Change is never easy, but resisting it could put your company at risk.

Have you implemented IVR (Interactive Voice Response) yet, or are you still doing tasks manually? Why not delegate it to a professional? And I mean a professional system.

You need to move with the times.

Or perhaps you’re proud of staying at the forefront of technological advancements, as long as it’s not related to handling customers. You’re probably scared communicating through IVR will be too impersonal.

In both these circumstances you’re missing out on a few amazing benefits that will make your life easier and make your customers smile.

So let’s show you how this can be relevant in many industries, so you can get started on implementing yours.

Services IVR Provides
When you integrate your computer system with your telephone infrastructure you open the door to many options of:

• Providing information
• Gathering information

A well designed IVR system can add the following to your list of resources you use to perform daily tasks:

• Provide general information to callers
• Handle payments
• Outbound calling in large volumes
• Interaction with individuals on the phone, via voice recognition or keypad use
• Processing gathered data

I bet you already realize how these can help you in your tasks?

Let’s shed some light on the main industries where this is becoming an essential system.

Industries that can Utilize IVR

Politics
How else can you keep costs low, use time effectively and still reach thousands of people? This is important in terms of managing a campaign budget, but also to keep statistics up to date.

An IVR system can do outbound calling and do polling to gauge people’s views. While many argue it’s too impersonal, some people prefer the quick process. When talking to staff in person, a question can result in an unnecessary long conversation.

As a bonus the data—information gathered via keypad input—can be processed by the system, instead of staff wasting time on calculations.

• Here are your benefits:
• Statistics are accurate because all questions are asked in a consistent manner.
• You can add ringless voicemails to your strategy to reach more people who may not answer their phones. When these people make contact, IVR can handle the call at any time of the day.
• You don’t spend money on hiring space, staff and equipment.

If you want a streamlined campaign, you need this.

Banks and Finance
Consumers’ have a few primary expectations from service providers. Speed of service is an important one.

An IVR system that guides callers through the steps may be a more practical and faster option than using a staff member. With the latter there’s also the possibility of human error.

Callers may request updated information about balances or want to initiate payments. Because an IVR system connects with information instantly, the process will be quick. And best of all is a customer can access this 24/7, which is becoming a necessary feature in our modern society.

Small Businesses
If you’re dreaming of growing your business, you need happy customers. Don’t think an IVR system will be too impersonal. Certain business outcomes benefit from its features:

• You can provide basic information faster.
• After a public poll, an IVR system can calculate what customers deem most important. Ensure that’s always easily accessible to keep customers satisfied.
• It can operate using many languages, making you relevant to a larger audience

Isn’t it time you make an impact in the market?

Healthcare
It’s a daunting thought to think your private information can be accessed by machines. But isn’t this more acceptable than talking to people sometimes?

Test Results
Imagine you’re waiting for test results of a very private nature. Calling to find out the details can be embarrassing when you need to talk to a nurse. But a machine has no opinion and in that moment, the anonymity is much more valuable than a personal approach.

This is now possible with IVR systems and can improve the service a hospital or doctor offers the public. It’s also faster than waiting for an overworked nurse or staff member to find your results.

Once again IVR minimizes strain on staff and gives clients what they need.

Trials
And why use valuable time and many staff members if IVR can gather information for research:

• Data provided by research companies to pharmaceutical companies
• Patient questionnaires
• Patient diaries

IVR can gather data, store it and process it so it’s already in a format you can use for your research or treatment of a patient.

And because it’s all on a computer system, it can be kept safe from those not authorized to see it.

Government
Let’s keep officials and communities satisfied by improving government service. The only way authorities will improve the feedback and payments they get from people, is if they make systems:

• User friendly
• Modern
• Fast
• Accessible

And IVR has all these characteristics.

Tax payments, enquiries and gathering public opinion can be done via IVR. It’s how technology keeps people connected and gets things done.

Public Services
As mentioned above, services must be relevant to the public if you want them to engage with it. And what do people keep in their hands constantly these days? Their mobile phones of course.

So imagine how quick and easy processes become—for both service provider and customer—when necessary tasks can be handled via someone’s Smartphone:

• Renewing vehicle registration
• Pay for parking tickets
• Donate to a fund such as a charity
• Ordering transport services and paying for it
• Paying utility bills
• Reminding consumers of outstanding accounts

The application of IVR is diverse. And don’t simply look at its current uses. Identify a challenge in your industry. If it relates to customers, communication and service delivery, an IVR feature may be customized to make your life a bit easier & your industry more effective. Ready to get started?

When you don’t do your research, you may miss out on the best tools technology has to offer. And that places you far behind your business competitors. Can you take such a risk?

So what do you think about IVR? More importantly, what do you know about it?

