach-out.
Common outbound customer communications include appointment reminders, whether you’re in the healthcare industry or perhaps offering other services, like at a spa or salon. In retail, outbound communication can be critical when it comes to product recall – a situation that requires fast contact on a larger scale. These are all situations that fall under the “do” list of getting to know your customers and contacting them directly.
Conversely, not all outbound communication is a good thing. Primarily, customers should be able to opt-in to being contacted. No one likes a cold call from a company or service they use when they’re explicitly not interested in being contacted. Angel says that, if you do not provide an opt-out feature, you’re looking for not only serious trouble, you’ll lose the faith of your customer altogether. Personalized information is a “do.” Robocalls or calls without an opt-out are a “don’t.”
Outbound is not necessarily synonymous with telemarketing. Like the aforementioned examples, many outbound messages and calls can be used for good. Proactively notifying customers will improve customer satisfaction, reduce inbound calls and lower overall communication costs by deflecting calls from your call center. Proactive notifications give customer the peace of mind of knowing that you’re on top of things.
Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli