IVR Messages are the recorded greetings, “prompts,” and informational messages that you hear when you call an automated telephone system. Instead of a “live” operator answering your call, IVR Recordings greet you and (hopefully) help you reach the person or department you’re looking for. If they’re professionally planned, IVR Recordings can speed you on your way more efficiently than the average person.
IVR Systems were first created in the 1960’s as an efficiency tool…for the company you’re calling. Company call centers can receive hundreds…or thousands…of phone calls every day, and most of the callers have similar needs. That makes the process simple: Using IVR Recordings to talk with you, these automated phone systems can effectively help you.
Most IVR Recordings Don’t!
Most IVR Recordings aren’t professional
There are two elements to using IVR Recordings: planning, and writing/recording. Have you ever been victim of an automated telephone call that seems to take forever? You make automated choice after choice, wasting more and more time, and often just giving up? It’s easy to replace a “live” operator. That saves money. But helping your customers should be your main goal. That’s harder.
Tips for better IVR Recordings
Great IVR Recordings start with analyzing your “call flow”: who calls you, and the help that they most frequently need. When you start with the customers’ needs in mind, you should be able to ensure a better “customer experience.”
Here are a few questions that can help improve your IVR Recordings:
- Are the options you offer your caller designed to help them most efficiently?
- Are your options in the order of “popularity” with the option most callers request offered first?
- Consider the cost of “prioritization of calls” by value. If the majority of your calls are “lower value” and would be helped only after enduring multiple options or menus of options, consider “high value” phone numbers that give high value customers exclusive access to your call center. They get served faster, but lower value callers aren’t delayed endlessly, increasing customer satisfaction
- Do you only add more options to your greeting if they actually will route your caller to the best destination faster?
- Want to sound more professional? Consider professionally written and recorded greetings and prompts. They’ll be clearer and easier to understand, and are available in multiple languages, further personalizing your customer experience.
Better customer contact situations lead to increased customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. That’s worth more than your projected savings by automating your phone system.
Do you use an automated answering system? Make sure your IVR recordings sound professional and help your customers, to increase customer satisfaction. For a free IVR Recordings Report Card, in New York call (212) 355-6980. In Connecticut, (203) 655-3920, and nationwide, call (800) 862-8896.