Calling Line Identity (CLI) is a phone service available in digital and analog phone systems. It is available in many of the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) applications as well. The service transmits the telephone number of the caller to the call-receiving party’s telephone equipment when the call is being set up or during the ringing signal. It is done before the call is answered. The caller ID will also display the name of the caller associated with the number if it is pre-programmed. A contact center software can display the information on your computer screen as well.
The process of presenting a localized CLI to the callee is termed as CLI localization. Various organizations, including contact centers, insurance companies, and debt collectors, use it to increase their contact rate.
The Benefits of CLI Localization for Contact Centers
Contact centers make outbound calls to sell products, to provide information about a new product to the customers, to conduct research, and so on. Various researches conducted by the telephone companies and contact centers show that the customers, in general, are reluctant to answer an unknown or withheld phone number. As far as a contact center is concerned, if a customer does not answer the phone, that means wasted time, and hence decreased productivity. It is the ultimate aim of every contact center to increase its contact rates. This is where the CLI localization technology comes in.
CLI localization allows a contact center to present a geographically familiar number to the customers. This is done by adjusting the presented number according to the area code of the dialed number. If the dialed number is non-geographical, with the help of an internal database or a customer data list, it is matched to a geographical area code. The recipient will always see a recognizable local number. This will prompt the customer to answer the phone. What this means for a contact center is increased contact rate. Imagine, in an outbound contact center, if an agent is allocated 50 customers, and he/she is not able to get in touch with half of them, half a day’s productivity is lost from that agent. If the same situation happens with a lot of agents in your contact center, imagine the total productivity lost in a day. It also means less number of sales made in a day. Of course, just getting in touch with a customer does not guarantee a sale, but a contact is certainly an important step in initiating a sale. An increased contact rate will definitely help with a contact center’s overall productivity.
CLI localization is not just for calls made to landlines, it can also be used for calls made to mobile phones as well. Nowadays, most of the people use mobile phones as their main point of contact. They will immediately be able to see the number, and recognize whether the number displayed is a local one or not. Now, if a customer misses the call, and decides to return it, then the call will land in that specific call center exactly the way the contact center dictates. The call can be programmed to go to specific agents or to individual departments.
Many businesses and individuals associate a telephone number that they do not recognize as the primary characteristic of an inbound cold call. With the CLI localization technique, a contact center will be able to target customers and prospects very effectively by displaying the area code and the local number of a town or a city close to each party involved on a per-call basis. The customer confidence is improved when he/she sees a local familiar number in terms of answering the call.
The Legal and Ethical side of CLI Localization
If you have the legal consent in making an outbound call, then CLI localization can be implemented without any issue. CLI localization is completely ethical as long as you conduct it in compliance with regulations. The customers have the option to opt-out of further service/sales calls instantly. All that the CLI localization basically does is remove any pre-call judgments that a callee makes upon seeing an unfamiliar number on their phone.
There are a few things to consider while opting for CLI localization. Just because the customers pick up the call does not mean that they will listen to the agents, and buy the product. Making a sale still remain the agent’s ability to do so. Also, the customers pick up the call without knowing who is calling them. If they become aggravated upon realizing that the call is a sales call, the agents will have to deal with them in a very efficient, and polite way, and if they request not to be disturbed again, the agents will have to ensure that by taking the necessary steps. It is imperative that you implement the CLI localization in the right way so as not to damage your company’s reputation.
