Another Call Centre Casualty

For any reps struggling with back-office or customer service issues here’s a current example not only proving that the trend to use offshore call centres is reversing apace, but more tellingly, if you’re running your own telesales campaign, you need to train in more than just the promo items.

A large engineering supplies firm I’ve met lately offer telephone directories full of products, and have a useful strapline in how they aim to help their customers, “more efficient machines, improved machine performance, increased reliability/uptime and lower cost of ownership”.

They appointed a call centre to ring round their clients in support of the people on the road, to talk to them about new offers and the latest campaigns.

When conversations took place though, they typically developed along lines not directly associated with what the call was initially about.  With thousands of products, this always meant that the poor call centre operative had no knowledge of the supplemental questions being put.

Add to that the complicating factor that the call centre was in the Czech Republic, and the initiative never took off.  It’s now been cancelled and funds diverted to other sales promotion activities.