A phone that rings constantly, an employee whose only job is to transfer calls – and customers who repeatedly have to repeat their case to new people. On top of that: the waiting times. Sound familiar? There’s a simple solution to this that will save you and your customers time: IVR.
Intro
This guide is for those who are curious to learn more about interactive voice response (IVR), or for those who are just about to install the system. In addition to everything you need to know about IVR and its benefits, you will also find instructions on how to set up the system and best practices! The idea is that you should be able to keep the guide and use it when you install your IVR.
Background information
We have prepared this guide for those who are curious about an interactive voice response system called IVR. IVR is becoming more and more popular, and in many cases it is also the first contact a person and potential customer has with your company. In other words, an interactive voice response that gives the customer specific choices and guides them further is very important for you to make a good first impression.
This is the IVR
What is an interactive voice response and what does it look like today? We go through this, why you should install an IVR and the benefits of IVR.
IVR stands for interactive voice response. In short, IVR is a telephony technology that allows the caller to quickly and easily navigate to the right person via the keypad on the phone and a pre-programmed telephone system. Using the keypad on your own phone is what makes it interactive, as the customer interacts with the system and decides for themselves where they want to end up.
Why the IVR?
Many companies think their customers don’t appreciate an automated IVR, but it’s often the opposite. An interactive voice response shows that you are professional, take your customers seriously and have their best interests at heart – which enhances your brand. An IVR is not set up in the same way for all types of businesses, but is personally created and should be unique to your business and your customers!
People are used to getting help from businesses quickly and easily when they want it, whether it’s by phone, social media or email. It’s therefore important to be able to offer the right solution on their terms. IVR works as part of an engaging omnichannel experience, where the caller is picked up the second they dial your number.
With IVR, the customer knows they’re getting through to the right person and avoids the frustration of first having to speak to a switchboard and explain their case, only to have to do it again when they’re transferred. The key for you as a business owner is not to make it too complicated, but keep the button choices to a maximum of 2-3 steps – no more! The customer should only have to make their choices a couple of times and not spend a whole minute tapping on their phone – then there is a risk of hanging up.
The benefits of IVR
It’s not just your customers who will benefit from having an interactive voice response, there are also a number of advantages for those who install it. Not only will your switchboard staff save a huge amount of time by not having to transfer calls, but you will also be able to receive multiple calls at the same time. IVR streamlines work and reduces your costs. Customer satisfaction will also be higher as they won’t have to wait to get through when they call, plus IVR gives them the guarantee that they’ll get to the right person on the first try.
Set up your interactive voice response
Once you’ve decided that IVR is exactly what your business needs, it’s time to set it up. Here are instructions on how to set up Telavox IVR – and we’ve also produced a short instructional video on how to do this.
You have a free hand when setting up your IVR, although our recommendations are to limit the button choices to a few steps and keep it as clear as you can. Otherwise, your IVR is a golden opportunity to be personal and tailor your messages to your customers’ needs.
Technical instructions
First of all, whoever acquires the IVR via Telavox receives a training for everyone in the company who will act as administrators. After this, setting up your IVR only takes a few minutes! It takes place in the following steps:
- The IVR system is created in the Telavox admin portal.
- Set up the choices you want the caller to receive. This is a kind of shell that you can move around as you like until you are happy with the different choices you want to offer. We recommend two to three different stages of choices before the final destination, to avoid the risk of the customer getting impatient and hanging up.
- Record or upload the audio files placed in each shell.
- Test your interactive number system and publish!
The recording
When you want to record the welcome message and the different button choices, there are three different ways to do it in the portal. In the system there is no so-called “text to speech” acting as a voice-over, but it is personally recorded by you at the company. This is also something that raises the level of personalization in the recording.
- You have ready-made recordings that you simply upload to the system.
- You record your messages directly through the system. You will be called by a telephone number and when you answer, you will first be given instructions on how to proceed and then the recording will start. When it is finished, you can listen to the recording in the system after just a few seconds.
- If you have a friend or acquaintance outside your company who has a really good telephone voice that you want to use, you can ask them to do the audio recording. They will be given a telephone number and a number of codes and can then dial the number, enter the code and record the voice responses.
TIPS! If no one in your company wants to record these responses personally, we have good partnerships with studios that can record all the sounds for you.
Welcome message
Many people get excited and have a lot to say in a welcome message, but be a little careful here and think twice about how you set it up. The most important thing is that your opening phrase is not too long and that the caller quickly understands that they will be given a choice and does not think that they have arrived at an IVR because you have closed. For example:
“Hello and welcome to Telavox! You’re about to make some choices, but before you do, we’d like to wish you a great day and let you know about our changed opening hours in the department that is…”
“Welcome to Kalle’s fish shop! Soon you will have to make a couple of button choices, but before that I want to inform you that I have changed address and you will now find me at…”
Waiting time
A good tip is to always offer an “alternative way out” for the caller. This is for those who do not feel that they were given a choice that suits their particular case. There is a time-out function in the Telavox IVR system where the caller is transferred to a switchboard or support after X number of seconds. Here you should keep two things in mind:
- Let the caller know that there is a choice to hold and they will be connected to a person to speak to directly.
- The seconds that the person has to wait for the call transfer feel longer than they are! We recommend five seconds, which may not sound like much, but often five seconds of waiting feels like more than double that when you want help
Test
For those of you in the company who are involved in the business on a daily basis, certain button choices may be obvious. But are they clear to someone who doesn’t know you very well? Ask an outsider to listen to your button choices to make sure they are clear and point in the right direction.
Like anything else, it is important to evaluate your IVR over time. You may need to make changes because, for example, you have opened a new office, moved your business, or added a department that should be included in the button choices. An IVR is not something you set up once and then leave alone, it needs to be worked on continuously.
Suggestions for smart button choices
Once you have the foundations in place, you will be able to personalize your button choices and make them even smarter and more efficient for your customers. Here are some examples:
- The customer gets choices based on opening hours There are settings in the Telavox IVR system that allow you to give the caller different button choices depending on the time of day. For example, you can choose not to give the finance department its own button selection if a person calls at 08.00 and finance opens at 10.00. That way, the caller won’t be disappointed when they select finance on the first dial, only to be transferred and get no answer.
The IVR can also be active 24 hours a day, so any questions where answers can be automated are handled by the system. And even if you only welcome the customer back outside opening hours, the customer feels well looked after with relevant information.
- Set up your calls based on area code You can also give customers choices based on area code. This is perfect for those who have offices or shops in several different cities around the country. For example, if someone calls with the area code 08, they will be sent directly to Stockholm’s different button choices and those with area code 031 will go straight to Gothenburg’s option
- Additional feature: Identify the customer to prepare for the call
A smart way to identify the caller is to ask them to enter their social security number so that you can get the person and their history even before you receive the call. This way, the customer doesn’t have to explain their background and the caller can see if they have contacted you before about similar problems. With these insights, you can then start the conversation by showing understanding and thus avoid frustration. This feature is not included in the standard IVR solution but can be added.
Think one step further with your IVR
Many people who install an interactive voice response system do so with the aim of improving call handling efficiency and quickly transferring customers to different stores or departments. This is absolutely right! But it doesn’t have to stop there. You can add in “seasonal” and other great choices such as
- Would you like to hear more about our brand new product?
- Would you like to book an appointment with our expert?
- Would you like to participate in a customer survey?
There are many different ways to be creative when it comes to setting up and managing your IVR. Remember that no two IVRs are the same, so customize your IVR in a way that goes hand in hand with the company you are and the customers you have. We are more than happy to guide you to get it right for you!
