Explore fresh, expert perspectives on customer engagement and innovation

Need to reduce costs, but don’t want to sacrifice customer or employee experience? This is a very real situation that so many contact centre leaders are currently facing.  

Following the pandemic, prices are rising, there’s an energy crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, and the great resignation on top. Regardless of industry type, everyone has been affected in some way.  

In this webinar, MaxContact’s Product Owner, Sean McIver and CEO Ben Booth, combine more than 30 years of experience working in or alongside contact centres to provide actionable tips and strategies for making cost-saving changes.  

They answer the most pressing questions from contact centre leaders across all industries, provide practical ways to make cost-saving changes, suggest how to utilise technology to streamline operations and more.  

Keep reading for the top takeaways from our discussion or tune in to the full video.

Doing more with less  

The global business landscape has witnessed a steady increase in costs. This upward trend is particularly prominent in the technology and development industry, and as a software company, MaxContact has experienced this first-hand.  

In addition to rising costs, businesses are being asked to do more with fewer resources. The pandemic further compounded this by altering work dynamics across contact centres, resulting in a surge in customer interactions and a decline in available staff.  

During the pandemic, many organisations saw a drop in staffing numbers, while at the same time experienced an increase in customer interactions. The work-from-home model enabled people to address issues and seek assistance without waiting until their workday concluded or setting aside an admin day.  

As a result, the influx of customer enquiries rose, presenting contact centres with the challenge of meeting a far higher demand with a far smaller number of employees. And this hasn’t gone away, says Ben, and it won’t go away. That’s why it’s important to find the best solution going forward.  

Sean emphasises that within the contact centre industry, there are certain demographics that have been affected more than others. For example, those in the BPO (business process outsourcing) space have had to deliver on their own metrics as well as deliver the client requirements, which can be massively varied.  

Ways to reduce costs

Reducing costs is one thing, but how can you do it without impacting the employee and the customer experience?

To explain this, let’s break it down into three pillars: people, technology and data.  

People

Pre-pandemic, Ben explains, agents were often treated as commodities, resulting in high attrition rates. However, the staffing crisis prompted a shift towards recognising the importance of employee engagement and motivation within contact centres.  

It became clear that factors beyond monetary compensation – such as understanding your value to the business, aligning with company goals, and career progression – were instrumental in retaining talent.  

By recognising and addressing these factors, contact centres can foster a motivated and committed workforce.  

However, in order to address the challenges associated with rising staff costs, contact centres need to prioritise sustainable growth.  

It’s important to involve the entire organisation in setting the goals for this, from staff on the ground to those at the top. Engaging with frontline staff and seeking insights on process improvement and pain points can lead to valuable innovations. And while some won’t work, says Ben, some will and could have a lasting positive impact on the company.  

There’s still much to do in this space, says Sean, but the migration of staff from commodity to asset is critically important.

Technology

Ben doesn’t know an industry that has embraced modern technology as much as the contact centre space. But most systems offer more capabilities than many realise. To maximise value, lean on your vendors and get their advice on ways to get more value from the contact centre software you’re using, and embrace cutting-edge technologies, such as real-time agent assistance.  

Agent-assist is AI-powered software that provides suggestions to agents while they are in conversation with a customer. These transcriptions add enormous value as they help people deal with more complex calls faster and can improve training time. However, Ben is wary of scripted responses, as he feels this can demotivate agents.  

Sean emphasises how important it is to leverage the tools at your disposal to keep costs down. For example, ask yourself: how effective is your IVR? Make sure it is as slick as possible and that scripting tools provide agents with the right information at the right time to reduce callbacks.  

Data

Always keep an eye on the data.  

• Why are people contacting you?
• What for?
• What training is required?  

Also, try to engage more with your long-standing staff. Sean explains how those who have been with you for a while will have a range of shortcuts, cheats, and quick wins that you might not know about, or that haven’t been formalised. Centralise that knowledge to help other staff members streamline processes.  

This will also make your long-standing staff feel valued.  

Also, lean on your providers. If you have a challenge, take that challenge to them and ask what you should do, says Sean. The data that comes from these types of exchanges provide valuable information that can speak to a bigger issue in the industry that needs to be addressed.

