Dimension Data: Customer-Centric Strategies Are 200 Leagues Ahead

Permission-based sales and marketing campaigns to prospects and
existing customers are more than 200 times as effective as calls to a
prospect list, according new research findings in Dimension Data's
Global Contact Centre Benchmarking Report 2007.

The Report, which surveyed 403 contact centres across 42
countries, confirms that permission and loyalty marketing principles
deliver results when applied to outbound contact centre campaigns.
Cross and up-sell calls to existing customers, and appointment setting
from a qualified lead are 225 and 212 times more effective than
calling to a prospect list.

Cara Diemont, editor of the Report comments: "This is encouraging
from a sales conversion perspective. Also, calling existing customers
and prospects that have asked to be contacted is a customer-centric
strategy that's aligned with privacy legislation."

In line with the implementation of privacy regulation, the Report
shows an overall slow-down in outbound dialling. Average outbound call
volumes last year returned to 2001 levels at just over 1.2 million
calls per annum - a drop of over half a million calls (from a peak of
more than 1,7 million on average in 2003). This decline is pronounced
in regions where Do-Not-Call lists are in place, demonstrating that
privacy legislation is having a significant impact on outbound
activities.

Do-Not-Call legislation was first introduced in the United Kingdom
and North America in 2003(1). With governments in Europe and
Asia-Pacific planning to introduce similar laws, many companies have
been concerned that this will result in the demise of telemarketing.

"The findings show that this development is not necessarily
something companies should fear, as it is far more effective to call
existing customers and it's clear that permission-based outbound
calling is highly effective on the whole," explains Diemont.

However, the outbound function remains a manual process in most
contact centres, with a typical outbound call requiring a pre-call
setup of 31 seconds on average. "Outbound traffic management is a
specialised practice, and one that inbound-focussed businesses fail to
do as efficiently. Depending on the purpose of the contact, only 10%
-15% of respondents to this year's survey employ formal campaign
management methods for their outbound traffic."

"To realise the positive returns from outbound initiatives, which
the Report indicates are possible, it's essential that contact centres
put in place consistent processes and use relevant campaign tools to
ensure outbound calling is both efficient and effective," concludes
Diemont.

About Dimension Data

Dimension Data plc (LSE:DDT), a specialist IT services and
solution provider, helps clients plan, build and support their IT
infrastructures. Dimension Data applies its expertise in networking,
security, operating environments, storage and contact centre
technologies and its unique skills in consulting, integration and
managed services to create customised client solutions.

www.dimensiondata.com

About the Global Contact Centre Benchmarking Report

First published in the UK in 1997 by Merchants, Dimension Data's
specialist contact centre outsourcing and operations division, this
year's edition is the ninth in a series of the industry-renowned
benchmarking reports. The report has balanced global and industry
representation from 403 contact centres located across 42 countries
and five continents, and is an invaluable reference for all contact
centre professionals. It provides managers with a set of best practice
standards and benchmarks, including staffing and training, performance
metrics, technology usage, budgets and development plans. The report
is researched and published by Dimension Data. For more information
about the Report, please go to www.ccbenchmarking.com

(1) Entered into legislation on 4 October 2004. Source:
www.ftc.gov