Sunday, September 7, 2008
Understanding Direct Response Marketing
Direct response marketing is a form of marketing designed to solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable. The delivery of the response is direct between the viewer and the advertiser, that is, the customer responds to the marketer directly. This is in contrast to direct marketing in which the marketer contacts the potential customer directly.


In direct marketing (such as telemarketing), there is no intermediary broadcast media involved (which is why it is called direct). In direct response marketing, marketers use broadcast media to get customers to contact them directly. It is direct response marketing because the communications from the customer to the marketer is direct, and this differentiates it from direct marketing in which the communications from the marketer to the customer is direct.

Like direct marketing, direct response seeks to elicit action. It is inherently accountable since results can be tracked and measured. Furthermore, direct response campaigns perform best if the underlying strategies and tactics are highly competitive.

Direct response advertising is characterized by four primary elements:

1) An offer
2) Sufficient information for the consumer to make a decision whether to act
3) An explicit "call to action"
4) Means of response (typically multiple options such as a toll free number, web page, and email.)

The service you choose will have direct interaction with your customers, making a significant impact on people’s perception of your company. Keep in mind that you need a partner who will directly affect and influence your customer’s satisfaction.

USContactPoint efficient call center services, state-of-the-art routing technology, flexible scheduling systems, and proven experience relieve problems commonly associated with traditional direct marketing campaigns, such as lost sales, untrained call center agents, busy signals, or dropped calls.

Sign up now at USContactPoint for direct response service.

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Monday, September 1, 2008
Order Taking Service Advantage

In one way or another, modern business relies on the old-fashioned concept of order taking. Accurately recording orders is part of the operational procedure at some level in any business, across any industry and field. Whenorder taking is mismanaged, problems tend to accelerate. It's important to find a reliable order taking service that matches skilled order takers with the technology that will ensure that data is recorded accurately and securely.

Order taking service can play a supporting role in accurately recording and delivering the important messages that make your business a success. Telephone order taking is a key part of operating a retail or wholesale business, a service business, a restaurant-take out and delivery service or catering company. But order taking service can also help internal departments in your business run more smoothly. As your company grows, department needs expand. You can outsource some or all of internal order taking tasks and give your staff more time to focus on other work. Having order taking service representatives accurately complete purchase orders and requisition requests over the phone for your employees, and your purchasing department will focus on getting the orders filled. Order taking service can take messages for your Human Resources or Payroll manager and fill simple requests for information and forms. Using order taking service can help your operations run more smoothly.

Your ability to accept customer orders efficiently is a vital part of your direct marketing strategy and online initiative. With USContactPoint,they provide multiple support channels for customers to place an order efficiently, simply, and in a friendly environment.

USContactPoint allows your customers to place an order by simply calling a toll free number regardless of the size and volume of the product catalog. Their technology can accommodate orders from a single product to any large catalog on a 24/7 basis.

Visit www.uscontactpoint.com to avail this order taking service.

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Monday, August 25, 2008
Toll Free Customer Service At Satisfaction

To fully understand what a toll free customer service is, first of all, let me discuss to you what a toll free numbers are.

Toll-free numbers are numbers that begin with one of the following three-digit codes: 800, 888, 877, or 866. Toll-free numbers allow callers to reach businesses and/or individuals without being charged for the call. The charge for using a toll-free number is paid by the called party (the toll-free subscriber) instead of the calling party. Toll-free numbers can be dialed directly to your business or personal telephone line.

Toll-free numbers are very common and have proven successful for businesses, particularly in the areas of customer service and telemarketing. Toll-free service provides potential customers and others with a “free” and convenient way to contact businesses.

Toll-free numbers are also increasingly popular for personal use. For example, parents can obtain toll-free numbers to give to a young adult who is away at college, allowing that young adult to call home anytime without having to make a collect call or pay for the call.

At USContactPoint , all your calls will be answered promptly by their well-trained customer support professionals via a Toll-Free number which is a value-added service to you. They will help you in collating full customer contact details, and also provide general and product information.

USContactPoint will serve as your outsourced customer service division. This will help you save on overhead costs of employing, training and assessing staff internally. Our customer service programs are designed to make us a direct extension of your business.

You can visit their website at www.uscontactpoint.com

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Monday, August 18, 2008
Call Center Services Offered
A call center company must understand how important it is for companies to constantly find ways to improve operations and services. A call center company must have come up with a wide range of business solutions to help businesses get to the top of the ladder of success. A call center company must also have committed to themselves to provide with various customizable solutions to every business needs.

