Automation is quickly becoming the rule for delivering faster and richer customer experiences. Giving customers self-service options is key to empowering them and winning their long-term loyalty. One of the most sophisticated tools for great automated service is IVR, or interactive voice response. IVR systems are telephony menu systems that use either speech-recognition or touch-tone technology to enable the identification, segmentation, and routing of callers to the most qualified agents. With such a tool, both brands and customers benefit from optimized customer service practices. Here are the top four benefits of IVR systems for customer service.
With the rising popularity of smartphones, optimizing the mobile customer experience is an essential step brands must take. Customers like to research products and make purchases on the go, making IVR systems vital to their needs. IVR systems are perfect for streamlining the sales process when customers need support, especially when in-store or in the middle of research or purchase. Brands may drive sales by making it easier for customers to initiate or finalize a purchase with IVR.
Visual IVR menus can further streamline service by eliminating the need for speech recognition. Visual IVR systems allow customers to touch their way through visual interfaces, allowing a quicker connection to the most appropriate agent and enabling text-to-speech in multiple languages on both the inbound and outbound sides of a call. Agents will be better equipped to manage customer queues and accurately estimate waiting times for better service.
IVR systems are essential to driving contact center efficiency as well. Agents will become more productive and efficient as they are given more time to focus on other tasks and manage customers on other channels due to quicker resolution through IVR. Agents will also benefit from being matched with the customers in need of their specific expertise, boosting their sense of confidence. Lastly, contact centers benefit from reduced costs: agents will require less training for processes that have become automated, and less time will be spent on the costly voice channel as customers are more quickly connected.
Saving customers time is one of the best gifts a brand can deliver. Many features of IVR systems allow tremendous timesaving benefits for customers. In addition to being matched to the most qualified agent, customers do not have to listen to full menus and may click or touch their way quickly to the option they need. Automated speech recognition and text-to-speech in multiple languages makes the experience faster and richer, and dropped calls are far less likely when IVR systems are used. Customers may also benefit from automatic callbacks when their wait time is too long, while scheduled callbacks allow customers to decide when to be contacted by an agent to save time.IVR systems enable customers to enjoy automated customer experiences enhanced with rich and timesaving features. As customers delight in great customer experiences that combine efficiency and sophistication, brands can count on them for long-term loyalty.