At a Glance

  • A national call center sought increased revenue from customer transactions
  • An Access turnkey discount club program was brought in as an upsell option
  • The company now generates substantial incremental income while helping customers save money

Every dollar counts. If there’s anything the current economy has taught us, it’s that businesses must seize every opportunity to earn incremental revenue. The key to earning those extra dollars on a regular basis is offering clear, ongoing value to consumers. 

This was what a national call center who helps eCommerce sites acquire and monetize customers realized. Adding to a long history of success, the company has recently increased profits and client retention substantially thanks to upsell programs by Access Development.

The Need

Call centers come into contact with thousands of customers every day, representing a captive audience that’s already in a buying mood and interested in the company they’re calling. For call centers that process orders and order confirmations, each of those customers offers an opportunity for incremental, recurring revenue, as long as the upsell product is appealing.

Unfortunately, many upsell products simply fail to captivate consumers, leading to buyer’s remorse and in some cases, damaging the reputation of the company that offered the upsell.

The national call center sought a product that not only delivered a powerful return on investment but would also provide genuine value to its customers.

The Solution

The call center’s president was somewhat familiar with the discount network at Access Development, who was already one of several vendors the call center worked with at the time. After learning more more about Access’ private label and turnkey options, he elected to expand the relationship between the two companies, making Access the primary merchant content provider.

“We take Access programs and resell them to our affiliate call centers,” the call center’s president says. “Our clients use them as a standalone upsell and also as a key benefit in their membership clubs, along with identity theft protection and magazine subscriptions.”

The appeal is simple: For a minimal cost, Access offers over 350,000 local and national discounts in 16 different savings categories. Access’ discount clubs, cards, and savings web portals are private label-ready, minimizing the effort required from the call center.

“The fully integrated member-savings web portal, with its easy to use interface, provides a gateway to savings with hundreds of nationally recognized merchants,” the president points out.

When the contact center confirms an order or a shipping address with a customer, the customer is offered an opportunity to join its membership program free for a limited time. After the trial period ends, the customer is invited to stay in the club for a monthly membership fee.

The Results

Both revenue and customer engagement are up for the call center and its clients. Due to the high perceived value of the membership clubs, the company is able to sell the memberships at a significant markup. Club members number in the thousands, resulting in substantial incremental, recurring revenue every month.

As for the consumers, usage is high and many choose to stay active in the club after the free trial period has ended. For many of them, the savings offset the cost of their original purchases.

“Access has been a big benefit. It’s responsible for a big part of our revenue,” says the company’s president. “I’ve looked at other programs and Access is one of the best values out there.”