There are so many ways to get in touch with a company, today. You can send them an e-mail or a text message through WhatsApp. You can also do the same on one of their social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, etc.). And while the phone used to be the primary tool to contact a service provider, it has become quite secondary these days. However, when you do have to phone in, you should be happy if they have and IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system. Here is why they are so beneficial.
No More Waiting On the Line for Hours
Before the advent of the IVR system, people would call companies and wait on the phone for hours, without ever having their problems resolved. If they were lucky (but mostly patient), they could finally reach someone to talk to, after long minutes. This is not true anymore, today, at least for companies that have made the decision to acquire an interactive voice response system that can handle many of the issues that customers face, without ever having to transfer the call to a person.
The fact is that most of the questions that customers have, regarding a service or a product, are usually the same. And so, it is easy for a company to create an automated response to these issues. When someone calls in, the machine asks them what they are calling for, providing them with a few different choices. From there initiates a small back and forth, that will lead the customer to its final destination: An answer to his question. Whenever the IVR system cannot answer, it will then transfer the call to an operator. However, since many others have already been responded to, automatically, it reduces the waiting time.
Better Service at Less Cost
In regards to the company that acquires such a system, it is easy to see the many benefits that it brings them. First, and certainly most importantly, they are able to provide a better client service to their customers. When someone is happy about the service that they receive, they usually tend to remain with their service provider. The reverse can lead to people switching to the competition, though. Therefore, having an interactive voice response system is already a great way to cut the losses that are due to long periods of time waiting on the phone, in order to speak to one of the company’s representatives.
Also, having an IVR system reduces the number of employees needed, in order to respond to customers requests. This is a large saving in terms of cost, since the price of the system remains the same. It usually comes with a large variety of other options for the company to choose from, which makes them benefit from other reductions as well, since human intervention becomes minimal.
There is no doubt that an IVR system benefit both customers and companies. Any business that has not installed it yet, needs to look into this solution, in order to not lose ground on their competitors.
