Interactive Voice Response: How it Works and Benefits Your Business
If you’ve ever made a call to pay a bill over the phone, chances are the first thing you heard was a non-human voice giving you several options and prompts. This robotic tone isn’t automated, though: It’s actually an IVR or Interactive Voice Response. This voice is essentially programmed to handle calls for consumers, generally in regards to paying bills, checking account information, ordering products, and more.
Ideally, an IVR system is often found in call centers and is utilized to help raise efficiency and productivity. This is accomplished by allowing agents to focus on complex customer needs versus basic ones. So for instance, let’s go with our paying a bill example, in which all a caller needs to do is listen to the prompts given by an IVR. They pay their bill without needing an agent, freeing up time for the employee.
Imagine a scenario where someone with a different problem needed help with a broken product or had a question about a warranty. Without an IVR, that person might have to wait as an agent handles other basic customer needs. But with an IVR, their problems are addressed quickly. So, this is the major benefit to a business in that it helps reduce call volume by letting an interactive system handle simpler needs.
Excess call volume – as any call center on a stressful day can tell you – leads to dangerous outcomes like dreaded downtime. Or, in scenarios where a call center handles sales, a long line of waiting consumers means potential loss in profit. Frustrated prospective customers will drop calls entirely. Frustration builds, poor reputation gets established, and the problem gets bigger than it needs to be. This is why an IVR system is so critical to maintaining successful sales and business relations, since it circumvents these problems.
But what about the increase in productivity? An IVR will help specify the customer’s needs based on questions answered. If the caller needs to speak to a representative, they can be directed to an appropriate responder. Again, it simply saves time. Rather than a representative needing to identify various traits (language spoken, account information, purpose of call), those tidbits of info can create a “mini profile” so a resolution is reached quickly. That, in turn, simply allows call agents to process calls and improve the caller experience.
These are just a handful of benefits that come with utilizing an IVR. Caller prioritization, profile building, automated info logging, startup assistance, call organization, and many more all come with the territory. For most large companies, having it set up is practically mandatory to ensure proper handling of high call volumes and improve efficiency, while smaller businesses can still fully benefit from the range of services offered.
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