To learn more about ways to reduce costs without negatively impacting the employee or customer experience, tune in to the full webinar.

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Technology can be scary.

The complexity, the cost, the pace at which it evolves.

For businesses, there is a lot riding on it. Everything from day-to-day operations to strategic future planning depends upon the right hardware, the right software, and the right management.

In the contact centre space in particular, technology has had to respond to seismic changes in the way the world communicates. There are now myriad ways for people to interact with the enterprises and organisations from which they purchase a product or consume a service. In addition, those interactions are no longer confined to certain days or times but occur 24/7.

Focus on the long-term benefits of CCaaS

Today’s cloud-powered contact centre functionality can simplify everything but, for many enterprises, the fear of getting started often means they sit on their hands; thus foregoing the multiple and immediate benefits of taking the plunge.

However, as is so often the case, partnering with the right technology provider can allay those fears: ensuring a smooth and game-changing next step on the digital transformation journey.

“Companies considering contact centre technology are clear about the benefits it brings but indecisive about the actual change – that’s why, for us, the conversation should be less about the actual sale and more about the difference it can make long term,” says Ben Booth, CEO at leading UK-based CCaaS provider MaxContact, whose transparent, plain-speaking approach is helping business leaders everywhere to overcome their nervousness.

“Contact centres are becoming incredibly complex. They are now omni-channel and produce large amounts of data capable of informing a business on the efficiencies of its workflows and how to improve the communication experience.

Choosing the right CCaaS provider is key

“Companies need a partner able to educate them and be alongside them every step of the way. Of course, it is the product which enables the new functionality, but the provider/customer relationship is easily as influential when it comes to return on investment.”

Not that the market is all about enterprises for whom a contact centre is a brand new addition to their stack.

Businesses looking to switch or upgrade existing solutions, and larger enterprises for whom acquisition has increased current contact centre complexity, make up a large portion of the opportunity.

In those cases, picking the right provider is perhaps even more key.

Don’t let fear hold you back

“We have been discussing options with a potential client with 160 sites resulting from a series of acquisitions,” says Booth.  

“They now have seven or eight different contact centre systems and want to move to just one. Understandably, there is some trepidation because the project is complex. Our strategy is to ensure that the same people from our business work from the outset and throughout with the same people from the customer’s business. That enables us to really understand that business and its needs. Having that level of consistency gives our customers confidence that the partnership will thrive which, in turn, alleviates some of that trepidation.”

“We take it very seriously because we know we have the potential to impact people’s lives, wages and careers. For us, the relationship is not all about the sale and the revenue. For us, it’s about the entire digital transformation journey and the long-term depth of the partnership.”

Pace and scale of deployment are also significant influencers on the fear factor.

Some organisations have complex contact centre needs which they need to address quickly. Others want to start small and go slowly. Again, a provider partner with the kind of culture and delivery model that plays well in both those scenarios can take the stress out of the process.

Additionally, in the case of MaxContact, a deep level of experience in verticals such as financial services and utilities means extra levels of confidence can be instilled in potential new customers from those sectors.    

“When we start any new conversation, we are normally very quickly discussing the challenges that we know the organisation is facing,” says Booth.

“That’s because we have specialist knowledge and a great deal of experience. Suddenly, where there was fear, trepidation and nervousness, there can be confidence and excitement.”

This blog was written by Simon Wright, journalist for CX Today, for cxtoday.com. View the original piece here.

Ready to find out more about partnering with MaxContact for your contact centre solution? Book a demo today.

We are thrilled to share that MaxContact, a leading provider of Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) solutions, has been recognised as one of the top CCaaS vendors for 2023 by CX Today.

CX Today explains, “Today, customer experience is the most important battleground on which companies can compete. More than anything else, the experiences companies give to their customers determine whether they’ll capture leads, retain clients, and inspire brand loyalty.  

The contact centre exists at the heart of any strong CX strategy, ensuring teams can connect with customers across a range of channels, track data, and deliver exceptional service. In today’s evolving landscape, CCaaS, or “Contact Centre as a Service” solutions have grown increasingly popular. Not only do these agile platforms allow organizations to evolve rapidly with new tools and features, but they ensure teams can continue to operate productively in the age of hybrid and remote work.

