Inbound is the customer service strategy in which the contact center receives calls, emails or other ways of contact from customers seeking information, assistance or problem resolution. The theory sounds very simple, but in real life there are usually conflicts to properly attend to the various channels and deal with all the queries. Find here the big “yes” of inbound and the resounding “no” that can mark the destiny of the relationship with your customers.
Inbound vs. outbound
In addition to technology, in Customer Service the methodologies that are implemented to get closer to people, whether they are customers or not, are also important. Unlike the outbound approach, where agents make proactive calls, the inbound approach focuses on responding to the needs and queries of customers who contact the company.
But why is inbound important in contact centers?
On one hand, it facilitates the exchange of information between Customer Service, Marketing and Sales teams; It also allows the identification and personalization of clients, which helps to better adjust the messages and proposals to each buyer profile, thus achieving more sales opportunities. And, finally, it allows us to know the quality of the leads to optimize processes. As a result, agents work more efficiently and save time and resources.
Big “yes” of inbound in the contact center
A big “yes” regarding the role of inbound is the first-hand information that the marketing team can absorb from Customer Service agents. With this data you can create educational content or resolve frequently asked questions with chatbots or blog articles, automate communications, feed quality information to the CRM to improve brand messages, offer training to agents on the topics that generate the most difficulty for solve, and much more.
The “don’ts” of inbound in the contact center
One of the resounding “no”s regarding inbound in the contact center is to leave technology out. Without quality omnichannel software it is impossible to control the interactions of each customer. Today we know that communications can begin on one channel and end on another. Without the appropriate technological solution it is not possible to have a complete history of each customer. Not to mention queue management or the assignment of cases to each agent according to their skills. Good technology is an investment, not an expense!
If customer satisfaction is the goal, the way there is inbound applied with dedication to the contact center.