SoundBite

A New Weapon in the Telecom Share Wars

Voice and data communication providers wage a constant battle to minimize costly customer churn, as well as generate new revenue streams from the existing base and provide a distinctive level of service and satisfaction to customers. Data service providers, local exchange carriers, long-distance carriers and wireless carriers each own a set of vital customer relationships in a market that is one of the most fluid and competitive business environments existing today. As next-generation telecom service offerings come online, the technical and competitive battle will only grow tougher.

So in the competition for share of wallet, customer communications weapons must become ever more effective, more frequently used, and much more cost-effective. SoundBite voice messaging offers exactly these unique advantages to the telecommunications industry.

• Unlimited telephony capacity handles calling programs of any size in any time-to-call window
• Strategic and tactical customer promotions can penetrate the entire customer base in just hours using expert scripting, top sound quality, and professional voice talent to achieve maximum impact
• SoundBite’s extensive experience with leading telecom companies ensures highly effective, professional, branded, and personalized communications that get results fast
• The widest range of messaging options offers flexibility to meet every situation, from one-way notifications and alerts to sophisticated interactive messages for direct connect to call center agents or IVR systems

The Medium is the (Voice) Message

SoundBite counts numerous top telecommunications companies among our most active customers. Their marketing departments conduct highly effective customer contact campaigns that demonstrate the enormous power of the telephony medium while realizing dramatic cost savings, increasing retention and reducing churn. There’s no more effective way to reach out to customers and offer rate promotions, service bundles, affinity programs and special offers. Building brand loyalty at a lower cost than traditional media is all about frequency of contact and the value each customer receives from that contact. SoundBite is instrumental in making messages relevant and effective.

• Deliver offers such as promotional rates and new product trials using personalized, branded voice messages that generate immediate action from customers
• Reduce cost-per-contact dramatically due to cost-effectiveness of telephony and voice messaging compared to traditional direct marketing and telemarketing
• Test marketing tactics and selling messages quickly.
  
• Gather and analyze success data in real-time with full reporting of call attempts, connections, bad numbers, right party verification, direct connect rate, and answering machine messages left
• Activate new customers quickly and send personalized welcome messages to emphasize specific features and benefits
  
• Conduct an entire customer promotion in hours versus weeks or months required to complete the direct mail response curve

Customer Service Should Phone It In

The level of customer service delivery has become a major differentiator between telecommunications companies. Maintaining consistent, positive contact with customers increases customer confidence and satisfaction, strengthens brand loyalty and reduces churn. The challenge is to do it all while reducing the costs associated with those communications. SoundBite voice messaging is uniquely suited to customer contact in the telecommunications industry.

• Pre-empt inbound calls regarding changes in account statements
• Deliver welcome messages, billing updates, and other helpful information on an ad hoc basis
• Make multiple attempts at different times of day to reach customers most effectively…and after a set the number of attempts, ensure that customers always receive a clean, consistent answering machine message
• Confirm customer appointments in advance; ensure customer is present before making service calls
• Obtain necessary information when needed, such as credit card expiration dates
• Send customers proactive notifications of weather emergencies and other conditions that might cause service fluctuations
• Conduct frequent satisfaction surveys to reinforce that customer attitudes are solicited and valued

Shrinking the Collections Cycle

Billing and collections is a critical area for the telecommunications provider. The collections department must handle customers who are late payers or have missed several payment cycles. It is vital to address these situations as early as possible and collect balances quickly, while at the same time maintaining a positive relationship. SoundBite helps reduce the cost of collection and shrink the collections cycle.

• Solicit payments by reaching out to an unlimited number of customers at one time with effective, personalized messages
• Provide convenient, immediate access to self-service payment options
• Eliminate the 2-second delay mandated at the start of calls placed by predictive dialers; convey the importance of the call right away to reduce hang-ups
• Collect more revenue within a shorter period of time using fewer outbound agents
• Reduce cost-per-contact by automatically verifying the right party, thus increasing agent time spent on high-value contacts
• Manage call volumes to keep agents busy but not buried and turn cold outbound calls into warm inbound calls
• Boost penetration rates with blended (inbound/outbound) campaigns
• Ensure the highest quality customer interaction