The Beginners Guide to IVR - Interactive Voice Response

The term IVR is short for Interactive Voicedown on live call handling time, thus saving money
Response, which is a telephony technology thatand enabling staff to be free to concentrate on
allows interaction between callers and a phoneother business areas.
system to acquire or enter information into a2. IVR systems can benefit callers by either
database. More and more companies are turningallowing access to personalised information or,
to IVR to help reduce the cost of common sales,directing them to the right department or, by a
service, collections, inquiry and support calls to andcombination of multiple input types and selections
from their company.via menu choices involving telephone keypad input
Interactive Voice Response or IVR is one of theand speech recognition.
most common telephone functions in use across3. IVR systems allow callers to retrieve or access
the business community and is capable of bringinginformation quickly with or without additional
remarkable benefits to your company. IVRhuman assistance.
systems allow 24 hour access to a company4. Integrated Voice Response systems allow
from its customers via its phone system. Incompanies to easily expand their hours of
today's busy modern world, most callers expectbusiness, without the need for live operators to
on first contact with a company, to be handledbe on hand. This allows callers to call at their
via some kind of Auto Attendant or Interactiveconvenience and still be able to carry out a
Voice Response (IVR) system. This method ofmultitude of tasks automatically.
call handling is generally accepted as long as the5. Call queuing times to departments within a
caller is given ample opportunity to opt out of thecompany can be drastically reduced. With IVR
IVR system and be able to speak to a live agent.systems, calls can be transferred to appropriate
IVR systems offer a cost effective and moneydepartments through the menu selection process.
saving way of handling customer calls twenty four6. IVR systems allow company representatives
hours a day, seven days a week. The handling ofto experience lower call volumes thorough the
routine phone requests for information canautomation of repetitive tasks. This allows these
consume a substantial amount of companyrepresentatives to manage their calls more
resources and ultimately money. Interactive Voiceefficiently and lets them to concentrate on more
Response systems, tailored to a company'simportant issues.
requirements can provide much the same7. Through the implementation of a good
information as a live operator at a fraction of theIntegrated Voice Response System, companies
cost both financially and resourcefully. To putmay actually be able to expand their call capacity
things in their most simple form IVR systems letand respond to larger call volumes through the
callers interact with your company via itscorrect management and routing of all inbound
telephone system.calls, reducing the handling cost per call ratio.
IVR systems hugely reduce customer call handling8. For companies who accept payments via the
costs, and can be introduced into your companytelephone IVR systems can fully automate this
environment in a number of ways. The mosttask, allowing them to process transactions
basic IVR systems simply allow you to record aanytime of the day, any day of the week.
message that is played when a customer presses9. For when call volumes are high, IVR systems
the appropriate number on the phone keypad.allow companies to highlight new products,
The more advanced Interactive Voice Responseupdates or product information etc while a caller is
systems allow callers to interact with a companyon hold.
on a much greater scale. For example you could10. Companies are able to monitor call progress
set up an IVR to retrieve specific accountand transactions through the use of daily call
information that is relayed to the caller throughactivity reports.
the implementation of text-to-speech recognitionCustomer Premise Equipment (CPE) IVR or
technology. This technology allows IVR systemsHosted IVR The Choice Is Yours
to read specific information from a database andCPE - This is equipment that is purchased or
then relate that information back to the customerleased by a customer and is then located, hosted
in spoken format.and maintained at the customers site. For most
Typical IVR - Interactive Voice Response Systemcompanies this is an expensive way of harnessing
Applicationsthe power a good IVR system can bring to any
The potential applications of IVR systems arebusiness due to the initial cost of the hardware
virtually endless. IVR systems can be used toand installation work that would be required. For
automate a wide range of services and requeststhose companies that have the necessary funding
for information. By combining the input of a callerfor CPE there are of course benefits as well as
with tailor made scripts, IVR systems allow callersdrawbacks. CPE allows you to take full control of
to call into a company or IVR hosting companyyour IVR system and will also allow for future
using a touch-tone telephone, and then to interactcompany expansion, though many hosted IVR
with the system in real time. Below is a list ofsolutions do allow for this also. The main
example IVR applications:drawback to CPE IVR systems is that you would
need continuing technical support and maintenance
1. Automated account payment systemseither from your own internal staff or outsourced
2. Customer account informationto the IVR system provider.
3. Banking service for account balance transferIVR Hosting - If a customer prefers not to host
informationan IVR system on their premises, is restricted by
4. Customer market surveyslocation, lacks IT support or quite simply cannot
5. Emergency notificationswithstand the initial financial outlay required for
6. Virtual receptionistsoutright purchase then a remote IVR hosting
7. Call centre automationsolution that can be tailored to a company's
8. Order status and trackingrequirements could be the answer. This option is
9. Package trackingparticularly attractive for small to medium sized
10. Virtual PBX'sbusinesses who wish to take advantage of a fully
11. Voicemail servicesfeatured Interactive Voice Response system,
12. Voice instant messagingwith a vastly reduced initial capital outlay, as well
13. Bill reminderas eradicating the need for system IT
14. Bill collectionmaintenance, and support.
15. TelesalesWhichever form of IVR system you decide to
16. Virtual agentsimplement, it is better to ask the advice of
17. Auto attendantsexperts before you go ahead and purchase any
18. Call routinghardware or sign any form of lease agreement. A
19. Call recording solutionsgood IVR systems provider or IVR hosting
20. Plus many, many morecompany will take the time to sit down with you
Benefits of IVR Systemsand discuss your requirements in detail before
helping you make a decision on what type of
1. Integrated Voice Response systems can besystem you should opt for.
extremely beneficial to companies by cuttingThanks for reading.