Contactless payments are not just a trend with COVID-19. They are the future, and having a contactless payment strategy is the new norm. Whether your business is serving customers face-to-face or remote, you need a contactless strategy.
COVID-19 And IVR Payments
COVID-19 has made IVR payments more popular than ever for many of the following reasons.
First, we know paper checks are dying faster than ever. Consumers do not want to write them, buy a stamp, address the envelope, and put the paper check in the mail anymore. Workers at the business do not want to open the envelopes (with stamps) someone potentially licked with their hands all over the envelope and checks. Paper checks are dying, and automated payment processing is more critical than ever.
Second, consumer buying behavior was already changing fast enough. COVID-19 just expedited it quite a bit. Take, for instance, the growth in e-payments over the last several years with Paypal, web portals, wire transfers, and new methods slowly coming onto the scene. Now, add the fact that more people are choosing contactless payments and expect options.
Third, people are working from home in record-shattering numbers. Not just the consumers attempting to pay the bills, but also the workers helping serve them. So, how do contact center agents take credit card payments over the phone from their bedroom, kitchen, or living area? Not secure!
Businesses Need A Contactless Strategy
As contactless payments become the new norm, having a contactless strategy is now urgent and essential. Offering customers multiple methods to pay bills provides a better customer experience, improved cash flow, and more guaranteed on-time payments. IVR systems can be a vital component of a contactless strategy.
Today’s IVR payment solutions expand far beyond contact center agents, transferring a call into an IVR system for a customer to make payments. While this is more important than ever, the capabilities of an IVR payment system help in other areas as well.
Be Proactively Contactless
Proactive IVR voice and SMS text notifications help businesses with electronic notifications instead of mail (remember the licking mentioned above). Not that these companies stop sending mail, but they better understand their consumers and their concerns around health and safety, providing them another option to receive a payment notification.
Imagine getting an SMS text message from your utility provider letting you know your bill is due in 2 days and offering you a method of payment from your phone – call to Pay by Phone, SMS to Pay by Text, or click a website link to the payment web portal.
Contactless payments are here to stay. If you haven’t incorporated an IVR solution into your contactless strategy yet, Contact us for help.
about the author
Jim Barker
Chief Revenue Officer, IVR Technology Group
An avid Customer Experience Evangelist, Jim is the Chief Revenue Officer with IVR Technology Group. In this role, Jim leads the teams responsible for marketing, business development, sales, and partner growth for IVR Technology Group.