IVR service (Interactive Voice Response) is a technology that lets businesses connect with customers automatically. The customers responded with pre-recorded voice messages and Text-to-Speech technology. It works for both inbound and outbound calls. It works on DTMF inputs entered by the customers. Many IVR service providers offer a combination of inbound and outbound IVR solution that helps a business in many folds.
Benefits of IVR services:
- Improved Customer Service: With IVR a business can provide seamless communication and resolve all issues instantly. With an easy routing feature, each inbound call is directly transferred to the agents and experts. It enhances engagement and healthy interaction without worrying about the wait time. On the other hand, it also improves customer service delivery with the IVR menu. As the menu can be easily customized, it focuses on addressing each need of the customers.
- Efficient Call Routing: This feature benefits both, the customers and the business. The call routing feature reduces wait time which reduces the possibility of customer call drop. It directly connects to the agents or department as per the need of the customers. With automated call connectivity, the business can reduce costs and focus on improving efficiency. It offers valuable productive time to the agents that can be used to enhance service delivery. IVR service helps a business to speed up its business process by offering a platform to integrate other solutions.
- Cost Efficient: IVR solution can be used by a business to handle both inbound and outbound calls. It allows a business to handle many calls together with concurrent call features. It offers 24×7 services to customers. It helps a business to service local, national as well as international customers. It provides all these value-added benefits within a limited budget. It can be easily installed, operated, and used without any external infrastructural setup or expertise. It can be installed on any device and used remotely. It gives the freedom to work remotely without affecting the quality of service.
- Easy Marketing Campaigns: It allows a business to run multiple campaigns successfully. It helps in making marketing campaigns easy and efficient. A business can conduct surveys, polling, etc. by using an IVR solution. It helps a business to reach multiple customers at the same time. Different campaigns can be operated by a business simultaneously. It benefits the business with a single solution.
- Call Recording: All inbound and outbound calls are automatically recorded by the IVR solution. This recorded database helps a business to gain real-time insights into each call. It is a set of valuable data for market research, can be used as tools for training, and also offer the platform to take in-depth business decisions.
- Multilingual Support: IVR solution offers multiple language options, that can further be customized based on the target audience of a business. This helps a business to easily expand in the national and international markets. It also makes the business accessible and acceptable to the customers. It helps in better communication.
The Limitations of IVR:
- Self-Service: While customers might find the IVR menu helpful, many might also take a negative tone towards the self-service options. As the IVR menu is a self-indulgence space, it might lead to boredom. It reduces human interaction options and takes service through pressing buttons through guided pre-recorded voice notes. It also increases the risk of dropping out of the call rate.
- Failing to Communicate: The drop rates of a business might be higher when the IVR fails to retrieve the information or concern shared by the customer. Failing to gain the caller’s information can result in frustration and increased resolution time, especially in the case of regular customers.
- Poor Call Containment: It refers to the percentage of customers who completes their inquiry by using self-service technologies. It includes the customers who completed their inquiries without any live human assistance. However, at times the call containment rate is seen to be poor.
IVR service providers can share information regarding the advantages and disadvantages of IVR. The advantages can be better for one IVR service provider compared to another based on the services offered. A business can choose from many IVR service providers. Knowlarity is one of the leading IVR service providers. It benefits both small and large-scale businesses. It is also considered a trusted IVR service provider as it offers customized and affordable solutions.