In order to provide companies with the essentials for designing a customer friendly interactive voice response, or “IVR,” system, IVR systems provider, Angel.com has released a “cheat sheet” for businesses looking to implement this solution.
“First and foremost, you should always consider your IVR system a ‘work in progress’ that should be continuously monitored to provide the best service to your ever-changing customers,” company officials said, adding that, with the cheat sheet, companies can make an IVR system more efficient and effective for both the company and its customers.
With steps on how to create an effective IVR system, Angel.com’s suggestions can help improve companies in the call center and customer relationship management, or “CRM,” industries looking to increase productivity with a system that will satisfy customers who may otherwise feel that IVR systems are an
outdated, dying breed.
To start, Angel.com suggests that a company “let callers know what to expect from the system immediately,” by presenting a pleasant greeting and explain what the system can, and will, do for the caller.
And, by not hiding the option for a caller to speak with a live agent, a customer can feel more at ease than some traditional, yet very frustrating systems. There will always be a time when a customer needs to speak with a live agent, and allowing them that option directly will make a more comfortable experience throughout.
Giving a caller an estimate on how long a request will take to be completed, or how long it’ll be until a live agent is connected, allows the caller to structure its call based on personal availability. Additionally, giving a customer the options to return to the IVR system if the wait for a live agent is too long is an additional way to comply with a customer’s needs.
“If you want callers to believe that the IVR can help them resolve a problem, respect the time they put into the IVR and don't ask for the same answers twice,” company officials said. “Angel.com offers a variety of options for passing captured IVR information to the live agent, including call whisper and screen pop functionality.”
And, by providing callers with an option to navigate the system using a touch-tone or speech recognition, callers can choose the most effective option based on their general preferences, location and understanding of a specific IVR system.
Check back next week for the remainder of Angel.com’s suggestions for how to make your company’s IVR system a maintenance and hassle free system for customers to not only use, but love while they’re using.