Today, the CCaaS market is rapidly growing, accelerating towards a projected value of $15.07 billion by 2029.”

MaxContact’s CEO, Ben Booth, expressed his excitement about this recognition, “Being included as one of the top CCaaS vendors for 2023 is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. At MaxContact, we are passionate about providing organisations with the tools they need to deliver exceptional customer experiences. This recognition motivates us to continue innovating and driving positive outcomes for our customers.”

An introduction to MaxContact

MaxContact is a customer engagement software platform that drives impact, conversions, and smarter customer experiences. We believe that with the combination of the right people and powerful technology, we can make a difference. That’s why, every day, we’re committed to improving the lives of those that interact through our engagement platform.

Our founders worked together for over ten years at a contact centre solution reseller. They saw organisations become increasingly frustrated with providers that over-promised and under-delivered on features, support, and resilience. Determined to enhance the employee and customer experience, MaxContact was formed. Since then, the business has become one of the fastest-growing contact centre specialists in the UK.

From inbound and outbound to blended and omnichannel, our intuitive software makes customer engagement effortless. Our highly customisable and scalable solution is perfect for businesses with complex requirements and can easily scale as your business grows.

At MaxContact, customer experience is at the heart of everything we do. Find out more about us here.

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Today’s customers are harder to reach, less tolerant of poor customer experience, and much more selective about when and how they engage. Our Voice of the UK Consumer report highlights the challenge:

• 63% are more likely to respond to outbound contact when it’s sent through their preferred channel.
• 58% are more receptive when the message is personally relevant, like renewals, billing or appointments.
• 52% say they’re more likely to answer a call if they’ve received an email or SMS first.
• 76% expect personalised outbound communication, not broad scripts.

[Source: Voice of the UK Consumer Report]

So how do you increase the chances of your calls being answered, messages being acted on, and customers responding positively?

Start with two foundations:

• A data-driven outbound strategy built on real behavioural insight rather than assumptions.
• Technology and automation that free agents to focus on the conversations where human interaction matters most.

Without these foundations, outbound teams risk dialling blind. With them, you can target strategically, stay compliant, reduce costs, and deliver better outcomes for both customers and agents.

What is a contact strategy?

A contact strategy, or in this case, an outbound contact strategy, is a structured plan for how a contact centre engages with customers. It sets rules for who to contact, when, how often, which channel to use, and what message to deliver.

It should also set KPIs (like contact rate, right-party contact (RPC), conversion and cost-per-contact) that you’ll use to measure success. The better the plan, the more people your agents will speak to, and the more positive those interactions will be.

How to create an effective contact strategy

Define outcomes & set KPIs

Before you get into outbound channels, dialler modes, or scripts, start with the “why”. What’s the outcome you want to achieve, and how will you measure it? Pick 3-4 KPIs for a period of time, set a baseline, and track against your targets.

Here are some example KPIs:

• Sales contact centre: Contact rate, Right-party contact (RPC), Conversion, CSAT
• Debt collection: RPC, Promise-to-pay (PTP) rate, Complaints rate

Without defining your KPIs and taking this step, you won’t be able to benchmark or improve your contact strategy in the future.

Build your data foundation

A data-driven outbound strategy is only as good as the information behind it. Before you refine channels or scripts, make sure you’ve got the basic data covered:

• Who the customer is (ID, segment, account details)
• How to reach them (phone, email, SMS, consent/preferences)
• What happened last time (outcome and notes)
• When you last tried (to avoid over-contacting)
• Key dates or flags (renewals, appointments, balances)

With these foundations in place, technology can take over and save you time. MaxContact’s Contact Prioritisation feature ensures outbound agents see the best-fit records first, so no time is wasted chasing the wrong people. Contact Prioritisations allows contacts to be segmented and prioritised based on specific rules.

Here are what Contact Prioritisation rules might look like in action:

Sales: Follow up on prospects not contacted within 72 hours

Debt collection: Prioritise accounts with balances overdue by 30+ days, or, those with the highest amount of debt owed.

