Today almost every business is shifting its operations to cloud by automating its processes using various components of cloud-based telephony. One such component is the Interactive voice response(IVR) system, an effective form of customer self-service and call flow management.
Table of Contents
- What is IVR?
- Features of IVR
- How does it work?
- Types of IVR
- Benefits of an IVR system
What is IVR?
Interactive voice response or IVR is a VoIP technology that is used to automate the communication process. It allows the caller to interact with a pre-recorded message and routes the call to a specific department based on their response.
It is used within HR, sales and customer service departments.
Features of IVR
- It uses a pre-recorded message to route the call to a specific department or a staff member as per the caller’s response. A customized IVR message is one of the first contacts a caller has with the company.
- It provides a voice mail tool and forward-to-phone feature.
- It is primarily used for handling inbound calls. In the case of outbound calls, IVR is used as an appointment reminder, product/membership renewal reminder, and promotional offer.
- Intelligent Data-Driven Call Routing: It manages high volume calls by prioritizing the calls based on the caller’s previous interactions with the company.
- There are pre-built templates in the IVR system that maintain the call flows and ensure that the caller is directed to the right department or staff member.
How does it work?
An Interactive Voice Response system is a component of cloud telephony. It integrates computer and telephony technology to create an automated system for callers to access information. It uses a pre-recorded message to route the calls through a predetermined path. These messages can be customized as per the caller’s requirements. Thus, an IVR system can be set up according to specific business needs.
It navigates the caller’s way to a specific department or agent based on their responses to the questions and helps them quickly find an appropriate solution. Manual keypad entries are processed through Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency signals or DTMF tones which trigger intelligent call routing.
Verbal responses are evaluated through Natural Language Processing(NLP). It is a type of conversational artificial intelligence with speech recognition capabilities. It scans the caller’s responses and picks up keywords, sentences, and phrases and routes the call according to the predetermined flow.
Types of IVR
Here are the two types of IVR systems currently used by most organizations –
1. Inbound IVR
As the name suggests, in this type of IVR system, an inbound IVR is used for interaction with customers who are calling your business. Whenever a caller dials your business number, an automated inbound IVR system will instantly interact with them and resolve their queries. The two main goals of an inbound IVR are to reduce the number of unanswered or missed calls and reduce the burden on the call center agents during peak hours.
2. Outbound IVR
An outbound IVR, on the other hand, focuses mainly on outgoing calls. For instance, the calls that are made to potential and returning customers with pre-recorded messages. The message could be anything from paying an outstanding bill to order updates. Many businesses use both inbound and outbound IVR together to reap the complete benefits of call automation.
Benefits of an IVR system
Saves time
Candidates want their queries and issues to be solved as soon as possible. Therefore, the demand for this self-service automation is increasing significantly. IVR provides options like voice and touchpad to respond to the pre-recorded message and get to the information they are looking for. Hence, it saves the waiting time of both the caller and the business.
Reduces costs
The cost of using an IVR phone system is much less than a live chat or telephone-based customer service. Therefore, a company can save a significant amount by using this system to automate its communication process.
Makes screening easier.
It automates the communication process and makes the screening of candidates easier. The candidates have to answer a few simple questions, and interested and qualified candidates can be shortlisted in minimal time.
Helps businesses scale
An IVR phone system is flexible enough to provide easy scalability as compared to traditional systems. The companies can use automation software and integrate APIs that offer intelligent routing and multichannel support into their existing systems.
24/7 support
IVR eliminates the need to have live agents listen to the queries as it provides customer support 24/7. Moreover, it improves the efficiency of the customer support process and creates a professional customer experience.
In conclusion, employing IVR software within your communication process will make it less tedious and time consuming. Moreover, it will create a smooth consumer experience and hence increase the efficiency of the overall business communication process.
Use a call automation platform like FreJun to manage your candidate screening process and customer support services more efficiently.