| The term IVR is short for Interactive
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| | 2. IVR systems can benefit callers by
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| Voice Response, whichis a telephony
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| | either allowingaccess to personalised
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| technology that allows interaction
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| | information or, directing them tothe
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| betweencallers and a phone system to
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| | right department or, by a combination of
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| acquire or enter informationinto a
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| | multipleinput types and selections via
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| database. More and more companies are
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| | menu choices involvingtelephone keypad
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| turning to IVRto help reduce the cost of
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| | input and speech recognition.
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| common sales, service,collections,
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| | 3. IVR systems allow callers to retrieve
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| inquiry and support calls to and from
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| | or accessinformation quickly with or
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| theircompany.
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| | without additional humanassistance.
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| Interactive Voice Response or IVR is one
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| | 4. Integrated Voice Response systems
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| of the most commontelephone functions in
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| | allow companies toeasily expand their
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| use across the business community andis
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| | hours of business, without the needfor
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| capable of bringing remarkable benefits
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| | live operators to be on hand. This allows
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| to your company.
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| | callers tocall at their convenience and
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| IVR systems allow 24 hour access to a
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| | still be able to carry outa multitude of
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| company from itscustomers via its phone
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| | tasks automatically.
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| system. In today's busy modernworld, most
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| | 5. Call queuing times to departments
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| callers expect on first contact with a
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| | within a companycan be drastically
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| company,to be handled via some kind of
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| | reduced. With IVR systems, calls canbe
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| Auto Attendant or Interactive
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| | transferred to appropriate departments
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| Voice Response (IVR) system. This method
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| | through themenu selection process.
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| of call handling isgenerally accepted as
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| | 6. IVR systems allow company
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| long as the caller is given
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| | representatives toexperience lower call
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| ampleopportunity to opt out of the IVR
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| | volumes thorough the automation
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| system and be able tospeak to a live
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| | ofrepetitive tasks. This allows these
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| agent.
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| | representatives tomanage their calls more
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| IVR systems offer a cost effective and
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| | efficiently and lets them toconcentrate
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| money saving way ofhandling customer
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| | on more important issues.
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| calls twenty four hours a day, seven
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| | 7. Through the implementation of a good
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| daysa week. The handling of routine phone
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| | Integrated
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| requests forinformation can consume a
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| | Voice Response System, companies may
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| substantial amount of companyresources
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| | actually be able toexpand their call
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| and ultimately money. Interactive Voice
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| | capacity and respond to larger
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| Responsesystems, tailored to a company's
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| | callvolumes through the correct
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| requirements can providemuch the same
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| | management and routing of allinbound
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| information as a live operator at a
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| | calls, reducing the handling cost per
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| fractionof the cost both financially and
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| | call ratio.
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| resourcefully. To putthings in their most
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| | 8. For companies who accept payments via
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| simple form IVR systems let
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| | the telephone
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| callersinteract with your company via its
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| | IVR systems can fully automate this task,
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| telephone system.
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| | allowing themto process transactions
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| IVR systems hugely reduce customer call
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| | anytime of the day, any day ofthe week.
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| handling costs, andcan be introduced into
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| | 9. For when call volumes are high, IVR
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| your company environment in a numberof
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| | systems allowcompanies to highlight new
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| ways. The most basic IVR systems simply
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| | products, updates or productinformation
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| allow you torecord a message that is
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| | etc while a caller is on hold.
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| played when a customer presses
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| | 10.Companies are able to monitor call
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| theappropriate number on the phone
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| | progress andtransactions through the use
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| keypad. The more advanced
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| | of daily call activity reports.
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| Interactive Voice Response systems allow
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| | Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) IVR or
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| callers to interactwith a company on a
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| | Hosted IVR The
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| much greater scale. For example youcould
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| | Choice Is Yours
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| set up an IVR to retrieve specific
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| | CPE - This is equipment that is purchased
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| account informationthat is relayed to the
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| | or leased by acustomer and is then
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| caller through the implementation
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| | located, hosted and maintained at
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| oftext-to-speech recognition technology.
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| | thecustomers site. For most companies
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| This technologyallows IVR systems to read
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| | this is an expensive wayof harnessing the
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| specific information from adatabase and
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| | power a good IVR system can bring to
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| then relate that information back to
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| | anybusiness due to the initial cost of
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| thecustomer in spoken format.
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| | the hardware andinstallation work that
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| Typical IVR - Interactive Voice Response
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| | would be required. For thosecompanies
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| System Applications
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| | that have the necessary funding for CPE
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| The potential applications of IVR systems
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| | there areof course benefits as well as
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| are virtuallyendless. IVR systems can be
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| | drawbacks. CPE allows you totake full
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| used to automate a wide range ofservices
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| | control of your IVR system and will also
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| and requests for information. By
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| | allow forfuture company expansion, though
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| combining theinput of a caller with
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| | many hosted IVR solutionsdo allow for
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| tailor made scripts, IVR systemsallow
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| | this also. The main drawback to CPE
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| callers to call into a company or IVR
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| | IVRsystems is that you would need
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| hosting companyusing a touch-tone
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| | continuing technical supportand
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| telephone, and then to interact with
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| | maintenance either from your own internal
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| thesystem in real time. Below is a list
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| | staff oroutsourced to the IVR system
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| of example IVRapplications:
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| | provider.
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| 1. Automated account payment systems
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| | IVR Hosting - If a customer prefers not
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| 2. Customer account information
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| | to host an IVRsystem on their premises,
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| 3 Banking service for account balance
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| | is restricted by location, lacks
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| transferinformation
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| | IT support or quite simply cannot
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| 4 Customer market surveys
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| | withstand the initialfinancial outlay
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| 5 Emergency notifications
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| | required for outright purchase then
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| 6 Virtual receptionists
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| | aremote IVR hosting solution that can be
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| 7 Call centre automation
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| | tailored to acompany's requirements could
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| 8 Order status and tracking
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| | be the answer. This option isparticularly
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| 9 Package tracking
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| | attractive for small to medium sized
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| 10 Virtual PBX's
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| | businesseswho wish to take advantage of a
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| 11 Voicemail services
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| | fully featured Interactive
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| 12 Voice instant messaging
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| | Voice Response system, with a vastly
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| 13 Bill reminder
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| | reduced initial capitaloutlay, as well as
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| 14 Bill collection
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| | eradicating the need for system
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| 15 Telesales
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| | ITmaintenance, and support.
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| 16 Virtual agents
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| | Whichever form of IVR system you decide
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| 17 Auto attendants
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| | to implement, it isbetter to ask the
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| 18 Call routing
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| | advice of experts before you go ahead
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| 19 Call recording solutions
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| | andpurchase any hardware or sign any form
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| 20 Plus many, many more
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| | of lease agreement.
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| Benefits of IVR Systems
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| | A good IVR systems provider or IVR
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| 1. Integrated Voice Response systems can
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| | hosting company will takethe time to sit
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| be extremelybeneficial to companies by
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| | down with you and discuss your
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| cutting down on live callhandling time,
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| | requirementsin detail before helping you
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| thus saving money and enabling staff to
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| | make a decision on what type ofsystem you
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| befree to concentrate on other business
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| | should opt for.
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| areas.
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| | Thanks for reading.
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