{"id":13126,"date":"2021-03-25T05:22:36","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T09:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conversational.com\/?p=13126"},"modified":"2024-10-25T05:38:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T09:38:55","slug":"is-ivr-hurting-your-customer-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/conversational.com\/is-ivr-hurting-your-customer-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Is IVR Hurting Your Customer Experience?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When it comes to answering a business phone, there are basically three options: Have a live person answer the calls, hire a third party to field your calls, or make use of automated phone systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interactive Voice Response<\/a> (IVR) technology is what powers automated phone systems. IVR systems allow callers to listen to a menu of options and select via their keypad which department or extension they\u2019d like to be directed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re using IVR technology to handle your business calls, you\u2019re costing your business money and losing customers. IVR technology has become quite infamous in the field of customer experience, not because of it\u2019s benefits, but because of its consequences. This type of technology drives customers to hang up because it can be a hassle, especially when it doesn\u2019t work correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How IVR Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Interactive Voice Response technology allows a computer to interact with a human caller through DTMF tones entered from a telephone keypad. Customers can choose from a menu of options and get to the department they need or get their questions answered without talking to a live person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of technology is often used by large corporations to allow customers to make payments, get customer service, or check their balance. However, using IVR is not the caller\u2019s preference, as numerous studies and in-depth articles on the subject have shown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common Problems with IVR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Incorrect interpretation \u2013<\/strong> IVR systems rely on numbers and selections input via the customers\u2019 telephone keypad. Mistakes can easily be made, with fingers mashing the wrong button or in the middle of typing out a long account number. When the IVR system frustrates the customer, you risk losing them for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takes too long \u2013<\/strong> While it only takes a moment to ask a friendly receptionist what a business\u2019 hours are, waiting through an entire menu of options just to find the right extension to reach a live person is a waste of customers\u2019 time. While listing a menu of options may seem convenient for customers, it becomes an inconvenience when the choices aren\u2019t clear or don\u2019t fit the action a customer wants to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impersonal \u2013<\/strong> IVR systems also lose merit because they\u2019re impersonal. There\u2019s no friendly voice saying \u201cHello!\u201d when a customer calls. Instead, it\u2019s a computerized voice that speaks what it was programmed to say. There\u2019s no chance of the caller being remembered from a previous interaction, or for special exceptions or solutions to be made. That\u2019s another loss for customers, even if it\u2019s considered a win for the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rediscovering the Human Voice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Setting your company apart from the competition can be done in many ways. One way you can do this is by rediscovering the human voice. This is done by eliminating the IVR technology and actually having a human answer the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem many companies have with this is that staffing a call center can be very expensive compared to IVR. However, there is a solution to this issue, which won\u2019t cost nearly as much as staffing a call center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can hire a phone answering service<\/a> to answer your phone calls. This type of service provides a team of receptionists ready to take the calls for your company. They always answer the phone in a friendly manner and provide your callers with the most professional treatment. No longer will your callers have to deal with a machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does IVR Drive Customers Away?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If a caller has a bad IVR experience, more than 80% won\u2019t ever use that company again<\/strong>. A national poll found that 70% of customers report bad customer service experiences to their friends \u2013 word-of-mouth marketing isn\u2019t always positive. Many customers also take to the internet to tell others about their displeasure with a company\u2019s customer service, posting negative reviews, blogging about the experience, or posting on social media about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same survey found that the most preferred type of customer service was a live representative. Over 65% of the survey participants said they prefer to talk to a live person<\/strong>, while only 16% said they prefer IVR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its clear that most consumers want to talk to a live person, even if it\u2019s just to help them get transferred to the right department of your company. When a live person answers the phone, you already put your company ahead of all the competition using automated services like IVR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The right virtual receptionist service will allow you to retain more customers and gain more new customers from those calling. They will provide you with a professionally trained team to ensure your customers are treated excellently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to set yourself apart from the competition, it\u2019s time to get rid of the IVR. The human voice is powerful and allows for a much better connection. Ditch your IVR for a virtual receptionist and you will keep your customers satisfied.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to answering a business phone, there are basically three options: Have a live person answer the calls, hire a third party to field your calls, or make use of automated phone systems. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology is what powers automated phone systems. IVR systems allow callers to listen to a menu of options and select via … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-customer-service-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs IVR Hurting Your Customer Experience? - Conversational LLC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/conversational.com\/is-ivr-hurting-your-customer-experience\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is IVR Hurting Your Customer Experience? - Conversational LLC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When it comes to answering a business phone, there are basically three options: Have a live person answer the calls, hire a third party to field your calls, or make use of automated phone systems. 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