Utilities: Send renewal reminders before contracts expire

Put your contact centre software to work

Your goals are set. Your data foundations are in place. Your campaign is ready to run. With an effective omnichannel contact centre platform in place, you can optimise your entire contact workflow. Aside from reporting results, features that come as part of many contact centre software remove long-winded admin, automate certain tasks, and support agents so they can focus on conversations that matter most.

Here’s a list of key contact centre software features that optimise your contact strategy and enhance customer experience:

Capability: Integrations & data

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Connect CRM and billing so agents see a complete customer view

CX impact: Faster resolutions, no need to repeat information

Capability: Consent & preferences

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Apply GDPR/DNC rules and contact caps automatically

CX impact: Fewer complaints, fully compliant outreach

Capability: Targeting (contact prioritisation)

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Filter records so agents only see contacts that match campaign rules

CX impact: Higher hit rates, no wasted effort

Capability: Omnichannel routing & outbound dialling

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Use diallers, skills-based routing, callbacks, and virtual hold

CX impact: Customers speak to the right person first time, less waiting

Capability: IVR, AI agents & self-serve

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Contain simple queries like payments or balance checks

CX impact: Quicker answers for customers, more time for agents to handle complex cases

Capability: Agent assist & knowledge

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Provide prompts, scripts, and guided workflows

CX impact: Consistent, confident conversations, even with new agents

Capability: QA & analytics

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Quality check interactions with speech analytics and flag coaching needs

CX impact: Continuous improvement, fewer service issues

Capability: Dashboards & alerts

How it improves outbound contact strategy: Monitor KPIs in real time and adapt to demand

CX impact: Smooth service levels, fewer abandoned calls

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Choose the right channel, timing & cadence

For outbound campaigns, channel, timing and cadence have a direct impact on hit rates and contact success. With KPIs set and data connected, the evidence will tell you who to contact, how to contact them, and when.

Channel‍

Look at recent behaviour. Do they open emails, reply to SMS, or pick up calls? Use phone for urgent or complex issues, email or SMS for reminders and renewals, and self-serve/IVR for simple tasks. Make sure you always provide an easy handoff to an agent if needed.

Timing‍

Forget the old rules about “after 6pm” landline calls. Flexible working has changed patterns completely. Use CRM data to book calls when the customer typically answers. If queues are long, offer virtual hold or a callback rather than leaving people waiting.

Cadence‍

Set simple caps, for example, no more than two calls a day, five a week. Pause outreach after clear outcomes (“promise-to-pay agreed” or “not interested”). And always honour consent and channel preferences.

When agents have context from previous interactions, they can also personalise outreach, for example, referencing a prior purchase or payment arrangement. These details make conversations more relevant and more likely to succeed.

Top Tip: Technique matters too! Avoid the biggest call handling mistakes that damage CX that undo good targeting.

How to optimise your contact centre through data-driven strategy

Outbound contact centre optimisation can reduce costs, but it’s also about creating smoother, more positive experiences for both customers and agents. And a data-driven customer contact strategy helps you to strike that balance.

By setting clear KPIs, you can measure what’s working and what needs to improve, whether that’s contact rates, first-call resolution, or customer satisfaction scores. Layer in automation and omnichannel tools, and you reduce wasted effort while making it easier for customers to get the help they need, when and how they want it.

For example, outbound skills-based routing matches the right agent to the prospective customer, while self-service options handle simple tasks without adding to queue times. Real-time dashboards and analytics give managers the insight they need to fine-tune performance on the fly.

Done well, contact centre optimisation improves customer experience and operational efficiency at the same time, giving your business a competitive edge.

Is reducing contact centre cost a priority for you? Read our guide on 7 ways to reduce costs in your contact centre without sacrificing quality.

Why your contact strategy has to flex

One thing that came through strongly in our recent Contact Strategy Webinar is this: there’s no such thing as a universal “best practice” strategy. Customers expect you to flex around their preferences, their comfort with AI, and the complexity of their issue.

