According to JD Power & Associates, only 7% of companies offer an IVR solution that delivers a better experience than live agents. When used properly, an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system can provide a substantial ROI, but mistakes are bound to happen. Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to designing their IVR-System.
Too many menu options.
It’s good to have an IVR-system that will route customers to the right department. However, offering one too many options can hurt the customer’s experience. Customers shouldn’t need to take notes when navigating a system.
Not Prioritizing Options.
Why are your customers calling? Putting the most popular options at the beginning of your IVR menu will allow customers to navigate through it quickly and easily.
Playing on-hold music that annoys callers.
I go into it more at length with this blog post, but customers that are willing to sit on hold do not need to hear a terrible song interrupted by reminders that your company cares about their call. Instead, use multiple musical tracks that identify with your companies brand. It’s just as important as your logo. Have a recorded message from the CEO talking about how great your company is. Maybe someone could read an Aesop’s Fable and describe how it applies to your company. Anything to keep it fresh.
Keeping customers on hold.
An hour, I was on hold for an hour. Just thinking about that rendition of “Rhapsody in Blue” gives me chills. Then after they told me how important my call was they told me to call back. It’s enough to make someone want to talk badly about their company on the internet. Here’s a tip, give your customers the option to get a callback. It will save your company money and your customers their time, not to mention their phone’s battery life.
Not providing automated options.
The flip side of this is that some customers want to call, make a payment, and leave. They should be able to do this without the need to speak to a live agent.
Relying too much on your website.
I once called an ISP to tell them my internet service was down. They suggested that I use the chat feature online to get service faster. I asked how this was possible. It’s okay to remind your customers that you have a website. However, telling your customers that whatever they want can’t be handled over the phone and to go to your website is a great way to make them feel insignificant.
Not following through.
Did a customer service agent handle a situation properly? Is the customer satisfied? If you don’t follow through you’ll never know the answer to either of those questions. You could send a follow-up text message to a customer that allows them to take a survey. Make sure it gets to the customer as soon as a situation has been resolved, keep it brief, and pay attention to feedback.
Not contacting IVR Technology to set up your IVR.
At IVR Technology, we provide services that have your customers in mind. If your customer would like to pay their bill, provide feedback, or get a text notification, we can help. We’ll work with your company to make sure the best possible solutions can be provided and help monitor how long customer calls were when they called, and where they came from.