How to Improve Your Customer Experience with IVR
The customer experience is a crucial factor in determining the success or failure of any business. We will explore how to improve your customer experience with Interactive Voice Response (IVR).
When it comes to customer service, many businesses are still stuck in the past and use outdated methods such as voice mail, fax machines, and even voicemail. Today's consumers expect an exceptional customer experience from every interaction they have with a company. IVR systems provide companies with a great opportunity to meet these high expectations while also increasing their revenue by providing self-service options for customers who would otherwise be calling in for assistance.
What is an IVR?
An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system is a computer system that allows callers to receive information and perform tasks by using the keypad on their phone. It is much like an Interactive Voice Menu (IVM), which a series of recorded options that callers are is prompted to navigate through. An IVR can also allow callers to press zero at any time for assistance or speak to an agent.
How Can It Benefit Your Business
The biggest benefit of using an IVR is that it will help you manage your call centers more efficiently. You can direct customers to different departments or store their information in the phone system so they won't have talked to a real person over and over again if they call multiple times. This allows employees to focus on other tasks or customers, instead of trying to handle multiple calls at once.
An IVR is also great for companies who are looking to expand their business outside of their local area. When callers are directed through an automated menu, they will only have the option of calling you from certain areas that your business serves which means you won't lose business because you don't ship to their area.
If you still have concerns about implementing an IVR system in your firm or want to make sure this will take your present one to the next level, here are a few tips and tricks for making your IVR as effective and helpful as possible:
Don't Make Your Customers Listen to too Many Options
Think of your IVR like a conversation, only you're the only one speaking (for now). If you give your customers too many choices or if they go on for too long, they'll get confused and frustrated very quickly. When an automated menu is taking up most of their time, they're not spending that time deciding which option they want to go with.
If you're offering a lot of different options, consider setting your IVR up on multiple menus instead. That way, each group of consumers who calls in can be served quickly and efficiently by listening for their meal choice (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), party size (single, double, and triple), or age group (toddler, child, and adult). If you're still worried about overwhelming your customers with too many options, consider making them pre-menus instead.
This is where the caller hears a list of all the choices they have before they choose one. They can listen to each option carefully so they know what to expect when they do choose. This works well for callers who are looking to purchase something specific, but it doesn't work as well if you're looking to give them all the options at once because you'll lose them before they make a choice.
Make Your IVR System More Interactive
Can you imagine what it would be like if your customers could talk to an actual person when they call? For some companies that are already possible, but, for most of us, talking to a robot is the best we can do.
The good news is that even though you're working with automated menus, you can still create an interactive IVR system. A few ways to do that is by giving callers the ability to request a specific person's extension or ask what you have on special. It might take some more programming, but once it's done customers will be able to navigate your menu more easily and they'll feel like they're getting the assistance they need.
Use Sound
Even if most of your customers are at their computers when they're calling in, they aren't always going to be able to use the system. Make sure there's some way to manage your IVR system via a telephone.
Build on Human Interaction
When possible, try to build your automated system with aspects that can be handled by a person. Not only will this make the experience for the customer more positive overall, but it will help you save money on employee turnover and increase retention rates across the board.
Be Unintrusive
If your customers are calling for information, don't disrupt their experience by making them wait on hold or tying up the line, either. Customers will feel more satisfied with your customer service if you're able to help them out in a timely fashion. Also, try to keep it short.
Do What You Say You'll Do
When you say the customer will hear a certain piece of information, make sure you give it to them. If you don't, they may feel lied to or misled, which can shatter their satisfaction with your product.
Don't Punish Success
If the customer has had good experiences in the past with your company or product, make sure your future interactions are just as positive. If you punish customers for their past success by withholding information or making them wait on hold, they may think less of your product and turn to a competitor.
Finally, if the customer has had poor experiences in the past with your company or product, make sure that your future interactions are an improvement. This way, if your company is viewed as bad, it will get better over time. If you make the customer feel like their problems are not yours, they may think more of your product and continue to buy from you in the future.
Conclusion
IVR is a powerful tool that can be used to improve customer experience. It's easy, it's affordable and with the right provider, you'll have access to all of the latest features in IVR technology. That’s why we are here! We work hard at what we do so your customers will stop calling for help when they need something. With our years of expertise in this field, you don't have to worry about anything but getting back to running your business smoothly again. So if you're looking for an interactive voice response system or any other type of phone solution contacts us today!
