Managing Customer Service With IVR

While the new year brings new beginnings and new challenges, one thing remains the same — the need for better customer service. Customer service is constantly changing as the needs and demands of customers change. This is often seen as daunting for call centers, but serving customers does not always require direct agent-consumer interactions. Interactive Voice Response systems (IVR) are the perfect way to automate support, increase first contact resolutions, improve professionalism and reduce overall costs. 

Secure Automated Support With IVR

More than 67% of consumers prefer self-service options to deal with an agent. IVR gives the consumer exactly what they are asking for and increases the number of consumers helped by offering self-service options to consumers outside of normal business hours. These systems provide consumers with a personalized automated message followed by actionable options such as “Make Payments” or “View Account Balance.” The consumer can then select the option that best suits their needs without ever having to speak with an agent. This method of customer service also allows for payments to be made securely by directing consumers to safe IVR payment systems where personal information is protected.

First Contact Resolution Through IVR

One reason customer service can be rated poorly is due to the number of transfers and holds consumers need to go through before their inquiry is resolved. With properly implemented IVR options, call centers can increase their First contact Resolution (FCR) rate. When a consumer finds the information they need through the automated system, they no longer need to speak to an agent and are able to resolve their issues independently and quickly. If a customer does require the help of an agent, an IVR system will direct them to the agent who can best help the customer.

Professionalism

Regardless of the size of your business, professionalism is essential to preserving and enhancing your image. Call centers can increase their professionalism when implementing IVR by ensuring that the recorded greeting is clear and professional. When stating the self-service options, there should be no confusion about what each option is for. Having the advanced features and capabilities that come with a good IVR system will automatically improve your business’s professionalism. 

Reduce Your Costs With IVR

IVR makes it easy for your call center to save money. How much time is wasted in your call center with hold times, rerouting, and transferring or escalating calls? IVR eliminates much of this wasted time by providing consumers with useful information from the beginning and intelligently routing to a specialized agent if direct communication is needed. This also reduces the amount of time wasted by agents waiting for an inbound call. 

In-House IVRs vs TCN’s

Some might think that it is more beneficial to have an in-house IVR than a cloud-based solution. With TCN’s cloud-based IVR, there are no limitations to the number of lines a call center can have, calls are quickly routed to skilled agents when needed, free call recording is included, and operational statistics and reporting are ready at your fingertips. With all of the benefits, it provides your consumers, there are even more benefits for your call center.
Customer service is a commodity that will never go away and will always be changing. It is imperative that your call center keeps up with the demands of the market and implements IVR to bring your customer service to the next level.

Request a demo to learn more about TCN’s IVR system and how it can help your call center manage customer service.