An IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system is an automated system that allows users to interact with a call routing system. The purpose of IVR is to help your customers find the desired information by themselves, thus avoiding unnecessary contact and resolving queries in less time. It is a technology widely used today in Call Centers or Customer Service departments. It is primarily for Call Centers because it allows automated agents to interact with users through the use of voice or dialing.
Current IVR technology provides a tree of voice menus and is guided by the caller's responses, in order to send your call to the most appropriate or corresponding extension.
There are two main types of IVR depending on the use and operation that they will have:
IVR for Self Service
Smart technology with IVR offers fully automatic call management, making it easy for businesses to handle more of these calls at no added cost. It identifies and manages queries from users or customers, or contacts them completely automatically, although it is always possible to transfer the call to the corresponding agent or department.
Agent Assisted IVR
It is a combination of an automated IVR with the knowledge of Call Center agents to optimize operating costs and offer the best service. The IVR collects information to help the agent deal with the caller efficiently and successfully.
Benefits IVR offers Businesses
Undoubtedly, the IVR system has been an achievement for managing customers efficiently and reducing costs, which is why it has many advantages for companies, such as reducing waiting times for calls, customer service suitable for companies 24 hours a day, facilitating the 24×7 support that is so demanded and used today, or the ability to manage a large number of calls.
IVRs represent a great tool for companies to reach all their customers, retain and expand them, as well as offer quality interactions while reducing costs.
Introducing an IVR system in a company is a source of benefits and improvements in customer service, which always translates into business volume, improving customer satisfaction through this new channel, faster and more accessible at any time of the day and from anywhere.
These are the main benefits of the IVR system:
Cost Reduction
The IVR system reduces the expenses of a company since it supposes a saving on personnel. Directing the call to the most appropriate department or agent reduces call time and is much more efficient and satisfying for the customer.
Automate Customer Service
IVR software allows companies to offer a self-service mode for customers to solve their own queries if they are very simple instantly, finding the answers to questions without actually interacting with a person when the solution or answer is very basic.
Increase Efficiency
Customer Self-Service through voice menus, voice commands, and touch-tone phone controls reduces the number of agents needed while increasing service availability and improving customer service.
Combine Self-service and Assisted service
The IVR system guarantees a more unified and accurate user experience, regardless of the type of initial interaction and the changes that have occurred, A complete contextualization of the call allows the agent to have access to all the data collected by the IVR, thus improving caller satisfaction and FCR ( First Call Resolution ) rates. ) rates.
Facilitate 24/7 Support
IVR systems facilitate 24/7 service, a support today that is increasingly in demand in all sectors. It guarantees that customers will receive attention whether they call during a busy period, or if they call after hours.
Contact with customers proactively
Establish an automatic connection with your Audience in a proactive and personalized way. IVR services can be used in out-call campaigns to offer customers products and services.
Improve the Image of the Company and Its Customer Service
IVR software makes sure that not all calls are routed directly to live agents, as more than half of support calls are unnecessary. Plus, you can record your business details that your customers frequently ask about, like business hours, office address, and more. In this way, the support team can attend to more valuable calls; pre-recorded messages can answer calls that need such information.
Popular IVRs have an auto-routing feature that can give customers the option to listen to per-recorded information or speak to a live agent. It helps to improve the image of the company since these systems resolve queries on the first call very quickly and easily.
Challenges with Getting an IVR for Your Business
IVR is a technology that is not yet perfect and is constantly improving. Therefore, it cannot fully supply the functions of a human. There is still a long way to go on this!
If not well implemented, the IVR can confuse your customers and even not fully respond to their needs, resulting in a worse brand experience. Also, a poorly mechanized recording can give them the impression that their needs are being neglected by humans and left in the hands of machines insensitive to their concerns. A 2019 Small Business Trends study showed that 61% of callers felt the IVR system had a bad effect on their experience
What do this 61% hate the most? The majority think that having to listen to irrelevant options or very long menus, approximately half think that it prevents them from contacting a real person.
Therefore, we must ensure that the IVR is well thought out to provide solutions rather than answers and in a way that is as similar as possible to what a customer service advisor should do: with empathy.
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The success of a hotel thrives on customer relationships.
This year monthly calls to cruise lines in August 2020 were up 79% from March 2020.
Therefore, call volume is likely to be higher than it was during previous years.
The most common uses of IVR in the hotel industry are for making reservations, gathering information about special offers, submitting complaints, and finding information about products or services.
A good IVR system will go a long way to improve your consumer experience.
Anything that will help them have the best possible time.
