What is IVR? Interactive Voice Response .
If you look into Interactive Voice response (IVR), then u will see that,
it’s a kind of telephony system which is automated and it interacts with callers. It also
gathers the information required and then after gathering the information it directs the
calls to the appropriate recipient according to the gathered information.
Now a-days modern and sophisticated IVR systems have arrived, in this
modern technology you can use the voice recognition system to gather the input and responses
using your voice and by speaking the words. Conversations we make are either pre-recorded or
it is generated audio which then functions like assisting the calls, directing them, or
route the calls automatically without the need of a live operator.
When we make these interactions, there are ways through which clients
can make interactions they can do that by either using the touch-tone keypad selection or by
using the voice telephone input. The response that is received and recorded takes the form
of voice, call-back or any other media.
Do you know how does an IVR work?
With the help of your phone’s keypad, only the interactive systems can be the
appropriate solution quickly and functions in a way that allows it to navigate
the contact center. It will simply mean that the customers will themselves be
able to route the calls to appropriate parties. So as a result it will result in
fewer incoming calls, with lower operational costs, and then our team members
productivity get high.
If we look from the technical level, then we will see that the IVR systems are
usually consists of the following: equipment for telephony, the software
applications, a database, and some infrastructure to support. In order to start,
the computer used is usually connected to the company’s telephone line.
There are some requirements that are needed of the telephony like an IVR
software is needed to be installed onto our computer along with telephony board
which is the special piece of hardware, web or a telephony card is usually
required.
When we make a call to some telephony company as a customer, then in that case
the IVR system will respond you by giving you a greeting which is usually
pre-recorded by the company already which will then give you some set of menu
and will ask you to choose from it. Let us take an example, if you press the
button”1” then the company will provide you some specific service.
Mentioned below are some of the details that illustrate the requirements:
1: TCP/IP network: in order to provide the internet and the intranet services
this network is used.
2: VXML telephony server: this is the server which acts as some special server
as an interface between your phone and the internet network used.
3: Database: it stores the real time information which then IVR system/ can
access.
4: Web/application server: this server can be seen and considered as the home of
the IVR systems software. But one thing that is to be remembered and must be
kept in notice is that there is more than one application which are designed to
perform to various functions.
The advantages of IVR .
When adopting the modern IVR capabilities we can see the below mentioned IVR advantages.
1: Better services for the Customer.
By using the IVR systems, we can make the client feel like he is being better
attended to. Always a quick response is available for the any question asked by
the customer. The response that is pre-recorded is always informative and time
efficient and the customer is only supposed to follow the set of instruction
designed for them in order to be attended better.
The answering of the call on the first ring made by the customer, benefits both
the company and the customer by reducing the waiting time and by cutting the
call volume thus it saves time for both.
2: Unlimited Access to the Customer:
Customers can make perfect use of the IVR systems if they want at any time
they want according to their convenience cause the company its task whole 24
hours a day and all 7 days in the week. But in case of the office hours and
holidays and also during the break hours the availability of the employee
decreases, but IVR systems are always at the customer disposal.
It then simply means that a customer can customer is able to receive all or
in other cases most of the services needed and whenever they are needed. But
even if the option and the choice of having a company’s representative live
might get appealing sometimes but still with the help of IVR customers can
now still have the unlimited access to the company whenever they want.
3: The Wider personalization:
IVR systems allow and also helps to create the better relationship
between the company and the customer with its tremendous
personalization. We can modify the IVR systems and can program them
according to our need with personalized greetings for any unknown
caller. And all this is possible due to the availability of the
information of the client and the caller ID.ere.
Apart from using the caller name and addressing them by their names, the
system is also able to share any other additional information with the
client specific to them. This means that we can wish any greeting to the
caller like happy new year or the happy birthday or any other special
occasion.
Apart from just programming the caller information, IVR systems have now
have different language options too, which can be used by any specific
caller or client too. Either the case will be, it will definitely make
the caller make more comfortable in the long run. Also any personal
greetings can also be recorded according to our own choice or if the
customer wants to include any appropriate or the prompts of their choice
in order to transfer to the corresponding department.
4: Creating a Better Image of the Company:
With the help of IVR the illusion of the company is created that the
company is so huge. A single receptionist might not be able to manage
the volume of the calls but with the help of IVR it is possible now.
Also it is usually advisable for the small companies to make use of IVR
in order to establish their image.
