Why IVR is important for Your Business call center solution.

Once upon a time, Call Center IVR (Interactive Voice Response Systems ) consisted solely of menus that read out selections to callers with a robotic voiceover.

Those IVRs were not created with the needs of the users in mind, but rather according to a “one-size-fits-all” philosophy. It was difficult for callers to find the answers to their questions because of the lengthy and complicated menus.

Customers had to go through a lengthy list of alternatives or wait for an agent to become available, even for the most straightforward situations. For the customers, all of this was undoubtedly frustrating.

The times are different now. According to statistics, “50% of customers feel that the customer service and support offered by most companies needs to be improved.

Voice is a common communication medium these days, and Call Center IVR have advanced significantly over time, much like any other technology, making them a valuable asset for modern enterprises.

Let’s first go over the fundamentals of a Call Center IVR before going any further.

How do Call Center IVR systems work?

A Contact Center Interactive Voice Response System, or IVR for short, is a menu system that users can interact with by voice responses or keypad selections. Many of us would have undoubtedly called a business and used the IVR to navigate the menu by selecting the relevant option.

What are the advantages of a Contact Center IVR system for businesses?

Automating client interactions allows you to use an IVR system in your organization and reap numerous benefits. Here is a detailed explanation of every benefit individually.

#1. Handling High Contact Center Volumes Easily

You may see how difficult it is when there are several calls coming in at once if we take into account the conventional situation when a receptionist answers the company calls.

Additionally, the other callers must wait for their turn while the receptionist answers to one caller and connects them to an appropriate agent.

However, calls are immediately sent to another agent if an agent is busy due to the implementation of Call Center IVR system. This essentially means that an Interactive Voice Response System can handle increased call volumes with ease.

#2. Requires Fewer Call Center Agents

The way an interactive voice response system is built and configured allows it to function without the need for human involvement. Everyday enquiries about fundamental and straightforward business matters can be handled using Call Center IVR.

This implies that fewer agents are needed because IVRs merely take the position of an agent or a receptionist. Overall, having IVR would require a company to recruit fewer staff members to take calls from customers.

#3. Shorter Reaction Times

While you’re waiting for your dinner to come at a restaurant? You can comprehend what waiting time implies as a customer.

Nine out of ten clients have been observed to anticipate a business to resolve their issues within 24 hours. According to these statistics, customers expect their problems and concerns to be handled promptly.

An interactive voice response system (IVR) helps by answering common questions and connecting callers with the appropriate agents. The main point is that providing excellent customer service is essential for any kind of organization, regardless of size.

Read: 6 Benefits of Integrating Call Center Software with CRM

#4. Improved Client Experience

Customers are the first priority of any firm. “79% of consumers believe that a company’s experience is as important as its product or services,” according to data.

Additionally, research indicates that 93% of consumers are inclined to make additional purchases from businesses who provide exceptional customer service.

As a result, it’s critical for a company to give clients a first-rate experience from the moment they contact them, or when they pick up the phone.
When addressing a customer from the initial point of contact, a receptionist or agent who is already distracted by multiple calls may not make a positive impression.

On the other hand, a Call Center IVR system provides the caller with accurate, succinct, and unambiguous menu options from which they can select the right option and be connected to a suitable representative immediately.

What’s more? Customers can select their favourite language by using IVRs, which can handle various languages. That’s a bonus breeze, right now!

Increased customer satisfaction, less confusion, and reduced time waste. Considering this, “purchasing value from nurtured leads is nearly 50% higher than from non-nurtured leads.”

#5. Lowers Call Service Costs

Operational expenses are closely related to how business calls are handled. The longer a consumer remains on the phone, the more your company will be charged.

When added together, even a few extra minutes for each additional call can result in a significant cost burden.

Call Center IVRs help you reduce costs since they handle high call volumes in a systematized manner and without the need for human interaction. Additionally, Contact Center IVRs include a pre-programmed menu with selections that are connected to the right agents.

Thus, the moment the consumer selects a choice, the call is immediately forwarded to the agent most suited to handle or fix the problem. This indicates that there are no pointless call transfers between divisions or agents.

Read: Call Center Auto Dialer Softwares for  SMEs in Kenya

#6. Improved Call Metrics for Customers

Customers and organisations alike benefit from the significant time savings that IVRs provide by automating call processing.

