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Archive for March, 2018

Have You Made One of These 5 Objections to IVR?

Posted on: March 25th, 2018 by Daniel Burns

When a business owner like you searches for ways to improve your company, IVR is probably one aspect you’ve stumbled upon.

 

But IVR seems like such a drastic step. The logistics of installation alone are enough to put the notion off for another day far from now. And the costs simply don’t justify the value of having an IVR system, do they?

 

I’ve heard multiple objections to getting IVR, and like a broken record I always answer them each the same way respectively. Are some of these objections the reasons why you haven’t considered IVR yet?

 

Customers Prefer Speaking to a Person Over a Machine

Business owners want to give their customers as much of a personalized experience as possible. They therefore use the objection that IVR will replace that ‘human touch’ they’ve worked so hard at developing.

 

FACT!

Customers actually find dealing with technology a lot quicker and more efficient. A study showed that 78% of customers prefer competency over speaking to a real person. The world is changing, and people are becoming more and more comfortable with technology.

 

With efficiency as a plus, companies who implement modern day IVR into their companies are more likely to increase customer satisfaction. Not only are you leaving them in the most competent hands possible, but you’re also resolving their queries faster.

 

IVR Systems Cost Too Much

The implementation and installation of an IVR system takes a fair amount of time—and it isn’t cheap. I have heard this objection the most, and it’s usually from business owners who are careful with their expenses.

 

This is good. But sometimes we miss out on excellent opportunities because we’re too afraid to take the risk. So the question is, does IVR pay for itself?

 

FACT!

IVR systems increase productivity, increase customers and handle queries on their own. Many companies are doing away with conventional call centres and switching to automated systems where customers are helped more efficiently.

 

Why? Because they understand that if they drive customer efficiency, they get more customers and make more profits. In today’s market, there are too many business owners who don’t think they need IVR to compete in today’s market. The truth is, they do.

 

My Company is Too Small to Need a Full IVR System

I once worked for a small family business. The extent of their phoneline was one phone answered by a receptionist. A year after I started, they introduced an IVR system. There were only 7 people working there, but it made a world of difference to our productivity. Customers were helped quicker and the 7 of us were in constant communication with each other at all times. There was a great flow.

 

Business owners seem to believe that IVR systems are for large corporate companies and public service entities. After all, how many calls do you really get at your company? Does this number warrant an IVR system?

 

FACT!

All good IVR systems are fully customizable, and you only pay for what you use. This includes equipment, installation costs and the amount of features you want to access. So smaller companies can afford to implement IVR because it will improve their productivity without costing much to implement.

 

People Only Call in to Check on Their Orders

If you don’t get many calls related to customer queries at your company, perhaps you feel that an IVR system would be redundant. Perhaps the only people who call you during the day are those checking on their orders.

 

Guess what? Customers hate doing that!

 

FACT!

Today’s customer is growing more and more accustomed to convenience. They don’t want to chase companies for their orders. They want access to their information so that they can check for themselves.

 

What does this have to do with IVR? Imagine an automated system that immediately recognized your customers and gave them their order information—leaving you and your workers to get some work done.

 

People Can Help Customers Quicker than IVR

It seems logical to us that speaking (and reasoning) with a person is quicker and more efficient than dealing with an options menu. And we can be so hesitant to let go of an old system that we know (think) works best.

 

But what if you base this decision on an assumption? What if a fear of the new keeps you from trying one of the most effective systems available?

 

Customer service agents may also waste time on irrelevant chatting, or take too long to answer a call. With an IVR system, you circumvent many of these problems.

 

FACT!

Firstly an IVR system answers immediately and it’s directly connected to your data. How much quicker can an employee be than a computer that instantly provides updated records? You know how many times you’ve called a company where the customer care agent comments on waiting for the system to update.

 

And let’s not get started on the chaos when human error draws out the process even further. That’s how you waste your customers’ time.

 

Why not let the customers communicate with the system directly?

 

And then there’s the way an IVR system can help you place the most sought after information within easy reach of customers.

 

The data compiled by an IVR poll or during calls, tell you what customers call about the most. Now you can place those options at the top of the menu so your customers find common information quickly.

 

And since technology has evolved to where customers can speak menu selections and requests instead of pressing buttons, it won’t be much different than speaking to an agent. Only faster.

 

Can you see the value you—and your customers—are missing out on?

 

Looking at what these systems can do and how successful they’ve been at it so far; do you feel that IVR offers an immense amount of value for companies? Even smaller businesses can benefit from automating their customer processes—and those that do are in for exponential growth in the years to come.

 

Be a forward-thinking business owner. Investigate the benefits of IVR for yourself and see how it can transform your company.

