7 Common IVR Mistakes you should Avoid
IVR (Interactive Voice Response) has transformed the way businesses handle customer cal s. It has a huge role to play when it comes to customer care, managing incoming cal s, and routing cal s to the right customer support representatives.
A wel -designed IVR can reduce the company’s cost, boost productivity, and raise the quality of customer support drastical y. But it is easy to get it wrong.
Here are the most common mistakes you should avoid committing while designing an IVR for your business.
1. Too many options in the Menu and Lengthy Introductions
Don’t confuse your cal er by providing unnecessary options as human memory runs out of capacity after listening to more than 5 options. The cal ers might get frustrated while figuring out the right button to press in order to get their issue resolved. Customers looking for immediate response wil definitely abandon the cal in this situation as they don’t have patience. This might also end up with the cal er choosing to speak with a live agent and the whole purpose of an IVR is lost.
2. Inappropriate and Repetitive on-hold messages
Cal centers often play advertisements or other promotional messages while the cal er is stuck in a queue. But irrelevant and unnecessary ads can irritate your customer. And if the on-hold messages are repetitive, the situation gets even worse. Listening to the same message every few seconds instigates the cal er to hang-up the cal . Make sure that the messages are appropriate for the customer and the music isn’t too loud.
3. Poor Voice Quality
Make sure that your cal ers clearly understand the options by playing a recorded voice that sounds appropriate-neither too fast nor too slow.
Ensure that the voice is not very friendly nor too formal. A lack of clarity in voice can frustrate the cal er and they might lose interest. Also, avoid using different voices and volumes and maintain consistency in pitch and timbre throughout the cal journey so that the cal er does not get distracted.
4. Ignoring the Previous Engagements of a Customer
Providing every cal er with the same set of menus and recorded messages is simply unappealing. You must take into account the prior engagements of a customer and serve them accordingly. Improve the customer experience by delivering personal messages to them based on their previous interactions and route the cal to the appropriate agent, if required.
5. Not Providing a “Request a Call-Back” Option
An IVR can’t serve all the cal ers and can’t resolve every issue. It should definitely provide an option to the cal er to either talk to a live representative or request a cal -back.
6. Not Prioritizing the Options Smartly
Based on past trends, you can come to know about the top reasons as to why a customer is cal ing and what are they looking for. May be it is for making payments, checking current offers/discounts and so on.
Identify them and make sure you are offering that option at the top of your IVR list. It wil become easier and quicker for cal ers to find the solution and accomplish their goals.
7. Not Reassuring your Customer
You need to reassure a customer that his/her query or issue is being processed and would be resolved as soon as possible. Most of the customers are often not comfortable in talking to a machine and always want to talk to a real person. So, send them immediate SMS or email and assure that you are taking care of them.
Avoid these mistakes and minimize the extra work that gets routed to your reps because of an inefficient IVR. If configured and managed properly, an IVR can definitely boost your service levels and improve customer experiences.