IVR systems are among the best technologies for empowering customers through automated service. Whether customers want to look up information on their own or connect with an agent, such a system can save them time by ensuring that they are routed to the right place or person every time. In addition, contact center employees can enjoy a greater sense of efficiency, as they are able to complete calls more quickly and share their expertise when the situation demands their specific skills. Here are five ways IVR can power great customer service in your contact center.
Above all, IVR is an extremely powerful tool for routing customers when they call your brand. It allows them to bypass menu options that they do not need, and it enables them to speak their responses or enter them from a keypad so that they are routed quickly to the place they need to be. For example, a customer may obtain information about a bank balance or delivery, or he may be connected to an agent who can assist him with a complex service situation.
Some systems may feature visual IVR, which allows customers to tap their way through menus. With visual IVR, customers can quickly get into an agent queue, and such systems also support speech recognition and text-to-speech in various languages.
When your company is especially busy during peak periods (such as holidays), an IVR system can be a timesaver for both agents and customers. The system may be set up to help customers self-serve if they have simple requests. This ensures that they do not spend time waiting to speak to an agent for an otherwise quick question. Contact center agents may be made available to customers with more difficult requests, and more employees will be free to take these calls when IVR steps in to handle the easier tasks.
If your brand does not offer 24/7 customer support, IVR can greatly increase your hours of availability. For requests that may be handled through self-service, an IVR system is ideal as it may empower customers to learn information when your agents are not there to take calls.
It’s always a great idea to ask for customer feedback immediately following a call. However, some customers may not feel comfortable giving such information directly to the agent, and sending the customer a survey on another channel is not the most efficient way to earn their participation. This is where IVR can assist. After a service interaction has been completed on the voice channel, give the customer the option of answering a brief survey powered by an IVR system. This way, customers can express their honest opinions easily on the very same channel of contact.
IVR systems are essential tools for driving great customer service on the voice channel. When a customer needs to speak to an agent or simply wants a quick answer through self-service, such a system is perfect for meeting his needs.
