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Reviewing IVR Best Practices
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Reviewing IVR Best Practices

 
December 04, 2013

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  By Mae Kowalke, TMCnet Contributor
 


Designing an interactive voice response (IVR) call flow can be more challenging than it might appear at first. While it seems like a relatively straightforward task, and even a fun one (if you’re an organizational geek like me), there actually are many pitfalls that a business can run into with their IVR system.


In a recent blog post, Bruce Pollock outlined five simple best practices that will stand a business in good stead when crafting an IVR flow.

First, make the IVR system easy to use.

“More than ever before, today’s customers are time-pressed and impatient,” he noted. “One timeless best practice for touch-tone IVR systems is to use short, clearly worded menus that have three or fewer options at each branch. Have you called your own IVR system lately to see how simple (or not) it is to use?”

Second, don’t set up the IVR and leave it unattended. A good IVR system needs periodic maintenance to maintain its effectiveness. Try to review a mature IVR system at least one a month, ideally once a week.

A third best practice is not denying customers the opportunity to speak with a live agent. Some companies view IVR as a gatekeeper that keeps callers from agents unless a live rep is absolutely needed. This is a big mistake. While a well-designed IVR system usually keeps callers content, don’t make them angry by refusing to connect them with an agent if they dial zero or ask to speak with a representative. This only alienates the customer (and gives a bad name to IVR).

It also is important not to treat callers like they have no intelligence. For example, don’t mention the company’s website address in the IVR system. Chances are, they already used the website to find the phone number for the call. Or if they haven’t, they can easily Google (News - Alert) for the Web address.

There also isn’t the need to give excessive guidance when it comes to IVR—most callers are familiar with it, so keep instructions to a minimum.

Finally, one of the most important best practices when it comes to IVR is to respect the customer’s time.

“Avoid superfluous marketing messages in your IVR when customers are trying to get help,” noted Pollack in his blog post. “There is a time and place for marketing, but it’s not when your customer’s Internet is down or their package hasn’t arrived.”

If you follow these best practices, you’ll find that setting up your IVR system isn’t such a mine field after all. So take heed!



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