7 Common IVR software mistakes you should Avoid

7-Common-IVR-Mistakes-you-should-Avoid

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) has transformed the way businesses handle customer calls. It has a huge role to play when it comes to customer care,managing incoming calls, and routing calls to the right customer support representatives.

A well-designed IVR software can reduce the company’s cost, boost productivity, and raise the quality of customer support drastically. But it is easy to get it wrong. Here are the most common mistakes you should avoid committing while designing an IVR system for your business.

1. Too many options in the Menu and Lengthy Introductions

Don’t confuse your caller by providing unnecessary options as human memory runs out of capacity after listening to more than 5 options. The callers might get frustrated while figuring out the right button to press in order to get their issue resolved. Customers looking for immediate response will definitely abandon the call in this situation as they don’t have patience. This might also end up with the caller choosing to speak with a live agent and the whole purpose of an IVR sotware is lost.

2. Inappropriate and Repetitive on-hold messages

Call centers often play advertisements or other promotional messages while the caller is stuck in a queue. But irrelevant and unnecessary ads can irritate your customer. And if the on-hold messages are repetitive, the situation gets even worse. Listening to the same message every few seconds instigates the caller to hang-up the call. Make sure that the messages are appropriate for the customer and the music isn’t too loud.

3. Poor Voice Quality

Make sure that your callers clearly understand the options by playing a recorded voice that sounds appropriate-neither too fast nor too slow. Ensure that the voice is not very friendly nor too formal. A lack of clarity in voice can frustrate the caller and they might lose interest.  Also, avoid using different voices and volumes and maintain consistency in pitch and timbre throughout the call journey so that the caller does not get distracted.

4. Ignoring the Previous Engagements of a Customer

Providing every caller with the same set of menus and recorded messages is simply unappealing. You must take into account the prior engagements of a customer and serve them accordingly. Improve the customer experience by delivering personal messages to them based on their previous interactions and route the call to the appropriate agent, if required.

5. Not Providing a “Request a Call-Back” Option

An IVR software can’t serve all the callers and can’t resolve every issue. It should definitely provide an option to the caller to either talk to a live representative or request a call-back.

6. Not Prioritizing the Options Smartly

Based on past trends, you can come to know about the top reasons as to why a customer is calling and what are they looking for. May be it is for making payments, checking current offers/discounts and so on. Identify them and make sure you are offering that option at the top of your IVR list. It will become easier and quicker for callers to find the solution and accomplish their goals.

7. Not Reassuring your Customer

You need to reassure a customer that his/her query or issue is being processed and would be resolved as soon as possible. Most of the customers are often not comfortable in talking to a machine and always want to talk to a real person. So, send them immediate SMS or email and assure that you are taking care of them. 

Avoid these mistakes and minimize the extra work that gets routed to your reps because of an inefficient IVR software. If configured and managed properly, an IVR can definitely boost your service levels and improve customer experiences.

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