Missed callback
A promise to call a customer back that passed its time with no call.
Use this definition in team training or when clarifying a sales note.
Definition
A missed callback starts as a commitment on a call or in a text: I will call you back this afternoon, I will call as soon as I hear from the underwriter. It becomes missed when the time passes and no call to that customer was made.
A callback made after the promised time is late rather than missed, and a promise with no time attached cannot be judged at all, which is itself a problem. It is also different from a missed inbound call: a missed call is a customer who could not reach the team, while a missed callback is a promise the team made and broke.
Finding them means listing every callback promised in a period, each with its owner and deadline, and checking each one against the call log: kept, late, missed or can’t tell.
Why it matters
Call reports count the calls that were made, so a callback that never happened leaves no trace outside the conversation where it was promised. The customer remembers it, though, and often calls someone else. The guide to finding missed callbacks shows how to list a week of promises and check each one.