Can call center up-selling negatively affect the customer experience?

Do you think that too much up-selling by call center agents can negatively affect the customer experience? In other words, how much is too much?

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The answer is a resounding YES. Companies do that every day. They often push up-selling to meet quotas without thinking about the long-term consequences on the customer relationship.

As a rule of thumb, up-selling or cross-selling should be done under two conditions:

1. Customer interest
2. Customer readiness

My suggestion: Be polite and ask for permission before "pitching" additional products or services to customers. Accept a "no" and do not push. In general, up-selling or cross-selling is most successful when it is natural. Meaning, the call center agent can link additional selling to a topic or issue that was just discussed or to a specific product or service the customer is already using. When the cross-sell is actually adding value to customer, it will be successful. Additionally, when the up-sell or cross-sell is offered after real value was delivered to customer in the form of solving a problem, it has a higher credibility and therefore a better likelihood of success.

This was first published in June 2007

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