10 Proven Call Reduction Strategies to Try in 2025

A high call volume in call centers can mean several things: customer growth, seasonal demands, or product/service issues. Whatever the reason is, an increase in call volume can lead to agent burnout, poor service quality and potential brand damage.

To address this issue, businesses must look for ways to decrease call volumes while maintaining a high-quality customer experience.

In this article, we discuss 10 effective call reduction strategies without compromising on customer experience and efficiency.

But first, let’s clear some basics.

Why Try to Reduce Call Volume?

Every second in a customer interaction is crucial for building brand loyalty. However, with increasing call volumes, the pressure on agents mounts, which can lead to an increased risk of errors. To avoid such circumstances, businesses should try to reduce call volumes, which can also benefit in other ways, like:

⇒ Reduces Operational Costs – Fewer calls can optimize resource allocation and agent scheduling, which can help avoid overstaffing in quiet periods. There is also less need for infrastructure and telecommunications, leading to substantial cost savings.

⇒ Improves Agent Efficiency – With a manageable number of queries, agents get more time to focus on complex cases that need the most attention. This can streamline the resolution process and improve the overall productivity and performance of the team.

⇒ Enhances Brand Experience – Efficient handling of customer queries means more satisfactory service and support. Customers also face shorter wait times because of low call volume, which can lead to an improved experience.

10 Call Reduction Strategies

1. Deploy Self-service Options

Self-service options are a great way to empower customers to resolve their issues independently. It also eliminates long waiting hours for customers. Some of the popular options include:

• FAQs – Organize commonly asked questions with their answers on your site and make them easily accessible

• Community Forums – Allow customers to ask questions and share solutions about your product through your website or social media page

• Customer Portals- Provide consumers access to personalized portals to view account information, manage orders/subscriptions, track orders/tickets, and update preferences

• IVR- Enable customers to navigate automated menus using voice or keypad inputs. 

2. Improve First Call Resolution Rate (FCR)

Providing customers with the right information or solution in the first call can reduce the number of follow-up calls.

You can improve the first call resolution rate by:

• Training your agents with extensive knowledge and skills
• Analyzing calls to identify recurring patterns or problems and addressing them
• Offering real-time AI-powered help to agents during the live call

3. Use Call Routing

Call routing places each incoming call in a queue and routes it to the correct person or department. This can eliminate the need for customers to repeat information to multiple agents.

You can implement a skill-based routing to match callers with specific needs to certain departments or agents. This can be done using an automatic call distributor (ACD)  to connect the callers with the most appropriate agent.

4. Offer Omnichannel Support Support

Adding more contact options through omnichannel support allows customers to use their preferred channels of communication, such as live chat, email, or social media, which are often quicker and more convenient than calling.

Furthermore, omnichannel support shares customer information and context across channels, allowing issues to be resolved more proactively without the need for escalation or any further calls.

5. Analyze Customer Queries

Evaluate the common call inquiries to understand the common challenges and pain points why your customers call. Once you discover the underlying reasons for customer inquiries, you can make informed decisions about proactive communications, process improvements, or product enhancements. For example, if many calls are to complain about a faulty product issue, you can make improvements accordingly.

6. Keep Your Customers Informed

You can reach out to customers ahead of time to inform them about any product updates, changes, or downtimes. This can help reduce the sudden rush of incoming calls during certain events like periodic maintenance.

It can also contribute to an improved brand image, strengthening customer relations and improving customer satisfaction.

7. Offer Scheduled Callbacks

Instead of making customers wait on hold for extended periods, contact centers can offer the option to schedule a callback at a convenient time. This can reduce call volume and frustration among customers by providing reassurance that they will get a callback.

Advanced automated systems like Exotel can categorize and schedule callbacks based on urgency and topic.

8. Improve Support Quality Across Channels

Establish uniform quality standards for all support channels to ensure consistency and reliability in customer service delivery. Ensure that all support channels, from phone calls to emails, adhere to the same high service quality standards.

You can leverage technology such as CRM systems and AI chatbots to streamline service delivery and improve customer satisfaction, leading to call reduction.

9. Automate Workflows

Workflow automation can simplify complex processes and streamline self-service platforms to handle routine queries such as order tracking, password resets, or appointment scheduling. It can also identify and address potential issues before customers even reach out. For example, sending updates on delivery status or billing reminders can minimize the need for customers to call and inquire.

10. Collect Feedback & Improve

Being receptive to customers’ problems and feedback can help you improve customer service and reduce the need for repeated phone calls. Addressing feedback will ensure customers’ voices are heard and enhance brand image while reducing call volumes

To be more inclusive in customer service, you can take customer surveys and ask questions like:

• Which is your preferred communication channel?
• What topics should we cover in help articles?
• How can we improve our email and live chat support?
• Should we take a more proactive approach in bringing experts to forums?

Manage Calls Efficiently With Exotel

Exotel is an AI-powered communication platform that enables businesses to manage customer interactions efficiently. It provides omnichannel support across multiple platforms (voice, chat, email, social media) so that customers can choose the most comfortable platform.

You can improve your call center’s efficiency and reduce repeated calls with some of its features like:

• Smart IVR for proactive resolutions
• Reports and dashboards to enable data-driven decision-making
• Live monitoring to guide agents and resolve issues faster
• Auto call distributor to route calls to the most appropriate agents

Request a demo today to explore Exotel’s capabilities and learn how it can help you reduce calls.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1.What are the Common Reasons for High Call Volume in a Call Center?

High call volumes may occur due to unresolved customer complaints, such as product or service issues, ineffective self-service options and a lack of proactive customer engagement.

2. How can Self-Service Options Help in Call Reduction?

Self-service tools like chatbots, FAQs and IVR systems allow customers to resolve common issues independently. This reduces the need to speak to a live agent and can contribute to call reduction.

3. What Technology Can I Use for Call Reduction?

Technologies like AI-powered chatbots, IVR systems, CRM platforms, and automated workflows can help reduce calls by streamlining processes, resolving routine queries, and providing customers with faster solutions.