Call centers work in a myriad of ways. Outbound sales call centers focus on reaching out to customers while inbound sales call centers wait for them to call in. In both cases, the same goal is set: to ensure the satisfaction of your company’s consumers through high quality customer service.
It’s a worthwhile endeavor; since 62% of businesses consider customer experience delivered by customer call centers to be a competitive differentiator — something that sets them apart from and above of their rivals –, putting extra effort and money into creating a positive experience could have a major influence on the success and profitability of a business. It’s a domino effect: customers receive the help they need, feel valued and respected, and are more likely to stay loyal to your business. Here are three ways to ensure that they do.

• Train every agent. The people answering the phones are responsible for creating a positive first impression. Since they are on the frontline of customer interaction, it’s crucial that they be skilled and capable — as well as respectful — of handling every customer’s need or complaint. Outsourcing your marketing call center is a great way to guarantee that they have the knowledge and experience necessary for success.
• Be proactive. Don’t wait for your customers to call in with a complaint or problem; reach out to them first. Finding a balance between being a nuisance and being incredibly useful and supportive is the key here. Call too much and you’ll lose business, call too little and customers will think they’ve been forgotten.
• Create a team specifically focused on customer retention. Statistically speaking, retaining a customer is 25 times cheaper than bringing on a new one. By training and devoting one group to outbound calls with the primary goal of keeping current customers satisfied, you’ll know you’re doing everything you can to stay ahead of your competitors.

Marketing call centers do more than just answer questions and take orders. Properly utilized, they can improve customer retention rates and guarantee a positive experience even in negative situations. Don’t let this opportunity pass you and your business by; invest in these three measures and you’ll find that your customer service call center is doing more than its fair share to keep your customers loyal to your brand.