IVR has always been on the list of top most important subjects for businesses and marketers from the telecommunication industry. No matter how much alreadyhas been written on it, the upgrades and added advantages are ever-growing. Being from a cloud telephony industry, IVR is one of the most vital features we provide to the businesses which helps them achieve their key goal of bringing automation to their customer call handling.
Now, what is IVR?
“Welcome to Airtel, press 1 for English, Hindi ke liye 2 dabaye.”
“Welcome to Myntra, press 1 for order related issues, press 2 to know your refund status, press 3 to talk to our representative”
“Welcome to ICICI bank, Press 1 to know about your account balance, press 2 to open a new account”
These are the most popular examples of IVR that we have been listening to for ages. Most of the people might have also misunderstood this as caller tune.
Well, it is certainly a lot more than just a robotic voice.
Interactive Voice Response aka IVR is automatic telephony solution that serves the callers, gathers their information which has been given by them in the IVR keypad menu and then routes their calls to the concerned recipient.
When this voice asks for your input, it forwards your call or in some cases, even plays the next level of IVR menu based on your previous selection.In fact, let’s get into details of how IVR service works, and I’ll make no bones about it, promise!
What are the Benefits of IVR?
Needless to say, there is a high usage of IVR system in the business industry that too of organizations of almost all sectors and sizes.
Now, will it be possible that they are using it all just for a friendly voice greeting for their callers?
Hahaha well, businessmen know where to invest, isn’t it?
Here are a few other advantages which IVR brings with itself, thanks to AI voices that make it sound very humanlike, which attracts businesses to buy the same
Empowering your sales and support team with the latest innovation is what an IVR solution has in its kitty.
How IVR can be used for Business Communication?
1. Automatic The Employees’ Leave Application Process
A lot has been written on the benefits of IVR for the sales and support team. But, less did anyone know how it can be beneficial for your HR team as well.
The IVR can be integrated with your HR software and employees can apply for leaves with just a call. Obviously, this will significantly eliminate the hassle for your employees as well as the HR team to apply and manage leaves.
Wondering how? Sodexo is one such example of using this advanced process for handling their employee enquiries.
Press 1 to apply leave, press 2 for salary-related issues, and the list goes on…
They successfully reduced a significant volume of manual effort of their HR team by bringing automation to their routine operational work.
2. Reaching & Marketing Customers Through Calls
Being a marketer I totally understand how emails, ads, SMSes are using enormously to reach our target audience and deliver our “business” message.
But, I have always believed in the power of voice.
Record the benefits your business has for your prospects and make your customers hear it on call.
Just simply feed in your message and upload the list of phone numbers. Outbound IVR solution will place the calls and play that message.
In fact, if your callers are interested, they can just press 1 and their call will be connected with your agent and they can take the discussion ahead.
3. Accelerating & Simplifying Recruitment Process
An organization like Foodpanda needs to hire multiple riders every now and then. Now, can you imagine their HR team interviewing hundreds of people every day to finalize the riders? Obviously not!
So, they chose the advanced way to speed up their hiring process.
An outbound IVR is used by them with a certain set of questions added to it. Example:
Press 1 if you own a bike, Press 2 if you’re a local resident, Press 3 if you have a license, and Press 4 if you’re comfortable with night shifts”
Basis the candidate’s input here, the recruiter then shortlists them for further process. Easy, isn’t it?
4. Fulfiling 24*7 Customer Support Promise with Ease
I guess MyOperator would be the best example to describe this particular use-case as we’ve always focused on ensuring 24*7 customer support for our customers.
However, we wanted to assure that without any additional burden on our support team.
As ‘MyOperator uses MyOperator, the IVR system directly routes the customers’ calls to their concerned account manager’s phone numbers.
This makes it convenient for the team to attend to their client’s calls and also helps us fulfil our round-the-clock customer support attribute easily.
5. Notifying Customers Effectively and Swiftly
Last night when the restaurant couldn’t send my ordered dish, I got a call from Swiggy to ask for an alternative item. Now, what’s interesting is how they did that:
I got a call and a recorded message began. “Please check your Swiggy chat to select your alternative item as the restaurant can’t deliver your previous one”. And the call got disconnected.
Well, this is the perfect use-case of an IVR to notify customers of an important message in no time.
The notification could be around a technical glitch in the service, limited promotional offer, important update related to the product and more…
Simply initiate your automatic IVR call setup with the pre-recorded message and your work is done.
Well, 1000 words could get a little heavy to digest all at once. So, I’ve prepared an easy-to-read and grasp summary on IVR:
- IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response.
- It’s a technology that handles your phone calls.
- A recorded voice message plays menu options.
- Calls are directed to the right team based on keypad input.
- IVR number shows on the screen, linked to multiple phone numbers.
Uses of IVR
- Allows teams to handle multiple calls on mobile phones.
- No need for landline systems.
- Single IVR number displayed, calls sent to different agents.
- Reduces manual effort, ensures no missed calls.
Best IVR Service Provider
- Several enterprises have recommended and stated MyOperator as one of the top IVR service providers.(Case study)
- Focus on service quality and extra features.
- Offers virtual number, live panel, integration, and more features.
In conclusion, this comprehensive guide has provided an in-depth understanding of IVR (Interactive Voice Response). We’ve explored how IVR works and its significance as an integral part of modern communication systems.
From grasping the basics such as what an IVR system is, to delving into the intricacies of panels and their details, this guide has covered it all.
Whether you’re looking to establish an effective IVR strategy, craft clear and concise instructions, or simply seeking a step-by-step tutorial, the insights provided here serve as a valuable resource.
IVR technology continues to shape the way businesses interact with their customers, streamlining processes and enhancing user experiences. Armed with the knowledge from this guide, you’re well-equipped to navigate the realm of with confidence and make informed decisions to optimise your communication systems.