New IVR Technologies That Make Your Company More Customer Centric

Posted on: March 24th, 2018 by Daniel Burns

Just when you thought IVR technology was fading away, new methods of optimizing customer communication make their way into our business world. The way you think about IVR is nothing like it was 20, 10 or even 5 years ago.

 

New technologies have streamlined IVR in ways that might surprise you, and in an attempt to become more customer centric, companies are exploring them.

 

If IVR could help you do the following, would you rethink your perception about it?

 

What if IVR had the following end results:

  • Enabling you to cater to a wider demographic
  • Providing your customers with a personalized experience
  • Helping your customers faster
  • Telling you what your clients want
  • Fully automating your communication between customers

 

Today’s IVR can do that. Here’s what you may not have known about modern day IVR technology.

 

Language Versatility

New IVR technology strives to connect your business with multiple cultures across the world. But even if you operate locally, adapting your IVR to accommodate different languages instantly broadens your potential customer base.

 

Adding common language preferences like Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Portuguese to your communication capabilities will connect you with those in your surrounding areas who don’t speak English—or prefer not to.

 

If you’re operating in a non-English country, why not add English to your IVR system? Grow your company by reaching out to more people, and adapt to the global hub where English is the most commonly spoken language.

 

How Does Language Versatility Make You More Customer Centric?

Customers appreciate being dealt with in the language they are comfortable with. You are sure to attract customers of different languages as well as retain them with your efforts to accommodate them.

 

Remembering Individuals

Personalizing the customer experience is what customer centricity is all about. Modern IVR technology now learns from past calls. It can:

 

  • Tell what the caller’s personal preferences are
  • Access the caller’s personal account details
  • Put the caller through to the desired department
  • Collect statistics on that called for future reference

This is what we call intuitive IVR. It’s a breakthrough in technology that essentially adds an AI element to your communication system. Since your customers prefer quick service over human-to-human interaction, this technology leaves them feeling satisfied with their call.

 

How Does IVR Memory Result in Customer Centricity?

Customers want to be remembered. Most of them would prefer dealing with the same automated system every time they call, rather than a different call centre agent each time. This results in higher efficiency at resolving calls, quicker calling up or updating of details, and the ability to handle more call queries per day.

 

Instant Assistance

Today’s IVR technology has presented businesses with streamlined communication. With the help of Smartphone technology, customers can now communicate with you wherever they are. But your company must adapt to this convenience, or you’ll be left behind competitively.

 

Adapt your IVR technology to accommodate app-based software where users can access and initiate changes they want. Give them the control they need to assist themselves, and they’ll appreciate your efficiency.

 

Payment methods can also be added to make accounting a simpler process. IVR technology has reached so far as to assist in this. Investing in this kind of technology is essential to surviving an ever-changing global climate.

 

How Can Smart IVR Technology Make Your More Customer Centric?

By handing control back to the customer, you are giving them the convenience and speed they want to feel satisfied and well served. Customers will grow so accustomed to the convenience you offer with your IVR system that they will be unlikely to leave you for a competitor.

 

Gathering Feedback

Did you know that intuitive IVR keeps records of all your client information? Not just personal information, but also all preferences that are evident during calls. IVR systems can now personalize your customers’ experiences more than call centre agents because it’s one system that remembers everything.

 

Gathering this kind of feedback makes you more customer centric because:

 

  • Customers feel valued when they are remembered
  • Calls are handled quicker because that feedback is never forgotten
  • Feedback statistics give you a map on how to please customers
  • By learning what your customers want, you can shape your company to bring in more of them

 

Competency

One of the main reasons call centres have such a bad rep is because of the inefficiency at which they assist customers. Since the point of a help centre is to help customers, why do so many customers feel frustrated after speaking to a consultant?

 

I’ve been on both ends of phone, and this is my theory:

 

  • The majority of customers want to deal with an automated system rather than a fallible person.
  • Customers hate having to call back only to speak to a different person. The customer therefore experiences varying levels of service based on the individual they are talking to.
  • People have a tendency to be inefficient. Their personal lives, personalities and social skills have a great bearing on whether the customer ends up satisfied in the end.
  • People forget. They forget to record notes, they forget to send invoices and they forget to call back.

 

It’s an inescapable truth: customers feel more comfortable with technology. It’s more reliable, more efficient and much quicker.

 

Full Customization

After working with many different companies over the years, one thing I’ve realized is that every company is different. The culture is different, the processes are different, and the chemistry between workers is different.

 

New IVR caters for any company by presenting itself as a sandbox system—meaning you can tweak multiple different settings to make it suit the way you do business.

 

IVR has come a long way. It’s had to in order to survive the changing market. Today’s IVR is sure to become a part of our every day lives as more and more companies adopt this superior business tool.

Questions?