A reply often heard is ‘I don’t trust technology to deal with my customers’. And those who think this way are the ones who are missing out on getting ahead and impressing your clientele.

Why Don’t Businesses Trust IVR?
It’s a common misconception that technology is impersonal. But haven’t we become a more connected society thanks to social media platforms?

I probably know more about my family’s preferences and activities than ever before, simply by connecting with them online. That helps me stay relevant to their needs.

And it’s not much different with IVR (Interactive Voice Response). IVR can gather information through:

– Polling

– Monitoring incoming calls

– Measuring what type of information people ask for online

All this information is now at your fingertips to offer a more personal service.

Yes, it’s a technological setup. But it may serve your customers better than your staff can. Here’s how.

IVR—Your Ideal Customer Service Partner
It Saves Customers’ Time
You don’t call a business to have long talks. You want fast answers. And if you’re willing to answer a poll, you want as little time as possible wasted on it.

IVR handles all these functions more swiftly than people can. And because people value their own time, they’ll appreciate you not wasting theirs.

This is how you use technology to live up to human preferences. And that’s how people feel cared for.

It Saves Customers Effort
Statistics show it’s the number one thing that will turn an occasional customer into a loyal supporter: Minimizing effort.

And that’s exactly what IVR does. A well planned IVR menu quickly guides customers towards answers with minimal effort from their side. This makes each person feel cared for and that boosts public opinion of your company.

It Remembers Their Needs
When do you feel someone really listens to you? I’m often amazed when someone quotes something I said before. It’s not often people really take in what you say, right?

But an IVR system never forgets what anyone says.

Repeat callers can have the benefit of having their calls answered with:

– Their names mentioned

– References to their last call and whether they need the same information

Only 21% of employees note customers’ names. Now you can boost this statistic to always calling someone by name. That’s improved, personal service, even though it’s done by a machine.

It’s Intuitive
Those who know you will know what you love to eat and what you hate.

IVR tracks your customers’ preferences so you can provide them with exactly what they want on your IVR menus. If you had to gauge this on your own it would take hours of work. But an IVR system automatically collects data and provides you with statistics & information you can use.

Now build an intuitive system that provides the most asked for information first.

It Speaks Everyone’s Language
If you plan on expanding your business, you must prepare to serve a global community. The internet and eCommerce can put you in touch with other cultures, so you can’t think locally anymore. But how will you communicate with everyone?

Once again an IVR customer care system can come to your rescue. Answering calls in one of many languages can make all your customers feel comfortable doing business with you. This leads to trust and trust leads to increased sales.

So IVR benefits your customers, but also your bottom-line.

It Meets them Where They are
Most people spend between 90 and 180 minutes on their Smartphones every day. Your customers are no different.

Customers want easy answers and if your IVR system provides information via mobile phones, you’re using a medium people are comfortable with. They prefer this to:

– Writing lengthy emails

– Visiting your premises

Being personal is meeting someone on their home ground. And for today’s society, it’s on their phones.

It Trains Your Staff so They Get it Right too
78% of consumers rate competency as more important than a personalized approach. If your IVR system provides the right information, they’ll be more than happy to deal with it, even on a regular basis.

But here’s one better. Your IVR system—through tracking calls and doing polls—can gather information that can transform your entire customer care service:

– People’s preferences

– What information is asked the most so your staff can be prepared

Why not teach your staff the secrets the IVR system extracts? Now they’ll be as competent as the technology.

Tips to Make Your IVR System Even Better
Of course no system is perfect, right? Not even your IVR infrastructure.

Make a conscientious effort to audit your services regularly, and maybe add one of these improvements. Every bit of effort you put in to making your system even more customer friendly, will result in more sales and loyal customers.

Remember, this is not an expense. It’s an investment. So make sure your ROI is high:

– Never stop changing your menus to suit your customers. Their preferences, questions and needs will change over time. If your IVR system doesn’t track and implement changes, you’ll lose clients again.

– Stay away from complicated terminology. State questions and information in simple words anyone can understand.

– Regularly ask employees to use and test the IVR customer service. Your clients shouldn’t tell you about routing or menu problems; you should pick up on it yourself.

– Ensure your IVR system offers menu options that apply to all possible callers, so no one feels confused or restricted in options while on a call.

– Consider adding video to your options for interaction.

Yes, your customers will love speaking to you or your staff. But you’ll be surprised how many scenarios benefit from a proper IVR system. Consumers have long lists of requirements when dealing with service providers and this technology fulfils many wishes. Will you reconsider your customer service approach now?

Have you really tried every possible method to enhance your political campaign? You know how dependent you are on polls to get information, public feedback and statistics. And of course data must be current if you want to base important decisions on them.

