| The term IVR is short for Interactive Voice | | | | Systems |
| Response, which is a telephony technology | | | | |
| that allows interaction between callers and a | | | | |
| phone system to acquire or enter information | | | | |
| into a database. More and more companies are | | | | 1. Integrated Voice Response systems can be |
| turning to IVR to help reduce the cost of | | | | extremely beneficial to companies by cutting |
| common sales, service, collections, inquiry | | | | down on live call handling time, thus saving |
| and support calls to and from their company. | | | | money and enabling staff to be free to |
| | | | concentrate on other business areas. |
| Interactive Voice Response or IVR is one of | | | | |
| the most common telephone functions in use | | | | 2. IVR systems can benefit callers by either |
| across the business community and is capable | | | | allowing access to personalised information |
| of bringing remarkable benefits to your | | | | or, directing them to the right department |
| company. IVR systems allow 24 hour access to | | | | or, by a combination of multiple input types |
| a company from its customers via its phone | | | | and selections via menu choices involving |
| system. In today's busy modern world, most | | | | telephone keypad input and speech |
| callers expect on first contact with a | | | | recognition. |
| company, to be handled via some kind of Auto | | | | |
| Attendant or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) | | | | 3. IVR systems allow callers to retrieve or |
| system. This method of call handling is | | | | access information quickly with or without |
| generally accepted as long as the caller is | | | | additional human assistance. |
| given ample opportunity to opt out of the IVR | | | | |
| system and be able to speak to a live agent. | | | | 4. Integrated Voice Response systems allow |
| | | | companies to easily expand their hours of |
| IVR systems offer a cost effective and money | | | | business, without the need for live operators |
| saving way of handling customer calls twenty | | | | to be on hand. This allows callers to call at |
| four hours a day, seven days a week. The | | | | their convenience and still be able to carry |
| handling of routine phone requests for | | | | out a multitude of tasks automatically. |
| information can consume a substantial amount | | | | |
| of company resources and ultimately money. | | | | 5. Call queuing times to departments within a |
| Interactive Voice Response systems, tailored | | | | company can be drastically reduced. With IVR |
| to a company's requirements can provide much | | | | systems, calls can be transferred to |
| the same information as a live operator at a | | | | appropriate departments through the menu |
| fraction of the cost both financially and | | | | selection process. |
| resourcefully. To put things in their most | | | | |
| simple form IVR systems let callers interact | | | | 6. IVR systems allow company representatives |
| with your company via its telephone system. | | | | to experience lower call volumes thorough the |
| | | | automation of repetitive tasks. This allows |
| IVR systems hugely reduce customer call | | | | these representatives to manage their calls |
| handling costs, and can be introduced into | | | | more efficiently and lets them to concentrate |
| your company environment in a number of ways. | | | | on more important issues. |
| The most basic IVR systems simply allow you | | | | |
| to record a message that is played when a | | | | 7. Through the implementation of a good |
| customer presses the appropriate number on | | | | Integrated Voice Response System, companies |
| the phone keypad. The more advanced | | | | may actually be able to expand their call |
| Interactive Voice Response systems allow | | | | capacity and respond to larger call volumes |
| callers to interact with a company on a much | | | | through the correct management and routing of |
| greater scale. For example you could set up | | | | all inbound calls, reducing the handling cost |
| an IVR to retrieve specific account | | | | per call ratio. |
| information that is relayed to the caller | | | | |
| through the implementation of text-to-speech | | | | 8. For companies who accept payments via the |
| recognition technology. This technology | | | | telephone IVR systems can fully automate this |
| allows IVR systems to read specific | | | | task, allowing them to process transactions |
| information from a database and then relate | | | | anytime of the day, any day of the week. |
| that information back to the customer in | | | | |
| spoken format. | | | | 9. For when call volumes are high, IVR |
| | | | systems allow companies to highlight new |
| Typical IVR - Interactive Voice Response | | | | products, updates or product information etc |
| System Applications | | | | while a caller is on hold. |
| | | | |
| The potential applications of IVR systems are | | | | 10. Companies are able to monitor call |
| virtually endless. IVR systems can be used to | | | | progress and transactions through the use of |
| automate a wide range of services and | | | | daily call activity reports. |
| requests for information. By combining the | | | | |
| input of a caller with tailor made scripts, | | | | Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) IVR or |
| IVR systems allow callers to call into a | | | | Hosted IVR The Choice Is Yours |
| company or IVR hosting company using a | | | | |
| touch-tone telephone, and then to interact | | | | CPE - This is equipment that is purchased or |
| with the system in real time. Below is a list | | | | leased by a customer and is then located, |
| of example IVR applications: | | | | hosted and maintained at the customers site. |
| | | | For most companies this is an expensive way |
| | | | of harnessing the power a good IVR system can |
| | | | bring to any business due to the initial cost |
| 1. Automated account payment systems | | | | of the hardware and installation work that |
| | | | would be required. For those companies that |
| 2. Customer account information | | | | have the necessary funding for CPE there are |
| | | | of course benefits as well as drawbacks. CPE |
| 3. Banking service for account balance | | | | allows you to take full control of your IVR |
| transfer information | | | | system and will also allow for future company |
| | | | expansion, though many hosted IVR solutions |
| 4. Customer market surveys | | | | do allow for this also. The main drawback to |
| | | | CPE IVR systems is that you would need |
| 5. Emergency notifications | | | | continuing technical support and maintenance |
| | | | either from your own internal staff or |
| 6. Virtual receptionists | | | | outsourced to the IVR system provider. |
| | | | |
| 7. Call centre automation | | | | IVR Hosting - If a customer prefers not to |
| | | | host an IVR system on their premises, is |
| 8. Order status and tracking | | | | restricted by location, lacks IT support or |
| | | | quite simply cannot withstand the initial |
| 9. Package tracking | | | | financial outlay required for outright |
| | | | purchase then a remote IVR hosting solution |
| 10. Virtual PBX's | | | | that can be tailored to a company's |
| | | | requirements could be the answer. This option |
| 11. Voicemail services | | | | is particularly attractive for small to |
| | | | medium sized businesses who wish to take |
| 12. Voice instant messaging | | | | advantage of a fully featured Interactive |
| | | | Voice Response system, with a vastly reduced |
| 13. Bill reminder | | | | initial capital outlay, as well as |
| | | | eradicating the need for system IT |
| 14. Bill collection | | | | maintenance, and support. |
| | | | |
| 15. Telesales | | | | Whichever form of IVR system you decide to |
| | | | implement, it is better to ask the advice of |
| 16. Virtual agents | | | | experts before you go ahead and purchase any |
| | | | hardware or sign any form of lease agreement. |
| 17. Auto attendants | | | | A good IVR systems provider or IVR hosting |
| | | | company will take the time to sit down with |
| 18. Call routing | | | | you and discuss your requirements in detail |
| | | | before helping you make a decision on what |
| 19. Call recording solutions | | | | type of system you should opt for. |
| | | | |
| 20. Plus many, many more Benefits of IVR | | | | Thanks for reading. |