The Benefits of IVR Systems for Call Centers

 
For Sales, press 1. For Technical Support, press 2. To return to the main menu, press 7.

Have you ever called a customer service line and been stuck navigating a maze of confusing menus? Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems can be a powerful self-service tool, but a poorly designed IVR can quickly turn a customer’s call center experience from hopeful to angry. In this blog, we’ll explore how to leverage IVR technology to create a smooth and efficient call center experience. We’ll discuss nine benefits of IVR systems for both businesses and callers, and we’ll provide 10 best practices for designing and implementing an IVR that satisfies customers and reduces call center costs.

What Is an IVR System?

An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system is an automated phone system that acts as a virtual receptionist, allowing callers to handle their simple customer service needs in real time by interacting with a computer program instead of a live agent. IVR uses physical phone systems, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology, and automated menus to route calls to the appropriate departments, live agents or databases based on the caller’s selections. Here’s how it works:

• An IVR system uses pre-recorded voice messages or text-to-speech technology to communicate with callers. Callers respond to prompts using a telephone keypad or their voice.
• The IVR system guides callers through a menu of options, allowing them to select the department they need, check account information, or even complete simple transactions like making a payment.
• Based on the caller’s responses, the IVR system routes the caller to the appropriate department or live agent for further assistance.
• In some cases, the IVR itself might be able to resolve simple inquiries by providing automated information or services.

 9 Ways an IVR System Can Benefit Your Business

Well-designed call center IVR systems provide many benefits beyond the fundamental functions of call routing and management. This self-service tool delivers nine advantages for callers and businesses:  

Greater Efficiency. Callers can get answers (especially to basic questions) much more quickly without waiting for a live agent. IVR systems can handle routine inquiries and tasks, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex customer issues that require their expertise and judgment.

24/7 Availability. IVR systems are always “open,” allowing customers to access information or services outside of regular business hours. This is particularly beneficial for businesses with a global customer base or those operating in different time zones.

Cost Reduction. By automating basic interactions, IVR systems can help reduce call center operating costs. IVR systems decrease labor costs by reducing calls to live agents, which are significantly more expensive than IVR calls. IVR payment calls cost merchants about 50 cents each, compared to $5 or more per payment-related call handled by call center agents. 

Increased First Call Resolution (FCR) Rates. IVR’s efficient call routing functionality improves FCR. By utilizing automated call distribution mechanisms that rely on real-time customer input, IVR systems swiftly and accurately route callers to the agent or department that is best suited to meet their needs.

Improved Customer Experience. By efficiently routing calls to the right department or providing self-service options for basic tasks, IVR systems streamline the customer journey and reduce wait times and frustration. This leads to a more positive customer experience, especially for people with simple inquiries.

Scalability. IVR-enabled call centers don’t have the physical constraints of traditional call centers. Traditional call centers require dedicated servers and physical space to house their equipment. Cloud-based IVR systems eliminate this need. Everything is hosted in the cloud, removing the limitations of physical infrastructure and allowing your contact center to scale up or down based on your needs without additional hardware investments. An agile cloud-based IVR system allows you to quickly create and modify IVR menus and workflows to meet changing requirements.

Opportunities to Create Unique Solutions. No longer limited to “press 0 to speak with an agent,” call center IVR systems are flexible enough to meet a variety of customer needs and solve your unique business problems. Well-designed IVR systems make it quick and easy for customers to find the information they need, without long hold times and multiple call transfers.

Enhanced Analytics. [Improved data collection and analysis] IVR systems can collect data on customer interactions, such as the most frequent inquiries or departments contacted. Businesses can analyze this data to identify areas for improvement in their customer service operations or product offerings.

Increased Agent Morale and Productivity. Call center IVR systems create an environment that contributes to a more positive, productive work experience for call center agents. Here’s how:

• Reduced Call Volume and Complexity. By handling basic inquiries and tasks, IVR systems take a significant workload off agents’ shoulders. This allows agents to focus on more complex customer issues that require their expertise and problem-solving skills. Engaging in these higher-level interactions can be more stimulating and rewarding for agents, boosting morale and providing a sense of accomplishment.
•  Improved Efficiency and Reduced Stress. IVR systems streamline call routing and provide agents with quicker access to relevant customer information. This reduces the time agents spend on repetitive tasks and allows them to handle calls more efficiently. Less time struggling to find information can lead to a calmer and less stressful work environment.

