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Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) \ ˌin-tər-ˈak-tiv ˈvȯis ri-ˈspän(t)s sis-təm\ an automated telephony system that interacts with callers, gathers information, and routes calls to the correct person or department.

Some people may not know the name, but there is no doubt they are familiar with IVR systems. Consumers have been using IVR for years to check account balances, participate in surveys, and look up information such as package tracking or movie times — with varying degrees of success.

Our own Worship IVR is one example of IVR bring used in a different way, in this case helping churches broadcast their services.

How an IVR System is Used

An IVR is the phone equivalent of the greeter at a store. This is your first impression. It’s vital that an IVR system is welcoming and friendly. The menu options should be easy to understand and navigate. So, an IVR system needs to provide the options callers will most likely need(this is our favorite creative use of an IVR).

A well-designed IVR system is often tied directly to call routing rules. The options presented to the caller can provide more information about why they are calling. With a few responses, the system will know the topic of the call and whether the issue requires special support, a highly-localized answer, or even an agent that speaks a specific language. These responses are all integrated with the company’s call routing, which is essential in good customer experience.

Good IVR systems store data from those interactions. Call center managers can then use the accumulated data to determine the amount of time a caller spends on hold, what choices were most common, and even if the user experience with the menu design needs to be rethought. With this data, call centers can prepare for annual busy seasons.

IVR System Innovations

Advancements in IVR innovations have improved the customer experience by providing better results. IVR now goes beyond “press one” technology, known as dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF). Speech recognition, an alternative to DTMF allows for more flexibility for user input.

In addition, hosted IVR systems offer companies the flexibility of scaling to meet seasonal demands and the most up-to-date technology while improving first call resolution rates, contact center efficiency and the overall customer experience.

If you’d like to learn how an IVR system can help improve your business, contact us today. Need even more? Ask about how our DevGroup can integrate an IVR with your systems, create special DNC prompts, or even build a custom solution that meets the needs of your business.

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