An IVR system is considered useless if the human customer service representative cannot answer the customer's question. Many argue that investing in telephony routing technology renders your IVR system superfluous. Because the customer cannot provide information or the IVR script cannot accurately record the customer's email, the call will get disconnected. Therefore, necessary steps have to be taken to make the IVR successful. You will need an expert IVR service provider in this case.
A poorly designed Interactive Voice Response menu results in a negative customer experience, and connecting to a human is essential for a positive IVR experience. Even though customers can use the IVR system to self-serve, many will require a human agent if they are reaching the wrong department. Callers who must speak with multiple agents will waste valuable agent time and increase the time that the customer must wait for service.
Customer service systems are often frustrating because they don't let customers speak to a live person. Making the "zero out" option available at every level of the menu hierarchy may appear to solve this problem, but this can be a delicate balance. To increase the effectiveness of an IVR system, a caller must navigate three menu layers before he can be transferred to a human agent or self-serve.
Also Read: Which To Choose? Auto Attendant Or IVR?
Begin by identifying calls that were routed through the wrong agent and listening to the recordings of those calls. Trace the customer's phone call back to the source and determine if the prompt is written as the customer described their problem. There are too many options available for IVR systems.
You must ensure that the information provided to the system is understood and captured by the system. If agents cannot access information that customers have already provided through an IVR, human agents will have to establish connections with digital channels such as online forms and chatbots.
Present the most popular options first, and the number of options available on each menu should be reduced by a factor of two to make navigation and use of the site more straightforward. You can overcome a language barrier by using simple English and not jargon.
Even though IVR may not seem like the most obvious arena to develop your brand, a recorded voice should reflect your values and personality. Using a friendly tone of voice, hiring experienced IVR professionals who offer telecom solutions, and following a script are the best ways to avoid a script lacking personality. Focus groups will determine if you're using your brand's right tone of voice.
Downtime is detrimental to an IVR system's performance and can lead to customers looking elsewhere. Stress tests are essential for ensuring that your IVR system is up and running and that there are no broken menus or opportunities for customers to become trapped in never-ending loops.
Closing Note
Call containment measures the percentage of customers who can complete their inquiries. A low call containment rate often indicates that your IVR system is not providing self-service automation for high-volume inquiries. Pay attention to the IVR calls that fail and see how the human agent completed the inquiry successfully. This guide is written to assist your organization in troubleshooting IVR issues. The expertise of industry professionals is needed when it comes to a truly effective IVR.
Also Read: Expand Your Global Reach With IVR Solutions