An IVR’s brief and easy process of selecting an appropriate option from its menu could otherwise take several minutes as the agent transfers the caller to another agent, which could cause confusion and irritation.

As a result, the implementation of IVR improves a number of KPIs, including call abandonment rate, average handling time, and average answer speed.

#7. Encourages Self-Serve

Being able to resolve a problem or issue on their own makes them feel good, which is why many customers adore self-service.

Research even reveals that nearly 75% of consumers believe they need to be able to handle problems with products or services on their own.

So why not use your business phone system’s IVR to provide this feature? Additionally, it saves a tonne of money for the company. A mutually beneficial outcome for both.

#8. Decrease in Dropped Calls
“More than 70% of customers get ‘extremely frustrated’ while waiting on hold,” did you know? For businesses, unanswered calls pose a serious issue.

Call abandonment typically occurs when a caller disconnects a call because they are irritated and feel that they have been placed on hold for an extended period of time.

“One-quarter of customers hang up after five minutes,” according to statistics. It is an egregious instance of subpar customer service since the clientele has lost trust in the company.
A Call Center IVR is the ideal remedy for this issue. Call abandonment is unlikely since callers’ problems are promptly and accurately handled. Instead, it may make them more likely to remain loyal to the brand. The good news is that profits can rise by 25% to 95% with simply 5% higher client retention rates.

#9. Provides round-the-clock client support

One of the greatest conveniences is that IVRs work around the clock, or 24/7, when agents would otherwise need to work different shifts. Therefore, IVR may offer assistance to customers who call after hours by using its pre-recorded messages, which you can personalise to inform them that you will contact them again shortly.

#10. Effective Call Forwarding

Overwhelmed agents are more likely to experience lengthy wait times and misrouted calls when handling high call volumes. When it comes to small businesses, all calls are typically handled by a single receptionist or customer service agent.

Read: 11 Essential Features of Inbound Call Center Software

#11. Offers Priceless Sales Information

Customer satisfaction scores, or CSAT scores, can be obtained efficiently by using the Interactive Voice Response System to provide feedback questionnaires following each call.

When A Contact Center IVR systems collect consumer data, including interests, preferences, needs, demographics, and so forth, they can serve as a valuable data source.

The aforementioned data can yield significant advantages for marketing managers, as they can conduct analysis and modify their efforts based on customer preferences. Such information can also give the company’s incentive and training programs a greater context.

#11. Produces an Image of Professionalism

Small businesses may not require IVR for call handling because they often do not receive a high volume of calls. It does not, however, imply that they cannot benefit from IVRs.

Consumers will perceive your company’s image based on how you present it. Call Center IVR systems provide callers a polished impression of the company because they have prerecorded messages and even personalised greetings.

With the IVR, you may map out the many departments inside your firm, creating the appearance of a larger enterprise and improving the organization’s reputation.

Furthermore, it conveys the idea that the company values its clients, which may greatly appeal to them.

#12. Increases Worker Productivity

Listening to the caller’s needs and forwarding the call to the appropriate department wastes a lot of the agents’ time.

Furthermore, why allow your staff members to respond to basic enquiries like “What time are you open? When an Interactive Voice Response system can handle all of this job with ease, such “How much gift credit is left in my wallet?”

This clearly gives agents more time to concentrate on important or urgent work, which increases their overall productivity.

Read: Top 5 Challenges Call Center Managers Encounter

#13. Almost flawless uptime

The likelihood of downtime is eliminated with a cloud-based interactive voice response system because the service provider has redundant servers and backup equipment on hand.

Thus, in the event of a power loss or natural disaster that causes the server to go offline, the IVR system continues to function with minimal disruption. Despite its seemingly insignificant appearance, it has a significant effect on your clients.

#14. Provides Economical

The Interactive Voice Response system’s ability to do numerous important functions for your company without breaking the bank is yet another of its best features. Yes, compared to other marketing and support methods like live chat, Call Center IVRs are a really affordable alternative.

How do you configure your business phone system’s IVR system?

When configuring a hosted IVR on your business phone system, there are three main things to consider:

• Make an IVR menu with broad categories that expand into more specialised ones. The caller will find it simple to navigate and choose the most appropriate option from an IVR menu with multiple levels.
• Don’t forget to include the opportunity to communicate with a human being, such as speaking with an agent or customer representative.
• Provide a means for callers to be contacted back if they end up hanging up. This is an effective tactic for keeping customers.