A few standout insights from our Voice of the UK Consumer Report:

• 80% of customers expect brands to understand their needs and expectations.
• The AI acceptance gap is a real challenge: 65% of 25–33-year-olds are comfortable with AI interactions, compared to just 27% of over-55s. In fact, 52% of over-55s are actively uncomfortable.
• When things get complex, sensitive or financial, people want human interaction, and 60% prefer speaking to an agent in those scenarios.
• Customers are most accepting of outbound contact when it relates to billing, payments or account updates, and they often prefer an email first, then a call or SMS follow-up.
• 76% expect personalisation. That means data-driven targeting, not just broad scripts.

And the impact isn’t theoretical. One client moved from manual Salesforce dialling to MaxContact’s skills-based routing and data prioritisation. Their conversion rate doubled from 4% to 8%, simply by ensuring the right lead reached the right agent, at the right time.

Tailoring your contact strategy to the use case

These insights underline why your contact strategy can’t be one-size-fits-all. The right approach depends not only on the customer but also on your business context. Sales teams and collections teams, for instance, work with very different goals, sensitivities and success metrics.

Top tips for sales contact strategies

1. Focus on speed to lead: research shows that contacting a new prospect within five minutes can achieve conversion rates of up to 70%. Wait an hour, and it can drop to 20%.
2. Use demographic and geographic filters to maximise ROI, such as prioritising leads in certain postcodes or life stages.
3. Omnichannel flexibility is key. Some prospects will respond to SMS, others prefer email or a WhatsApp nudge.
4. Skills-based routing helps by ensuring high-value or “hot” leads are automatically directed to your top-performing agents.

Top tips for debt collection contact strategies

1. Sensitivity is critical. Customers in arrears often prefer a human agent when discussing finances, rather than automated channels.
2. Prioritisation rules might focus on balance size, number of missed payments, or active repayment plans, ensuring agents spend their time where they can have the most impact.
3. Timing matters too. Contacting just after a payday, for example, can increase recovery rates.
4. Personalisation builds trust: referencing past conversations or agreements makes the customer feel understood rather than pursued.

For a deeper dive, check out our webinar on Creating and Executing the Best Contact Strategies for Easier Debt Resolution: Watch now

Successful contact strategies start with the right platform

The best contact strategies don’t happen by chance. They’re built on data, technology, and a clear understanding of your customers, and they adapt to fit different scenarios, from fast-moving sales campaigns to sensitive debt resolution.

With the right foundation, you can:

• Increase your hit rate by targeting the right people at the right time.
• Reduce wasted effort through automation and filtering.
• Protect compliance while respecting customer preferences.
• Empower agents with the tools and context to turn conversations into outcomes.

That’s exactly what MaxContact’s platform is designed to do. From contact prioritisation to skills-based routing, omnichannel contact, and real-time analytics, it gives you everything you need to design, execute, and continually improve a winning contact strategy.

Are you ready to put your contact strategy into action and see how MaxContact can help you boost results? Request a demo of our contact centre software platform.

The first part of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new Consumer Duty legislation came into force on 31 July 2023. All regulated financial sector firms – insurers, lenders, banks, DCAs and more – now have to abide by its rules.

What is the FCA’s Consumer Duty?

So what is the Consumer Duty and what are its rules? In short, the Duty aims to enhance consumer protection as people buy and use financial products.

The new regulations are based on three core principles:

• Consumers should receive products and services that meet their needs and are marketed in a way that is clear, fair, and not misleading.

• Consumers should not face unreasonable barriers when they try to access financial products and services or exercise their rights.

• Consumers should receive products and services that are designed to meet their needs throughout their lifetime and are delivered fairly, taking account of their changing circumstances.

The FCA has also laid out three rules which underpin these principles. Financial services companies should:

• Act in good faith
• Avoid causing foreseeable harm
• Enable and support retail customers to achieve their financial objectives

In a recent speech, Sheldon Mills, Executive Director for Consumers and Competition at the FCA, said: “The common thread, the thing we are interested in above all else in our work, is reducing harm to consumers and ensuring firms deliver good outcomes for consumers.”

When does the FCA’s Consumer Duty come into force?

