Dave Ogden explains how contact centres still need to improve the ethics of their practices.
Ofcom has reported that the number of complaints to the organisation regarding silent and abandoned calls has fallen by 27% since the peak in April 2013. Research has also indicated that the frequency of consumers experiencing nuisance calls on a landline fell from 82% (February 2013) to 68% (July 2013).
While it is fantastic to see that Ofcom’s work in this area is paying dividends, it is vital that the eradication of such negative practices remains at the top of the agenda, especially given the recent stagnation of this downward trajectory.
The majority of organisations do stick to the rules and do put the customer first, yet there are still those ‘strike-it-rich-quick’ type of organisations that continue to use dubious marketing methods to prey on consumers. Sadly, it seems that the sheer number of these types of company is increasing and they are creating issues for an industry that’s spent a lot of time, effort and money to clean its image up.
Dave Ogden
The two crucial factors contributing to silent, abandoned or unwanted contact are: the misuse of technology originally designed to negate such practices, and consistently high levels of pressure on contact centre managers to use such aggressive and inefficient strategies – a culture of quantity not quality.
In a business environment characterised by an increased importance on brand image and the experience consumers receive, it is crucial that businesses and contact centres take the initiative to improve the ethics of their practices, along with the continued pressure from regulators like Ofcom.
The customer experience must be placed at the forefront of business strategies. While the balancing act between compliance and contact centre productivity continues to be a challenge, particularly with tightened purse strings, it can be all too easy to resort to the numbers game. Indeed, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’, and forward-thinking, responsible organisations are taking radical steps to improve their operations, ensuring regulatory compliance and greater efficiencies.
Utilising alternative contact channels such as email, instant messaging, SMS and social media – while also using technology to enable better targeting – companies can improve their own performance and build a positive relationship with the consumer.
With thanks to Dave Ogden, Account Executive at Aspect Software
Author: Megan Jones
Published On: 5th Feb 2014 - Last modified: 12th Dec 2018
Read more about - Archived Content, Alvaria, Nuisance Calls