Here are the list of some of the services commonly offered by a call center company: (which I will further discuss on my next blog posts)

1) Toll Free Customer Services
2) Order Taking
3) Direct Response
4) Infomercials
5) Conference and Registrations
6) Appointment Scheduling
7) Emergency Response
8) Virtual Receptionist
9) 24 Hour Help-Desk
10) Interactive Voice Response

Some other companies (like US Contact Point) offers other business solutions like the following:

1) Web Development Solutions - enhancing the quality of a business by developing an effective web customized solutions which may include search engine optimization, design and content development, hosting and maintenance, and e-commerce. Services offered are: (1) SEO Services, (2) Web Design, Layout and Content Management, (3) Hosting Services, (4) Interactive, Website and Maintenance Services, and (5) E-Commerce Website Service

2) Corporate Service - providing contact service solutions to thriving businesses. Also offer business-to-business solutions to promote quality services and operations for the clients. Services offered are: (1) Employee Monitoring Service, (2) Programming Service, (3) Direct Response Service, (4) Business Consultancy Service, and (5) Debt Collection Service.

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Monday, August 11, 2008
Importance Of Availing Call Center Services
Over the past few years, the call center has emerged as the essential component of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy now widespread among companies. More than ever, U.S. consumers are expecting more value from the products and services being offered and are quickly adopting the communication channels made possible by advances in telecommunications and the Internet. With the growing preference for e-mail communication and inquiries through company websites, management of customer relationships is evolving into an electronic or e-CRM model where contacts by phone is only one of many options.

Companies are quickly learning that service is the key to attracting and maintaining customers, which leads to increased business and revenue. Call centers are now considered as profit centers, and it can spell the difference between being in business and becoming bankrupt. Having an excellent call center is an important strategic asset that will not only improve a company’s image, but also improve customer relationships. Through the contact center, companies learn about their clients, and with that knowledge learn how to serve them better, leading to an improved bottom line.

Call centers provide your business with a convenient means of handling customers and making sure that their queries are answered at a timely and professional manner. Being able to give good customer experience helps build customer loyalty and, in turn, helps increase your company's revenue and the number of business opportunities through endorsements coming from happy and satisfied customers. Call centers offer your business a means to keep your patrons happy with your company, as well as a means to reach out to your potential customers.

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Monday, August 4, 2008
Defining Customer Service
“Excellent customer service is the process by which your organization delivers its services or products in a way that allows the customer to access them in the most efficient, fair, cost effective, and humanly satisfying and pleasurable manner possible.”


How would you define good customer service ? Try to define it. It’s not as easy as you’d think.

Customer service is often seen as an activity, performance measurement and a philosophy. That is why, generally speaking, one single definition of customer service does not exist..

So we have to define customer service and develop a model that will work for your organization. We can’t do what we can’t describe. Here are the different definitions of what customer service is:

"Customer service is the ability to provide a service or product in the way that it has been promised"

"Customer service is about treating others as you would like to be treated yourself"

"Customer service is an organization's ability to supply their customers' wants and needs"

"Customer Service is a phrase that is used to describe the process of taking care of our customers in a positive manner"

"Customer Service is any contact between a customer and a company, that causes a negative or positive perception by a customer"

"Customer service is a process for providing competitive advantage and adding benefits in order to maximize the total value to the customer"

"Customer Service is the commitment to providing value added services to external and internal customers, including attitude knowledge, technical support and quality of service in a timely manner."

"Customer service is a proactive attitude that can be summed up as: I care and I can do."

"Customer Service is a function of how well an organization is able to constantly and consistently exceed the needs of the customer."

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Monday, July 28, 2008
Call Center And Customer Service: An Introduction

A call center (or call centre) is a physical place where customer and other telephone calls are handled by an organization, usually with some amount of computer automation. Typically, a call center has the ability to handle a considerable volume of calls at the same time, to screen calls and forward them to someone qualified to handle them, and to log calls. Call center is used by mail-order catalog organizations, telemarketing companies, computer product help desks, and any large organization that uses the telephone to sell or service products and customer services.

A call center is often operated through an extensive open workspace for call center agents, with work stations that include a computer for each call center agent, a telephone set/headset connected to a telecom switch, and one or more call center supervisor stations. It can be independently operated or networked with additional center, often linked to a corporate computer network, including mainframes, microcomputers and LANs. Increasingly, the voice and data pathways into the center are linked through a set of new technologies called computer telephony integration (CTI).

Most major businesses use call center to interact with their customers. Examples include utility companies, mail order catalogue firms, and customer service and support for computer hardware and software. Some businesses even service internal functions through call centers. Examples of this include help desks and sales support.

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