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Pre-Recorded Voice Messages: Welcome
Calls
 Chain
Store Age Magazine, September 2004
By Marianne Wilson
Boscov's and Easy Spirit leave quick, targeted messages on
customers' phones
With so much direct mail competing for consumers' attention, it's easy for a piece to get tossed aside or overlooked. But Boscov's Department Stores and Easy Spirit are reinforcing their direct-mail campaigns and sales events with pre-recorded voice messages left on customers' answering machines. Short, friendly and to the point, the messages alert customers to special offers and discounts they will be receiving in the mail and to in-store events.
"Our customers have responded very positively to these messages," says
Kim Kolakowski, VP of credit promotions and database marketing,
Boscov's Department Stores, which operates 40 stores in the mid-Atlantic
region.
Boscov's began voice messaging in early 2003. To test its effectiveness,
the chain split the customers targeted for an upcoming direct-mail
campaign into three groups. One group received only the direct-mail
piece. The second group received the mailing and the pre-recorded
message. The third received only the call.
"The response rate was almost double for the customers who
received the calls and direct-mail pieces compared to those who
only got the mailing," Kolakowski says.
Boscov's subsequent voice-messaging efforts proved equally successful.
The chain ties the calling campaigns into major promotional events.
"We do about one every other month," Kolakowski says.
In most instances, the direct-mail campaigns are targeted to
select audiences.
"Instead of notifying all customers in the database about
every event, we target the right customer for the right event," Kolakowski
says.
The chain handles campaigns involving less than 25,000 calls
on its own, working out of its call center. It uses SmartReply,
Irvine, Calif., for larger campaigns, which can involve up to
half-a-million calls. SmartReply can make up to 15 million calls
in a single day.
Kolakowski gives the offer for the upcoming campaign to SmartReply,
which writes the call script and sends it back to Kolakowski.
She makes any necessary changes and returns it to SmartReply.
The company sends her the recorded message for final review.
"We keep the message under 30 seconds," Kolakowski
says.
SmartReply makes all calls between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the least
likely time that anyone will be home. The goal, notes Eric Holmen,
director of strategic marketing of SmartReply, is to leave the
message on the answering machine.
Kolakowski initially was concerned about customer reaction. But
the number of customers who have requested not to receive future
calls (each call concludes with a toll-free number customers can
call to opt out) has been negligible. Indeed, as many people have
called the number to hear the message again as to have their names
taken off the call list.
"The total calls to the 800 number equal less than a half of a percent of all calls made," Kolakowski says. In fact, she adds, most people seem happy they were contacted. That's also been the experience of another SmartReply customer, Easy Spirit shoe stores. "We've had tremendous success with our calling campaigns," says Dianne Binford, senior director of consumer-based marketing, Jones Apparel Group, New York City, whose brands include Easy Spirit. Easy Spirit uses voice marketing sparingly, twice a year at the most, to alert customers to its two big sales events. "We target the message to fit the customer's transaction history," Binford says. Like Boscov's, Easy Spirit only calls a select group. "We only place calls to our best customers," Binford
explains. "We're not looking to call people who aren't interested
in our sales.
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