If you own a call center and want to improve the customer service, then an IVR system will let you get there. However, you want to ensure that the IVR system is working properly even before it goes live. Once it goes live, you also want to add personal touches here and there so that it provides the best customer service for your specific clientele. Highlighted below are the best practices to make sure the IVR system is effective for both you and your customers:

Let the callers know what to expect from your system immediately

It is a simple rule that ensures a pleasant greeting and explains what the system can do for the caller.

Never hide the option for callers to interact with a live agent

Your IVR system can be very effective but there are those times when customers want to speak to a live agent to have their problems solved.

Give an approximate time for callers to complete their request

If you are to transfer them to a live agent, let the callers know the supposed hold time and don’t forget to provide options to get back to the IVR system.

Callers should not repeat information collected in your IVR system to the live agents they are transferred to

You want to make your callers believe that the IVR system can help them resolve their problem, so respect the time they put in the system and do not let them ask for the same answers more than once.

Touch-tone or the speech recognition options can allow callers navigate the system

Let your callers choose the best option based on their location, preferences or understanding of the system.

Personalizing the IVR

You can also personalize the IVR system for each of your callers by integrating it with your customer databases and CRM systems. You want your callers to stick to the IVR system, so the best way is to let them know that the system recognizes their identity.

Apart from identifying them, you should also communicate a few commands that are recognized during a call. An example includes “beginning” that lets one to get back to the start of any dialogue.

You should keep the interface simple

Use short and closed prompts, request one word responses and limit the number of menu choices to keep the interface simple. Did you know that callers want a system that is easy to use and one that can solve their issues? You don’t want to give them anything less than that.

The system should provide a courteous and smooth error handling platform

Error messages that are not geared to a caller’s situation will most likely drive them away from the IVR system. The IVR should always take the blame for errors.

It is relatively easy to establish the above practices especially with fully configurable or custom IVR systems, but it is recommended that you ensure the system is continuously checked for functionality and that you conduct a survey on your clients to make sure it is working well for them. At Simplified Telephony Solutions, we provide custom IVR solutions and we are ready to work with you!