“Interactive Voice Response (IVR) ranks with taxation as one of the most disliked features ever created.” (Gartner)
Enough has been said and written about IVR as a necessary evil in today’s contact center. The reality though can be quite different because wherever there is a problem, there is also an opportunity.
In today’s so-called omni-channel era, companies are looking to engage with customers in a more personalized way. Alongside the influx of new communication channels and the pressure to operate in a cost-efficient manner comes the need to provide self-service tools that cater to different customer needs and styles. Managing the customer experience has never been so challenging.
How does this relate to the IVR system?
Well, it turns out that even in the omni-channel era, IVR systems still handle almost 75% of contact center traffic; and yet, 83% of IVR users are unsatisfied with it. Now, that’s a lot.
The reality is that many organizations fail to implement an effective IVR analytics solution. They are missing out on a data goldmine that can help them improve not only the IVR experience, but the overall customer journey.
So, what kinds of insights and outcomes can we expect from an IVR analytics solution?
- IVR analytics helps identify business process inefficiencies that can be mitigated by the use of alternative self-service channels, such as web and mobile.
- Discovering hidden contact reasons helps simplify IVR menus, increase IVR containment and improve customer satisfaction with the service.
- Enabling IVR self-service empowers customers to complete transactions independently and minimizes the need for an agent, reducing costly voice calls.
Does all this mean that your customers will now fall in love with your IVR and enjoy navigating through the endless menus? Not quite. But by deploying an effective IVR analytics solution, you can truly impact your contact center’s bottom line.