The new rules are being implemented in two stages. The rules coming into force at the end of July 2023 are for new and existing products or services that are open to sale or renewal.

For closed products or services, the rules come into force a year later, on 31 July 2024.

How will Consumer Duty impact your contact centre teams?

As the first point of contact with customers, it’s essential that contact centre teams are aware of the new rules and what they mean.

Contact centre leaders have to make sure teams are providing a high level of support, and are interacting with consumers in a way that promotes fair treatment, positive customer outcomes and increased transparency.

But what does that mean in practice? Here’s a more detailed breakdown of what the new legislation means for contact centre teams in the financial services sector.

Products and services

New and existing products will have to meet the goals of transparency and good outcomes for consumers.  

The FCA has made it clear that the new Duty is not one-size-fits-all. Companies must use the principles to make changes as they see fit.  

In terms of products and services, that could mean analysing product portfolios and prioritising improvements for those items with the greatest risk of consumer harm.    

It may mean putting new data gathering or governance policies into place to ensure all products and services meet higher standards.  

These are not roles for the contact centre, but contact centres will be in the position of having to explain any changes to consumers, and to make sure consumers understand the products and services they are buying. Clear communication is key to Consumer Duty compliance.

Price and value

Are products and services delivering value? This calculation certainly involves price but can also include non-price value. For example, does the product or service deliver on its promises, and what is the outcome for consumers?

To meet the principles of the Duty some firms are implementing full value chain analysis, while others are working to make sure consumers face no hidden costs or unexpected charges.  

Effectively, companies in the sector need to ensure that there is a “reasonable relationship” between costs and benefits to meet Duty requirements. Pricing structures may need to change. The idea of “fair value” needs to be applied to all consumer groups, including vulnerable or protected customers.

Again, the contact centre has a key role to play, in gathering information, identifying different consumer groups and helping to make sure consumers are satisfied with products and services they are paying for.

Consumer understanding

The FCA Consumer Duty rules are clear that consumers need to understand what they are paying for and how it impacts their financial situation.

Firms need to ensure that customers have the information they need, presented in a clear and understandable way, to make informed decisions.

In practice, that might mean using simple language in product descriptions, or providing content in more than one language. It might mean having terms and conditions, including cancellation rights and how to make a complaint, clearly laid out on the company website.

Some companies will need to create new communication strategies, taking into account those who may find traditional channels difficult to access. Communications should be tested for clarity and ease of understanding. A tailored communications approach may be necessary for more complex products.

In some cases, it may be advisable to put metrics in place for measuring consumer understanding. One such might be whether customers take an expected action after being contacted with relevant information.

Clearly, contact centres have a large role to play here. Consumers often contact financial sector firms because they want clarity on a particular product or service. Contact centre leaders might consider writing new scripts, specifically with the aim of aiding greater consumer understanding in mind.

Consumer support

Consumer support typically happens through the contact centre, which needs to make sure agents interact with customers efficiently and with clarity. To that end, firms might work to reduce call waiting times, and put call monitoring in place so they can analyse the quality of agent/customer interactions.

Customer journeys may need to be improved, and customers should be offered communication channels of their choice. Omnichannel support – email, text, chat, as well as voice call – is likely to create better customer outcomes.

Again, meeting Consumer Duty requirements is likely to involve tailoring support journeys for vulnerable customers and more complex cases.

Measuring the success of new support strategies will be essential, including monitoring contact centre metrics like first contact resolution rates and call waiting times. Companies should also monitor the complaints they receive, looking for trends or patterns that suggest systemic issues.

How your contact centre needs to adapt  

Enhancing customer journeys and outcomes

• Empathy and customer-centricity

Contact centre teams need to be aware of Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles and apply them whenever relevant. Agents should also be trained to identify vulnerable customers and provide appropriate support.  

It’s important that agents prioritise empathy and active listening so they can properly understand customer needs. Training should focus on effective communication techniques to improve consumer understanding.

• Transparency and clear information

Contact centre teams should always provide clear and accurate information using plain language and avoiding jargon. This should include transparency around pricing, fees and any risks associated with a product or service. Make sure your scripts reflect these requirements. Be prepared to edit and update scripting whenever products or advice changes or in response to customer feedback.