In case of Bigger companies, such IVR systems create a professional
image of the company by maintaining their consistency in customer and
also in case of volume of call.
5: Making more profit to the Company:
With the time the number of business deals and the transactions which
take place over the phone have increased with huge proportion. But still
some companies are lagging behind because they are still using the
receptionist instead of IVR systems to deal with customers.
IVR provides you the receptionist which is virtual and it saves a lot of
human labor. When it meets the clients IVR utilizes the resources of the
employer in the better way. As the IVR works 24 hours and is able to
handle the huge volume of calls too so as a result profit will
definitely grow.
6: Increased Production of the Company:
Increased production is possible through the call routing. By routing the calls
to their required or specified department or the staff member in order to
address the needs of the customer will mean that the less time is being spent
dealing with the colleagues and to answer their questions and even transferring
the calls around if needed until the customer gets satisfied with the right
answer. Also with the help of this company is able to make the priority list of
the calls in order to deal with the customers better.
With the help of IVR systems, the company is always able to deal with the high
volume of the calls of the customers without keeping them in the waiting for the
long time and not stressing the customers. It will simply mean that the number
of calls from the client can be increased.
7: Error Free Services:
By using the IVR systems the whole process of dealing with the customers become
error free, as compared to when you rely on conventional receptionist. Cause
when there will be a high volume of calls the receptionist will feel the burden.
Some applications for the IVR are as follows:
- Forwarding to the call center
- Routing of the office calls.
- The transfer of the bank and the stock account balances.
- The surveys and polls taken from the customers.
Now listed are the real time applications of the IVR which can benefit any business. .
1: Improving the Customer Experience Through an Integrated IVR:
In order to maintain and increase the growth of our company, we need to consider
the experience of the customer effectively. All this can be made happen majorly
through automation, and that is why IVR technology is suggested to be considered
and should be considered by you.
As a result, this will build a trust between the customer and the company and it
will also put a smile on the face of the customer.
We can also use the IVR in a way as to make the system able to response the
customer and make and facilitate the two-way dialogue. You can also make the
Customize IVR applications for any specific purpose. It will help the customer
to have the quick access to the right information at any time.
2: IVR Call Center:
With the help of services provided by the IVR, call centers are able to enjoy
the increase in the first contact resolution of the issues and the resolutions
of the customers. Customer will have the choice of having the either
self-service or he/she can be dealt with the agent for their queries. This will
make the experience of the customer improved as they will also be using the same
interface with the cloud IVR.
For the kind of customers who are in some urgent and are not able to or willing
to wait in the call queue, there can be a callback. Also with the help of
scheduled call back service that is possible in the IVR phone which will then
depend on the requested time of the customer.
Below mentioned are the ways through which the customer experience in the call
center can be improved.
3: Efficient routing of the call:
The feature that is built in feature of the IVR technology first gather the
information of the caller then proceed. This then route the call to the
self-service steps already designed in the IVR which then address the issue
accordingly. So, with the help of this the holding time of the customer is
reduced.
4: Automated Self Service:
IVR is able to recognize more than a single word. Customer can use anything
either the voice prompts or the button service in order to explain the issue the
customer has. And in this way the customer is usually is dealt with fast and
quickly. In combination of the directed speech and the button pressing the
services given to the customer can be increased using an optimized manner.
5: Personalized Caller information:
A well programmed IVR system works best like some well-trained receptionist or
in other cases even better than that. With the help of this customer can also
know any special offers provided by the company with the help of IVR. Also it
can address the needs of the client in well manner.
6: Optimizations made by the IVR and the Customer Service Managers:
The managers have benefits like bucket full which they gain from the Voice of
the response systems.
These benefits include:
7: Lower Cost for the Customer services:
If the managers will provide their services to their customers with the options
to meet their specific need then in that case the automation rates will increase
substantially.
8: Streamlined Business Processes:
The services of providing the outbound notifications as reminders to the
customer will increase the services provided. Such reminders are usually
important as they help the customer to make the necessary transactions with the
help of either voice response or any web application.
Do you know how to improve your IVR… ?
Here are the best tips and practices you can adopt to improve your interactive Voice
Response (IVR) Twilio:
- 1: By researching your audience in order to find the optimizations for the IVR platform.
- 2: By using some survey techniques in order to improve the IVR experience of the Customer.
- 3: By using the NLP or the Natural language recognition system for your IVR system.
- 4: By keeping the display of a small IVR menu at front above all else to facilitate customer.
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