3 Ways To Avoid Blocked Callbacks To Your Customers

It’s no secret that the global pandemic has rewritten customer service rules, and in every company, the customer support departments have been most affected. While companies are working to step up their game when it comes to offering flawless customer service, the reality is that most customer support representatives are working from home and lack the infrastructure they once enjoyed in the office.

Not wanting to wait for hours in the phone queue for an agent, around 63% of consumers opt for a customer callback rather than staying on hold.

In February 2020, 73% of UK adult internet users used online text messages, 54% use online voice calls, 35% used video calls, and 55% used emails, at least weekly, according to Ofcom. Most consumers have no problem sharing their details for a callback by filling out a short form online or leaving their details in a voicemail so that they can be contacted in their own time.

It seems that the popularity of this support method helped companies improve customer satisfaction and better manage the call volume in their contact centres in what seems like a win-win situation.

However, recently,  many contact centre’s have been experiencing their calls being blocked or simply not connecting when calling the numbers on the request forms. This is becoming a severe issue for contact centres of major global brands who are dealing with high request volumes, as the call abandonment rate can often rise to 20%.

In this article, we’ll dive into the main three reasons why your company calls might be blocked by telecommunication operators (or otherwise failed) and how data and intelligence associated with the phone numbers can help you improve the successful contact rates for callback.

#1. Validate the phone number as being entered

Firstly, companies can make sure the customer is entering correct information when filling out the callback request form using a phone verification service. This service will ensure only valid requests enter the system.

By using phone number verification services, companies can identify incorrectly formatted numbers and flag the mistake so that the customer can correct the errors before completing the request form. The verification service can even identify an inactive phone number, for example.

This service will also help keep your customer database up to date as your customer’s phone number is the most important identifier.

#2. Save time and money by removing fraudulent actors before calling back

Secondly, once the request enters the system, before routing to an agent for a callback, the company can query the number using the verification service to check against databases to see if the number is associated with fraudulent activities.

It will ensure the agents are focusing on assisting real customers while minimizing communications costs.

#3. Avoid being blocked by analysing patterns from failed attempts

Lastly, when the call fails to reach the customer, the failed attempts should inform how to improve contact rates. The phone verification providers like tyntec can check the company’s call centre results (failed attempts) against failure incidents of others to provide insights based on carrier-specific patterns and number/subscriber particulars.

Businesses can also allow callbacks to be scheduled in advance through SMS and offer future call slots to reduce repeat call volume from impatient customers and minimize failed callback attempts.

It’s vital to ensure that there are not more callback requests than can be adequately handled. This is achieved by setting limits of capacity based on the trade-off between customer and agent time. Moreover, when requests can’t be handled within a time frame, the expectation set for future callers must change.

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A lasting impression

Callback solutions eliminate wait time and show that your company is respecting their customer’s time. The result is a more productive interaction and a more positive customer experience, contributing to a higher level of brand loyalty.

Moreover, customers see callbacks as a measure of your company’s level of commitment to them, so it’s essential that they are timely and efficient.

Combined with data and insights from phone verification services, callback solutions can enable companies to provide customer service that’s more personalized for each customer — a modern recipe for success.