Customer outreach is essential for attracting new customers and driving sales. However, many businesses don't have the resources to hire a large team of agents to make outbound calls. What if you could automate and scale up your outreach without the high costs?
Ringless voicemail may be the missing piece of your customer communication puzzle. This article discusses what this technology entails, its benefits and drawbacks, and how to use it in the call center context to support your outreach and customer communication strategy.
What is ringless voicemail (RVM)?
Ringless voicemails are pre-recorded voicemail greetings or messages sent directly to a recipient's voicemail box without their phone ringing first. Businesses can eliminate the time and resources required to dial each prospect's or customer's number manually. Instead, you can reach thousands of recipients all at once.
How does ringless voicemail work?
RVM is often deployed through contact centers, using adaptive signaling technology to support server-to-server communication. The sender first records a voice message and submits a list of recipients. The RVM system automatically sends the pre-recorded voicemail greeting to the carrier's voicemail server. The recipients will see voicemail notifications without getting missed call alerts.
Ringless voicemail benefits
Incorporating RVM into your marketing and outreach strategy can help broader your reach, reduce operating costs, and increase callbacks. Moreover, you can improve the customer experience and leave a positive impression by allowing prospects to respond to your message at their convenience rather than disrupting them with a phone call.
Automation allows companies to hire fewer people while delivering a consistent customer experience with carefully-crafted messages. The technology frees up human agents to focus on high-quality leads who respond to those voicemail messages. RVM also helps minimize rejections, which can affect your sales agents’ morale and cause employee burnout.
Drawbacks of ringless voicemail drops
However, RVM also comes with some limitations. The lack of personalization may lower customer satisfaction and loyalty, while the absence of immediate customer interaction prevents agents from answering customers' questions or addressing their concerns in real time. The technology also has some technical constraints, such as limited message length.
Additionally, businesses must observe federal-level regulations on RVM for marketing purposes. Businesses and call centers that fail to comply with these laws (e.g., obtaining the express consent of the called party) may face legal consequences.
Best practices for implementing ringless voicemail drops
To tap into ringless voicemail benefits while minimizing the drawbacks, focus on delivering a personalized customer experience that will give recipients a good reason to call back and engage with your brand. There are many nuances from crafting a compelling message all the way through regulations so here are some quick tips:
- Define success: You should define success metrics and monitor them regularly to gain insights into what works and doesn't to fine-tune your approach.
- Make every message matter: Create compelling voicemail messages that address the interests and preferences of each customer segment and deliver them at the appropriate time and optimal frequency.
- Keep it short and sweet: Be succinct while offering value in the content. Avoid being too sales-y, but instead, be helpful and give the recipient a reason to get in touch.
- Remember the basics of great customer service: Don't forget to introduce yourself and leave your contact information!
- Always ensure compliance with regulations, such as the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), by obtaining explicit customer consent before adding their contact information to your list.
Incorporate ringless voicemail into your contact center strategy
RVM enables you to reach many customers at scale without the high cost. A well-crafted campaign can help you improve the customer experience, while automation frees up resources to nurture personalized relationships with high-quality prospects and drive sales.
By fo llowing the best practices, companies can strategically leverage RVM to enhance customer communication cost-effectively. For example, dental offices can remind patients to book their hygiene appointments, travel companies or airlines can share itinerary changes, and eCommerce stores can send shipment updates, re-order reminders, or special offers.
Remember to be ruthlessly attentive as you navigate some drawbacks and limitations. For example, you must adhere to the latest FCC regulations to avoid fines and penalties. Obtain a prospect's or customer's consent before adding them to your RVM list. Also, invest in crafting compelling messages and be strategic about timing and frequency to maximize engagement.
In today's digital environment, where consumers are inundated with email and text messages, RVM provides an alternative channel for businesses to stay in touch with prospects and customers. Using a trusted communications vendor like GoTo Connect and their contact center solution GoTo Contact Center, c an help you implement the latest best practices and take your business’s CX to the next level.
