Customer Experience?

Customers who start their conversation with IVR can share important details – such as the problem they are facing, their account information, and more – in advance. In this way, the agent is able to better understand the incoming call as well as the problem the caller is having. This results in better customer service.

IVRs may seem to negate all personalization in favor of efficiency, but that’s simply not true. Biometric capabilities are incorporated into advanced cloud phone systems with IVRs that recognize customer numbers and respond accordingly.

Benefits of Personalized IVRs for Customers

There are several ways in which IVRs benefit the customer experience. Compared to traditional phone calls, they can provide a more efficient, personal, and helpful experience.

• Transfers are fewer. Rather than spending time on time-consuming transfers, customers can be directed to the right department from the start.
• Resolved faster. The IVR system allows callers to reach the best agent for their particular issue since they’ll be directed to one who is best able to assist them.
• Personalization is better. By integrating with known numbers, IVR systems can offer personalized messages or pass that information on to agents.
• Security is improved. Before speaking with an agent, callers can confirm sensitive information.
• Service is easier. Customer satisfaction is higher when issues can be resolved on their own. With IVR, customers are able to take advantage of self-service whenever they want.

Few Tips for Personalizing Your Contact Center’s IVR

Option for callback: 

Your IVR system must be updated if you don’t have this feature.

In cases where your IVR system cannot provide a solution to a customer’s inquiry and cannot connect them with an agent, a callback feature can be useful.

It is a good idea to include an option in your script for customers to schedule a call back later.

Time spent navigating:

Customers may find it frustrating to listen to lengthy welcome and compliance messages.

In some industries, it is necessary and a requirement to have those lengthy compliance messages; however, this can be avoided if they are added only to the required call queues.

Make your brand stand out: 

Your IVR voice should reflect your brand and values. Across all touchpoints, you should always give your customers a 360-degree view of your brand.

Your brand image should not be damaged by playing boring, annoying, or unreflective on-hold music.

Number of Options:

Keep the number of options per layer between eight and ten to avoid overwhelming your callers. When all options have been exhausted, most people will forget which number represents which option.

The customer is likely to press zero when the system says, “To speak with a representative, press zero,” after reading every option. By setting up an IVR, we defeat the purpose of limiting call traffic to agents.

Determine if your primary menu options reflect internal departments or customer queries by evaluating the structure of your menu options.

Check out the options that customers choose from the IVR. By examining your IVR call-flows and messaging, you need to optimize the process if the options are not aligned with the call reason codes (wrap-up codes).

Layer count:

Which sub-menus has how many options, and how many options does each sub-menu contain? Consider structuring your IVR in a more logical manner if you have more than two sub-menus nested under one another.

Whenever you have nested menus, try structuring your IVR in a logical way if you have more than two submenus.

On-hold messages:

It’s not recommended to have fewer than two on-hold messages, preferably three or more. The same message is repeated every thirty seconds, causing callers to become frustrated.

Add some variety to your on-hold messages by using a variety of IVR messages.

Also, apologizing for the delay on repeat is not a good idea in your IVR. Getting your callers disgusted like that is a quick way to get them to hang up.

Check your call queue wait times:

Using your IVR metrics, determine how long your calls are waiting, how many people are abandoning them, and where the calls are dropping off. What is the average level of abandonment within the IVR? Make sure the problem is fixed by figuring out the reasons.

Tell your callers where they stand in the queue:

It helps customers’ patience to know where they stand in the queue and reassures them that progress is being made. Customers can receive information about their current position in the queue, how many callers remain, and how long they can expect to wait through modern IVR technology.

Apps that integrate with IVRs

The technology has potential beyond just call routing, but many organizations use it to move calls efficiently. The IVR can also be integrated with your apps through APIs, enabling you to offer self-service options and handle customer requests personally.

Conclusion

The IVR system of your company represents one of the first points of contact for your clients and should receive a great deal of attention. Depending on how it is set up, you will either be able to gain and retain customers, or you will lose them.