Ofcom Request Input from Call Centre Professionals
Are you a call centre manager, supervisor or other decision maker? If so, Ofcom want to hear your feedback regarding silent and abandoned calls, and the regulations that control them. Ofcom’s outbound contact centre survey is ending soon, so spare some time to give your feedback and help improve the industry you work in!
Silent and Abandoned Calls
The current regulations around silent and abandoned calls try to prevent them from occurring as much as possible, but with continued complaints coming from consumers, the industry has some way to go before the issue is completely eradicated.
The cause
- Abandoned calls are caused when too many call attempts are made for the number of agents available, usually leaving a recipient with an automated message explaining that the organisation tried to make contact.
- Silent calls are caused by diallers mistaking real people on the end of the phone for answering machines. No announcement is played and silence often confuses or can intimidate the recipient.
The complaints
Ofcom’s 2014 Consumer Experience Report showed that complaints for silent and abandoned calls are on the rise, with a record of 4,135 individual complaints made in June last year. This issue is a significant one, and there is a real need for all organisations to help to improve the policies that prevent bad practice. The call centre industry has developed a poor reputation among the public, due to a number of firms abusing their powers. Changing consumers attitudes to the industry should be a priority for industry professionals.
Take Action. Ofcom are asking for your help
Ofcom have expressed a need to get as much engagement as possible from contact/call centres with their feedback survey. To improve their policies, they’re asking for your feedback on the following topics…
- The key drivers of silent and abandoned calls.
- Whether any changes to Ofcom’s policy may help reduce the likelihood of the calls being made, and the level of harm they cause.
- The costs and benefits to businesses of complying with Ofcom’s regulatory policy.
- Other industry developments which may be relevant to Ofcom’s work.
The survey is anonymous, and will end on Friday the 24th of April. If you (or someone you know) can take part, follow the link below. It’s okay if you can’t answer all of the questions, simply provide all the information you can.