Setting Up Callbacks: Best Practices

To avoid unwanted calls and make life easier for both your customers and call center employees, it is necessary to create well-thought-out scenarios for callbacks, because there is a fine line between persistence and intrusiveness.

Contact center operators or voice robots often have to call customers multiple times to finally talk to them, as they might be busy or unavailable. What should you do when calls come in at the wrong time for your clients? It's simple — you can implement the callback feature. Let's figure out how to do it the right way.

What Is a Callback?

Callback is a feature that allows for making programmable calls following certain rules (or scenarios). Typically, the system dials customers’ numbers and, depending on what happens next (whether the call is answered or not), follows a certain scenario, or builds up a queue of calls, which is then distributed to contact center operators and voice bots.

When using automated callbacks, the main idea is to save your employees time and also make an offer that the customer cannot refuse. The customer callback system helps to increase productivity of contact center employees, as well as voice assistants that inform clients about special offers. 

Best Practices For Setting Up Callbacks

• The number is busy on the first try.
  It is best to take a break for at least a couple of minutes before the next call, otherwise it can annoy the client. Imagine you’re already talking to someone on the phone - you would not want to be distracted by the second line call, especially if it’s about promotional offers.
• The call went unanswered.
  If the call is not answered, there is no point in calling at the same time the next day. In order for the call to be noticed, set up autodial at different times. For example, if the client did not answer at 1 p.m. today, let the system dial it tomorrow at 10 a.m. or at 19 p.m. This gives you a better chance of having your call answered.
• The number is invalid.
  Do not waste time on auto-dialing numbers that do not exist. In this case, it is important to configure the system in a way that such numbers are automatically deleted from the database. Set number priority based on the number of failed dialing attempts. It is better to place new numbers at the beginning of the list, and the verified numbers below them. This way, you can target multiple phone numbers almost simultaneously.
• Time intervals.
  Typically 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. are the busiest hours for any worker. If the contact base includes a lot of working people, those are not the best times to make calls. And if your clients, both existing and potential, are not employed, then you can easily set up dialing at any time intervals. Scheduling autodial makes it possible to call people when they are most likely to answer.

You also need to set up rules for repeating call attempts. Here are the questions you should consider:

1. How many times should the callback feature make new call attempts?
2. How often should it attempt to call again? What are the best time intervals?
3. What should be the reasons for stopping callback attempts?
   For example: the number is invalid, or the number should be abandoned after five unanswered calls.

The benefits that our customers achive by using callbacks include:

Conclusion

Callback feature is necessary and very useful for business. However, it is worth sticking to reasonable rules for redialing a number. Abusing this capability can annoy customers and be counter-productive. By implementing callbacks and voice bots, it is possible to reduce the workload of the contact center employees, as well as reach more customers to make personalized offers, since voice assistants have access to a CRM system, where all customer data is available. You will be able to offer your customers exactly what they need at the right time using automation. Callbacks make it possible not to waste time or effort of your employees, as well as the money you spend on each call.

We’ll be glad to tell you more about effective callback strategies for your business. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!