That’s why you need IVR (Interactive Voice Response) and all the benefits that come with it. Your polling can become faster, more accurate and yes, even less expensive.

Want to know how it works?

What is IVR?
It’s called Interactive Voice Response and it enables computer systems to interact with individuals to get important information from them. Outbound dialing puts computer systems in touch with individuals. Their responses to questions you need for polling can be captured via:

– Pressing buttons on their phone keypads

– The system’s voice recognition software

Don’t be put off by the idea of computers interacting with the public. Technology has developed so these calls are less cold and impersonal than you think. As long as you use the system wisely and create the right questions, you’ll get the feedback you need.

And don’t think this is the predictive dialer systems you’ve used in the past. It’s not about simply directing calls to staff members. It’s about getting feedback, processing this information and offer you results you can use. And it happens fast.

Here are all the ways your next campaign can be enhanced by this.

How IVR Transforms Campaigns

Be Relevant to Your Audience
You’re working with a modern society, that’s pressed for time, always in a hurry and mostly technologically orientated. Who doesn’t have a Smartphone these days, right?

Now imagine trying to stop people at a local supermarket and ask them for opinions, voting preferences or more in depth feedback. Almost no one will have time to spend on your poll.

But people love being on their phones. Over 90% of people have Smartphones and most spend almost three hours a day using them. And Smartphones travel with their owners so you can reach them no matter where they are. This is the platform where you can reach your audience.

Using outbound calling therefore shows you understand your public’s need for unique polling methods and you don’t waste their valuable time. This will put them in a more positive mindset about the polling, compared to being interrupted while shopping.

You Need Fewer Staff
Of course you don’t have time to contact large samples. But you only need one IVR system to handle thousands of these outbound calls on your behalf.

And who will convert the data you gather into a usable format? There’s no need for staff members to waste their valuable time anymore, because the IVR platform can do it for you.

More Accurate Feedback
Taking the human factor out of the equation has a few important consequences. All of them enable you to make more appropriate decisions, because your information is more accurate:

– When software processes your data and shows you a result, the chances of mistakes in the equations are minimal. You don’t have to double check or allow for human error.

– No matter how professional your staff members are, their voices will always carry emotion and can even influence those they call. Two workers may ask the same question with different voice intonations. Are the answers then completely unbiased? With an IVR system, all outgoing calls will be made in exactly the same way. Data procured from these calls are more appropriate for scientific or political use.

When you know how the people really feel, you can make more informed decisions.

It Can Happen 24/7
Why limit your campaigning and polling to office hours? Some in your community will be more open to answering questions at home than while they’re at the office.

An IVR system can be set up to work around the clock without anyone monitoring the process or cueing the next call. Now you can schedule calls at times your public will be available.

Of course this is also your solution to effectively reach people located in different time zones. Let technology empower you to get more done, even while you get that much needed sleep.

You Can Reach Large Samples
The more data you have, the more accurate your statistics will be. But imagine how many staff members you need to reach thousands of people.

IVR can manage such a large sample easily and you don’t have to pay for staff labor, space or telephone equipment.

You Save Time and Money
All of these benefits lead to important consequences that benefit any campaign:

– Saving your staff members’—and your own—time means you can get more done each day. You’ll get data faster, so you can make decisions earlier.

– Yes you’ll be using state of the art technology, but it will cost much less than getting the work done by your staff or hired personnel.

Now you can spend your funds on other campaign features that will make an impact.

Ringless Voicemails—The Marketing Tool You’ve Been Waiting for

What about the customers that don’t answer their Smartphones? IVR even has a solution for them.

People may not answer your IVR call for these reasons:

– They can’t answer their phones

– They don’t want to answer unknown numbers

– They may not hear their phones ringing

And you can bypass all these polling challenges.

Part of the three hours people spend on their phones every day, relate to personal administration. This includes checking their voicemails. You can be sure people do this every morning too. Don’t disturb your audience at night, but make sure they hear from you in the morning.

A ringless voicemail won’t cause a phone to ring, but deposits a message straight to a voicemail inbox. Let people listen to your voice recordings for that personal touch every campaign needs.

All you need is a clever call to action and a number they can return a call to. Let IVR answer, state survey questions and get the feedback you need.

Is there someone that specifically wants to speak to a representative? Make this one of the options and the IVR system can relay those calls to your staff. Now you know the people you allocate your staff’s time to, are the ones that are as passionate about the campaign as you are.

You can’t risk not using modern technology in your political campaign anymore. It’s how you stay ahead of your competition and it’s how you ensure your voice is heard. And with IVR more people will hear your message—and give you their opinions—than ever before. This is the solution you’ve been looking for.