10 Best Practices for Implementing an IVR System in Your Call Center

Follow these 10 tips to design and implement a successful call center IVR system:

Simplify the IVR Menu. Complex IVR menus with too many layers and choices often lead to frustration, prompting callers to push “0” to speak with an agent—or shout “representative!”

Prioritize Calls for Your Most Important Customers. IVR systems allow you to prioritize incoming calls based on caller value (i.e., VIP status). You can design your call center IVR system to route VIP customers to a priority queue, minimizing their wait time, or to a more highly skilled team that can quickly and accurately assist them.

Use a Natural-Sounding Voice. Callers don’t want to talk to a robot. Use an IVR system that sounds like a real, friendly person, to humanize the experience of speaking to a computer.

Provide Menus in Various Languages. If you have offices and customers in different countries, your callers will speak different languages. Allow customers to choose from menus in multiple languages.

Keep Menu Options Shorter Than 30 Seconds. Design your menu efficiently so callers can quickly get the help they need. Keep your IVR menu options clear, concise, and to the point. The average time when customers abandon their call is 2 minutes and 36 seconds. If it takes too long to navigate your IVR system, callers will get tired of waiting and hang up.

Update Your Menu Regularly. Change your IVR greeting and menu options as your products, services, and policies/procedures change. Don’t be one of those businesses that still refers to outdated Covid-19 protocols.

Provide an Easy Way to Speak to a Live Agent. Even when you offer the best self-service tools, some callers still prefer to talk to a real person, especially for complex issues. Don’t bury the option to speak with an agent too deep in your menu.

Measure the Effectiveness of Your IVR system. Track these call center metrics  to determine whether your IVR system is improving the customer experience:

• Average handling time (AHT, including IVR navigation, IVR hold time and agent interaction). If the AHT is too long, you probably need to redesign your IVR system.
• Call abandon rate. Lengthy wait times and confusing IVR menus frustrate callers, leading to abandoned calls.
• Call containment rate (the percentage of calls completely handled by the IVR). A poor call containment rate indicates that the IVR system is poorly configured, has confusing prompts or is mishandling caller requests.
• Zero out rate. Callers who are delayed or frustrated by the IVR system will press 0 to bypass the IVR and speak with an agent.  

Develop a Seamless Consumer Experience With Your Omnichannel System. You can’t improve your customer experience without improving the experience across all channels. Take stock of what channels customers use to interact with you, then map out customer journeys across these channels so that customers can come in at any point without losing context .

Implement intent-based call routing. When customers call, a journey orchestration (JO) system determines their intent by analyzing their voice responses to IVR prompts using natural language processing. Based on their intent, the JO system directs their call to the right agent group, reducing call transfers. The system provides a call transcript describing the problem to the agent during handoff, so customers don’t have to repeat themselves.

Use a decisioning engine to improve the IVR experience. A customer journey orchestration system analyzes interactions and customer behaviors from other technologies (e.g., customer relationship management, billing) to determine the next best action in the call center. The JO system uses natural language processing to analyze customer responses to IVR prompts, identifying intent and needs. The decisioning system determines the most appropriate response or action based on customer information (intent, account information and behavioral patterns) and business rules or logic. The best response may be delivering personalized prompts through the IVR or routing customers to a specific agent group based on customer needs (e.g., tier 2 support).

Enhance the Call Center Experience With CSG Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

CSG Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an enterprise inbound and outbound voice services package customized to your business needs. Our solution features:

• Highly customizable IVR experience
• Intuitive menu navigation
• Advanced Speech Recognition or Text-to-Speech for personalized interactions
• Conversational AI for greater personalization
• Virtual assistance, natural language understanding (NLU)/natural language processing (NLP), and omnichannel offerings

Download our eBook to learn four keys to modernize your IVR.