5 Tips To Improve Your IVR System

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems allow businesses to handle large call volumes by processing information provided by callers in response to a series of automated prompts. A customer typically knows they’re dealing with an IVR system when an programmed voice gives them the option to press a number on their phone to complete a command. Because this technology has been around for decades, it may be time for your business to tweak its system. Here are 5 tips to improve your IVR system.

1. Keep It Simple

Because your IVR system is typically the first point of contact with your customer, you want to create a good first impression. And to do this, you want to provide clear and concise information to quickly give your customers what they want. Offering too many options or overwhelming them with options will only result in frustration. Keep things simple to reduce call abandonment.

2. Help Them Help Themselves

It could be argued that customers don’t really want to deal with people – they’d rather take care of things themselves. Using the banking industry as an example, the popularity of ATMs, telephone banking and now internet banking are pretty good indicators that if people are given the option to help themselves, most of the time they will. Your IVR system can easily be programmed to this end. Not only will the customer be happy, but your call agents can be used more effectively.

3. Limit The Hold Function

Face it, no likes to be put on hold. It’s simply a waste of your customer’s time. By fully utilizing your IVR system you can easily schedule a call back when an agent is available. This allows the customer to get on with their day without having to listen to snippets of last year’s top 40 hits.

4. Provide Both Voice and Keypad Options

IVRs can be prompted using the telephone keypad or by voice recognition software. That being said, give people the choice. Nothing is more frustrating for a customer with no option to use the telephone keypad to be repeatedly misunderstood by a voice recognition system. Sometimes maintaining an old school alternative means better customer service.

5. Take Advantage Of Off Hours

In this day and age of IVR technology, there is no excuse for a customer being unable to get a hold of you 24 hours a day. At the very least, provide them with the ability to help themselves. If it’s unfeasible to have a live agent on hand, give them the option to schedule a call back.

CallerReady Solutions

With their extensive knowledge of call based sales businesses, CallerReady can improve the quality of your phone interactions with customers. For more information on how they can help, get in touch today.