How Cochrane Global Raised Callback Value and Inbound Inquiries by Over 40%

At a glance: Cochrane Global manufactures high-security perimeter barriers and says on its website that it serves clients in more than 140 countries. Its commercial inquiries were arriving faster than the internal team could process them. Callbacks weren't being logged, leads went cold, and the sales team had no reliable view of pipeline value. In December 2024, Cochrane brought on a dedicated back-office and call center team through Stellar Staff, and the work is ongoing. In a verified review on Clutch, the company's Head of Business Development describes the result below.

"The total amount of value collected through the callback system and the volume of incoming inquiries have increased by over 40%."

Jaco Marais, Head of Business Development, Cochrane. Source: verified client review on Stellar Staff's Clutch profile. The project details are listed at the end of this page.

A manufacturer of high-security perimeter barriers

Cochrane Global describes itself as a world leader in high-security perimeter barriers for government, commercial, and private clients. Its website lists ClearVu fencing, razor barriers, vehicle barriers, and marine floating barriers among its products. On its company page, Cochrane says it is founder-owned, has grown over five decades, runs manufacturing plants in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, and serves clients in more than 140 countries (details checked on the company's website, November 8, 2026).

In B2B manufacturing, a sale often starts with an inquiry. A buyer asks for a quote, a specification, or a callback. What happens in the hours after that request comes in has a direct effect on whether it ever turns into a project.

What was going wrong with inbound inquiries

The problem Cochrane faced was volume. Inbound commercial inquiries were arriving faster than the internal team could process them, and three things followed:

• Callback requests went unrecorded. When a callback request isn't recorded, nobody can tell whether anyone called back.
• Leads went cold. A buyer who waits too long for an answer often moves on to another supplier or simply stops replying.
• Pipeline value was unclear. The sales team had no reliable view of what the open inquiries were worth.

The team needed more capacity and a clear process for handling inquiries. When the people who close deals are also expected to answer every inquiry, return every call, and update every record, the administrative side is usually the first thing to slip.

How the engagement was set up

Cochrane brought on a dedicated back-office and call center team through Stellar Staff. The work started in December 2024 and is ongoing. The Clutch review lists the project in the BPO and call center category, with a project cost of $10,000+.

Stellar Staff recruits dedicated, full-time remote hires. The search takes 5 to 10 business days, and the client interviews 2 to 3 finalists and picks one. After the hire, Stellar Staff handles recruiting, payroll, HR, tracking, and replacements, and the client directs the daily work. For a manufacturer, that split means the sales leadership decides how inquiries are handled and where qualified leads go, while Stellar Staff takes care of the employment side.

What the team handled

According to the project details, the team's work covered four areas:

• Lead generation. Identifying and qualifying potential buyers. Our lead generation VA services page explains how this role is usually set up.
• Sales support. Helping the sales staff with follow-up so open inquiries keep moving.
• Appointment setting. Booking calls and meetings for the sales team. Our guide to appointment setting companies compares the pricing models providers use.
• Data entry. Keeping inquiry and lead records complete and up to date. See our guide to data entry outsourcing for how to hand off records without losing accuracy.

The team made three key changes. The team took over the callback system, so every callback request had someone responsible for it. It standardized how inquiries were logged, so each one was recorded the same way. It also passed qualified leads directly to Cochrane's sales staff, so the salespeople could spend their time on buyers who were ready to talk.

What changed: callback value and inquiries up by over 40%

Jaco Marais names two measures in his review, and both have increased by over 40%: the value collected through the callback system and the volume of incoming inquiries.

Those are different kinds of results. Inquiry volume shows how much demand is reaching the business. Callback value shows how much is being collected from the callbacks the team now handles. The team's work touched both: lead generation brings inquiries in, and a well-maintained callback system keeps them from getting lost.

The review doesn't break the figure down by month, product, or channel, and we haven't added numbers that aren't in it.

Why lead generation for manufacturers doesn't end when the inquiry arrives

Most advice on lead generation for manufacturers is about getting more inquiries through trade shows, distributors, search, and outbound campaigns. Cochrane's story points to the other half of the problem. If the inquiries already coming in aren't logged, returned, and qualified quickly, more lead generation only adds to the backlog.

Manufacturing customer service adds its own pressure. The same people often handle quotes, order questions, and technical requests from existing customers, so a new commercial inquiry has to compete for their attention. A dedicated call center team gives those inquiries a clear owner. That is the gap a callback system is meant to close, and it only works when someone is responsible for keeping it current.

Getting a sales team ready for call center support

If you run sales for a manufacturer and are planning a similar setup, a few decisions make the start go more smoothly:

• Define a qualified lead. Write down what the team should confirm before passing an inquiry to sales, such as the product, the project size, the location, and the timeline.
• Pick one place to log callbacks. Use a single CRM or tracker with required fields, so every request has a date, an owner, and a status.
• Set handoff rules. Decide which salesperson gets which leads and how quickly they should follow up after a handoff.
• Set up separate logins. Give the team their own accounts in your CRM, phone system, and email, with only the access the role needs, so you can change or revoke permissions at any time.

Our call center outsourcing services page shows how Stellar Staff fills these roles, and our guide to call center outsourcing companies compares shared agents, dedicated teams, and single hires.

What other manufacturers can take from this

• Look at what happens after an inquiry arrives. Cochrane's problem wasn't a lack of demand. It was inquiries arriving faster than the team could process them.
• Give callbacks an owner. The team took over the callback system and standardized how it recorded inquiries.
• Give salespeople more time with qualified buyers. Passing qualified leads directly to the sales staff lets them spend their time on conversations that can close.

For another story about remote staff taking over inbound work, read how Mr. Handyman of South Bend grew from one virtual assistant to six.

How Stellar Staff staffs call center and back-office roles

Stellar Staff recruits dedicated, full-time remote hires, primarily from the Philippines, and accepts the top 0.1% of the thousands of applicants who apply each month. Vetting includes a 6-step application, 6 individual tests, written and spoken English verification, professional interviews and skill assessments, reference checks, an equipment check, background checks, and internal QA before the finalist interviews. Stellar Staff is the #2 VA agency on Clutch, where reviews like Cochrane's are published.

The client interviews 2 to 3 finalists and picks one. Pro is $1,999 a month for 160 hours, and Executive is $2,999 a month. Both plans are month to month with no long-term contract and 14 days' notice to cancel, and managed plans include free replacements, forever.

To find the plan that fits your team, whether you need one manufacturing virtual assistant or a full call center team, compare pricing or book a call to start a search.

About the Clutch review

• Reviewer: Jaco Marais, Head of Business Development, Cochrane
• Industry and location: Manufacturing, South Africa
• Category: BPO and call centers
• Project cost: $10,000+
• Timeline: December 2024 to present (ongoing)
• Scope: Lead generation, sales support, appointment setting, and data entry

You can read the full review and others on Stellar Staff's Clutch profile.

This case study is based on a verified client review that Jaco Marais of Cochrane left on Stellar Staff's Clutch profile. Company details come from the Cochrane Global website, checked November 8, 2026. Results are quoted only as the client stated them; we have not added figures that were not in the review. Stellar Staff pricing is current as of November 2026.