Improve Your QA, ASAP

Business has been booming in the telemarketing industry. Telesales is becoming a marketing vehicle of choice at many companies due to its interactive nature and its response rate compared with other marketing methods. At the same time, public attitudes toward telemarketing have softened-at least compared to consumer feelings when the industry was in its infancy.

However, the industry is at a crossroads. On a general level, telemarketing continues to become more effective. But there’s still one nagging question: What about quality?

I suggest that the past several years have demonstrated a significant decline in the quality of calls and the resulting sales made during those calls.

When I talk about quality, I always think back to a sales rep I knew while managing a call center in Grand Island, NE. Dawn helped to define for me the quality that can be expected from a sales rep:

* She always recognized that a telemarketing call is an intrusion into a customer’s home. She always demonstrated the same level of professionalism and courtesy you would expect from an uninvited guest in your home-on every telephone call. Period.

* She understood each product she sold and explained it fully to the customer, while being genuinely confident and excited about the product.

* She knew how to sell-when to close, when to pursue and when to end the call. She understood the features of the product that would meet each customer’s needs. As a result, she was always a top performer.

Dawn performed at her best every day. Now, every time I monitor a telemarketing call, I compare it with Dawn’s effort and quality. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard many calls that seem to stack up lately.

Commitment to quality assurance is vital for any company doing telemarketing. But as profits become tight, companies begin to look at departments or services that can be scaled back or eliminated. Often, QA is one of the first hit because it’s not a revenue-producing function. Some firms shift those responsibilities to the operations staff. But how can the group producing the product (the calls) evaluate itself fairly?

Additionally, many QA reps and supervisors don’t receive a great deal of training. Many don’t spend a significant amount of time on the phones placing telemarketing calls. Without the necessary training or experience, their job performance-and the overall quality-suffers.

The competition in many markets to hire qualified reps is fierce. Combine this with the relatively low unemployment rate of the nation, and workers become an even more valuable commodity. When demands for calling volume need to be met, some firms compromise their hiring standards just to get people in the door.

This also means decreased motivation for telemarketing reps to do a good job. Many know they can leave their jobs at one agency and be hired at another the same day. Sadly, this is true even if an employee is released for poor quality.

Excellent call quality in your telemarketing effort should mean you have:

* Satisfied nonbuyers who do not need your service now, but would call you in the future.

* More qualified, solid sales-and therefore revenue-than you’re getting now.

* Buyers who feel good about the purchase made, and who would equate your telemarketing effort to a pleasant experience.

* Fewer customer complaints about your telemarketing calls.

* Genuine consumer excitement about the product, with increased usage compared to other marketing methods.

* Accurate and positive representation of your company and its products.

Quality simply cannot be overlooked as an important part of a telemarketing effort. You can have productivity without quality, but you won’t be putting the right customers on your books. On the other hand, you can’t possibly have superior quality without reaping the benefits of improved productivity.

When defining productivity, do you:

* Take into account back-end customer attrition?

* Track customer retention through billing cycles?

* Note customer cancellation during a trial or free period?

* Look at customer usage of the product, especially where usage provides a profit (e.g., credit cards, long distance service)?

If not, you may not have “good” productivity at all. If you do track these indicators, good for you-you’re ahead of your competition.

Whether you’re trying to identify a new agency to support your program or periodically evaluating the performance of a current one, make sure your telemarketing agency is placing priorities in the right place.