Are your callers abandoning calls even before they reach your agent? Or are you failing to retain new customers? Or even worse, are you not able to manage your customers’ calls and as a result, you are losing them? If you are facing any such issues then IVR is what you need. And even if not, then also, IVR can help you raise your sales and help you retain more customers. If you are thinking about what an IVR system is then you are about to find out everything about IVR and how it can help your business.
IVR system- What and How
Interactive voice response is a cloud telephony system that uses a combination of voice response and dial pad inputs to facilitate your callers and make their experience better. Nothing comes at par with friendly and comfortable customer support, and IVR helps you in providing that to your callers. The system is widely used around the globe by both big and small enterprises.
How IVR system works
The Interactive Voice Response system works intelligently by collecting caller information about the customer inquiry beforehand so that the call can be transferred to the right agent/department. An IVR system typically works this way:
STEP 1: A prospect makes a call on your business phone number.
STEP 2: They hear customized greetings followed by real-time voice responses and prompts. The caller’s input is taken via dial-pad.
STEP 3: On the basis of the dial pad inputs of the caller, the required information is given to the call or he/she is connected to an agent if needed.
Functions of IVR system
- Personalized greetings and prompts: IVRs permit you to record customized greetings, messages, and prompts so when your clients call your organization, they will have a more personalized insight. For example, “Thank you for calling sales team” can be made “Thank you for calling sales team of XYZ company we are grateful to have you”. This small change in greetings can change the whole experience of your caller with your company.
- Gather necessary information about callers: IVR gathers data about your client’s necessities and will move calls to the most suitable agent or department relying upon their IVR input. At the point when calls are coordinated to agents utilizing IVR, the likelihood that the caller will be directed to some wrong department will be significantly reduced.
- Automatic customer support: IVR system permits your clients to take care of their problems and acquire the data they are looking for without having to talk with an agent. Automated customer support is simplified with help of the IVR system. This saves both your agent and customers’ time.
- Handle high call volume: IVR system allows organizations to effortlessly deal with high call volumes. Callers will naturally be coordinated to the agent or department that is generally equipped for addressing their requirements or will be added to the queue when all agents are occupied. Some IVR systems also allow the callers the choice of scheduling a call back from the agent rather than waiting in the call queue.
- Builds company image: New businesses and small businesses can utilize IVR to cause it to create the impression that their organization is larger than it is. If you just have a few people in your organization, you can design IVR prompts that permit callers to converse with sales, marketing, support, etc. Regardless of what input your customers give they will be directed to the one handling calls for your business and the needs of the caller will be taken care of accordingly. It shows that professionalism is a principle of your company and it enhances your brand image.
Where can IVR be used?
This is a very candid question which a lot of people have in their minds. IVR is a very versatile software, and it can be used in many case scenarios. IVR system is beneficial for every case scenario be it for a huge call center or a small enterprise. IVR system for call centers can help in handling the large call volumes without fail. It makes things easier as many issues can be resolved by the caller itself without talking to an agent.
IVR system is perfect for your business if you receive calls from your customers after office hours. They can be taken care of by the IVR system. Furthermore, the IVR system can also be used to collect information and conduct surveys.

Benefits
Better agent and company efficiency
Agents who work in an organization with an IVR are more trained to attend to specific issues, are less likely to disturb other colleagues for help, and transfer calls to other agents. This results, in increased efficiency of both agent and company. With an IVR system, all the callers can be catered to quickly, resulting in better customer support. Also since the caller’s input has already been taken by the IVR their calls will be directed to the right agent and their issue could be resolved at the earliest.
Less frustration and increased customer satisfaction
When your IVR is easy to utilize and dependable, clients won’t ever be directed to some wrong department, or to an agent who can’t tackle their issues. By answering the call very quickly, even with a pre-recorded message, you’re decreasing stand-by-time. At that point, a proper call distribution can genuinely help you save time for both the caller and your employees. When customers do not have to wait much, and they get routed to the right agent, it makes them happy and satisfied. This customer satisfaction eventually returns as customer loyalty.
24*7 availability
Oh well, do your customers call after office hours? No worries, IVR will help you deal with them. IVR system ensures 24*7 availability as the call will be picked and the caller will be addressed by pre-recorded voice response. Through that, it can be conveyed to customers that what is the best time to call or how they can schedule a revert whenever an agent would be available. This can help in dealing with customer calls professionally after business hours without having to offend your customers.
Increased productivity
IVR plays a vital role in increasing the productivity of your employees. As IVR reduces manual tasks such as call routing and call recording, the employees can focus on the more important work. This lets the employees spend their working hours judiciously rather than focusing on tasks of call management.
Increased company credibility
A consistent, customized welcome message heard after calling your organization can, without much of a stretch, lift its validity. It doesn’t just appear to be proficient yet, in addition, makes the feeling that you’re used to a high volume of calls, and you’re equipped with the right technology to deal with it. This increases the credibility of your business.
Scope of errors is less
When a receptionist is there to take up all calls and transfer them to different agents and departments the scope of making mistakes is huge. This, thus, can annoy your callers and might be really inconvenient for them. IVR system makes sure that mop such errors are made, and the call is routed to the correct destination.
Cost-effective and value for money
Since the IVR system will save your agents’ time, they can do considerably more in a single day. With more effectiveness, your operational expenses get lower. This is a fundamental advantage of having an Interactive Voice Response system. IVR helps in saving money in the long run by reducing extravagant calling expenses. If utilized properly IVR can help you not only save money but also make more money by making customers happy and giving a pleasant experience to prospects.
Why MyOperator’s IVR system is the best one you can think of? It does not require any physical setup as it is hosted on the cloud. Moreover, it is equipped with advanced features like call recording, call routing, multi-level IVR, and much more. At MyOperator, we guarantee nonstop help for all clients. We treat each call as a chance to tackle an issue for our clients and fortify our connections. Because of this practice of ours, we have been able to become a family of 7000+ clients. As a MyOperator client, you will be qualified for our chief client care, 24*7. At whatever point you need specialized assistance, need to add another element, or need any assistance with your system we will be there to assist you at all times.

Srishti Panwar
Content Developer
Srishti loves reading and writing. If she is not with the books, she is probably out playing badminton. She is a fitness enthusiast and likes to indulge in creative chores.