Improving complaints handling

Consumer Duty requires firms to have effective complaints-handling procedures in place.

1. Handle complaints better:

• Establish efficient and effective complaints handling procedures.  
• Train agents to handle complaints promptly, with empathy, and in line with regulations.

2. Learn from complaints:

• Analyse complaints to identify recurring issues and take proactive steps to address them.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by sharing insights from complaints across the organisation.
• Think about using speech analytics to monitor customer interactions and identify areas for improvement.

Monitoring and quality assurance

Create robust monitoring processes

You will only know that your contact centre is complying with new FCA Consumer Duty rules by putting robust monitoring systems in place.

That means measuring call centre performance and analysing complaints. It also involves regular agent reviews, audits of customer interactions and performance reviews.

Training and development

Your agent training and development programmes should highlight the FCA Consumer Duty rules, continually reinforce key messages and update agent knowledge as the rules and practice evolve.

A cultural shift

Firms can’t adapt to the new FCA Consumer Duty rules in an ad hoc or piecemeal way. To remain compliant, many financial service sector companies will have to undergo a cultural shift. From top to bottom, everyone in the organisation must understand and prioritise a new focus on customer protection and positive outcomes.

Fundamentally, the new FCA rules are about providing exceptional customer service. Consumers should have clear information about the products and services they want to buy. They should have all the support they need to make sure those products and services achieve expected outcomes. And when there are problems, companies need to take any complaints seriously and find solutions swiftly.

The FCA hopes and expects that its new Consumer Duty will benefit consumers, and also the industry as a whole. As Sheldon Mills said: “If applied correctly, the Duty should help firms retain and attract customers and will enhance the competitiveness of our financial services sector.”

More information

If you need more guidance on the Consumer Duty and what it means for you, there are lots of resources on the FCA website.  

An overview of key publications.

Consumer Duty implementation plans.

The Consumer Duty policy statement.

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Which is the best dialling mode? There isn’t a simple answer, because it depends on the use case. The right dialling mode is the one that best meets the requirements of a particular campaign or customer demographic.

A dialler is simply a piece of software that automatically places calls to customers, but it can do that at different speeds and in different ways. The best way isn’t set because it changes depending on why and who you are calling. Ideally, your outbound dialleranswe will offer three modes which you can switch between as circumstances dictate.

For an overview of diallers, read our blog: Demystifying diallers – what they are and how they operate

Three dialler modes

The three main dialler modes are predictive, progressive and preview dialling. Ultimately, they all place calls automatically, so your agents don’t have to waste time dialling numbers or waiting for connections.

And they all share various features that help call centres operate efficiently. For example, they all offer call back management services, so customers who don’t answer or who do but can’t talk at that time are administered appropriately. At the same time, good call back management will ensure no customer gets called more frequently than regulations allow.

Good diallers in all modes will also recognise when calls are answered by answer machines and take appropriate action (such as leaving a pre-prepared message), without agents having to become involved in the call – this is called Answer Machine Detection (AMD).

In fact, the three modes share many similarities. But their differences are fundamental, and make each more suited to certain types of call and campaign. We explain the differences and their use cases below.

Predictive dialling

Predictive dialling is perhaps the ‘classic’ outbound call centre dialling mode, helping agents work through large databases of numbers, often as part of a mass market sales campaign.

How does predictive dialling work?

Predictive mode dials multiple numbers at the same time, and then matches answered calls to available agents. You can adjust the rate at which the dialler places calls, but speed and efficiency are of the essence with predictive dialling.

What are the benefits of predictive dialling?

Predictive dialling uses a sophisticated algorithm to estimate the number of calls that are likely to be answered and the number that are likely to ring off or connect to answering machines. It continually adjusts the rate of dialling as the algorithm gathers more information. Because a percentage of calls won’t be answered, it dials multiple numbers at the same time, ensuring agents spend as much time as possible talking to customers. It is the most intensive dialling mode but also the most efficient.

Who uses predictive dialling?

