Interactive voice recognition is a great tool for call and contact centers and offers a convenient way to cheaply and effectively route calls. However for all the return on investment automated voice lines offer the simple fact is that most customers do not like them. In a Survey done by the France2 TV Channel, 92% of those polled said they disliked IVR services. This fact drove France based Insurance Provider Groupama to seek out a new way to interact with their customer base. The result was a “disruptive” solution that combines the effectiveness of a voice IVR with the accessibility of a mobile application. Groupama uses the term “disruptive” because the service gives customers a totally new access point for customer service and is making waves in the industry.
Called interactive ViSUAL Callback Response, the new service is a mobile dashboard offering customers information concerning where they are in a service queue and allowing them to proactively provide data to Groupama. The menu allows the customer to decide what issues they need to address, whether it be editing service, adding information, or reporting an accident. In the case of reporting an accident a GPS enabled Smartphone can alert the representative to the vehicles location and log it for future need. The service then displays a countdown timer and will alert the customer when they can expect a call.
Customers access this database through a mobile application which also lets them view company news, claim advice and reviews. It can also alert holdees of any adverse conditions that could affect wait time.
The new service has won accolades from customers and industry members alike and could offer companies a way a new way to increased customer satisfaction.
Considering that most technologies today are geared toward offering the customer on demand utility and eliminating wait time it’s possible the days of the voice IVR are numbered. By eliminating the need to hold on the phone, and offering a rich portal full on information, Groupama’s interactive visual callback response service could be the next big thing.