The number of telemarketing calls made to consumers has leapt over
the past two years, according to a new report by the Henley Centre.
The ’Outbound Teleculture’ report shows that the number of people
receiving calls from companies has increased from 59% in 1996 to 86%. In
the six months to March 1998, around 41 million people claim to have
received a call from a company.
Over half of consumers receive at least one outbound call every
month.
In the past six months, 12 million calls came from BT, eight million
from banks, three million from retailers and half a million from
supermarkets.
Cold calling is on the decline. In 1996 over 40 million people received
a home improvements call in the previous six months. In 1998, the figure
dropped to just under 32 million. However, three out of four people
would welcome a register to ensure they did not get cold calls at
home.
The calls most welcomed by consumers are renewal calls, inquiry
follow-ups, complaint resolutions, customer service and cross-selling,
with 71% agreeing that it is acceptable for a company to call if they
have bought from them before.
The report, sponsored by Brann, the Call Centre Service, Eagle Star
Direct and Lucent Technologies, also found that those using the phone to
make complaints has increased by 10% over the past two years.
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