Predictive dialling is the gold standard for straightforward, high volume sales campaigns. It can quickly and efficiently work through large datasets, making sure leads are contacted while they’re still warm. Predictive dialling is about making every call count, and ensuring agents are always doing what they do best – talking to customers and leads.

Progressive dialling

Progressive diallers are auto diallers that only dial a number when an agent is available to take the call.

How does progressive dialling work?

Instead of calling multiple numbers at the same time, the system only calls the next number when the previous one is finished, or the agent indicates they are ready for the next call. Dialling is instant and automatic at that point, reducing wait time between calls.

What are the benefits of progressive dialling?

By slowing the pace down a little, the system still allows for a relatively high number of calls, but also eliminates the risk of customers abandoning calls or waiting a frustratingly long time before being connected to an agent. With progressive dialling, there is always an agent free to talk when a call is answered. That’s not always the case with predictive dialling, when customers may have to wait before being connected to an available agent.

Who uses progressive dialling?

Progressive dialling is often used in more targeted sales campaigns, or those involving higher value goods or services. Smaller, more focused data sets mean cost per call pressures are not so severe, and having an agent available when calls are answered is of paramount importance. After sales service teams may also prefer progressive dialling.

Preview dialling

Preview dialling automates call placing but only after agents have had time to gather and absorb information about the call recipient.

How does preview dialling work?

When an agent indicates availability, information about the next call is sent to the agent for preview. After a set amount of time the number is automatically dialled. The purpose of this delay is to let the agent prepare for the call, using information typically taken from the company CRM system.

What are the benefits of preview dialling?

The benefits of preview dialling are the time agents are allowed to prepare for a call. They can review all previous contacts with a customer and any other information stored on the firm’s CRM system. That stops customers having to repeat information they’ve already given and also leads to more personalised conversations.

Who uses preview dialling?

Preview diallers are particularly helpful when the reason for the call is complex or sensitive. That could be a debt resolution call, or a call responding to a customer complaint. Agents get to rehearse answers and tighten scripts before the call is connected.

Choosing the best dialling mode for your call centre

So which dialling mode is best for your call centre? Ideally, your system will allow you to switch between all three, but here are the questions to ask before choosing the right one at any given time.

Which dialler mode is best for cold calling?

It depends on the data set and what is being sold. For commodities and utilities, predictive dialling that can speed through large data sets efficiently is usually the best option. For higher value or B2B sales, progressive dialling may be preferable.

Which is the fastest dialling mode?

Predictive dialling is the fastest mode, because it calls more numbers than agents and connects agents as soon as they become available.

Which is the best dialler for current customer campaigns?

Progressive dialling is a low risk option that can improve customer experience, help nurture loyalty and effectively help agents upsell additional products and services. Because an agent is always available to have a conversation, the customers you have painstakingly nurtured over a period of time feel valued.

If we deal with more complicated calls or B2B campaigns, which dialling mode would be best?

In these instances you need to slow the pace of calls down and ensure agents are well informed about the reasons for the call or the product or service being sold. We’d recommend preview dialling for these types of calls.

My team deals with high-volume sales campaigns so which dialling mode should we use?

Predictive dialling will allow your team to get through a lot of calls in a short space of time, while keeping cost per call rates at a minimum.

Which dialling mode would help us maximise efficiency? It’s a key aim for our business

That depends on the circumstances. Predictive dialling places the most calls. But call speed efficiency counts for nothing if valued customers require a more personalised service, in which case an efficient call centre might be one that uses progressive or preview dialling. Take this on a case by case basis.

We’re looking for a dialler/dialling mode that will reduce the chance of dropping outbound calls. Which would be the most appropriate option for us?

MaxContact is your friend here. Our sophisticated customer engagement solution will keep dropped calls to an absolute minimum (in fact, close to zero), while helping you remain compliant.  

The verdict

The right dialler mode depends on the reason for the call and who you are calling. Predictive dialling works efficiently through large cold call data sets, progressive dialling reduces the risk of dropped calls and preview dialling allows for more personalised conversations. Each has huge advantages over manual dialling, but call centres must choose the balance of speed, preparedness and personalisation that best suits their needs.

Get more information on MaxContact’s feature packed dialler.

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