IVR stands for "interactive voice response". It tells the caller which connection options are available. Using touch-tone dialing (keys 0 to 9 on the phone), the caller can reach the right employee or department within the company: "For sales press 1, for accounting press 2". Voice recordings for all options are usually made in advance.
But nowadays such systems offer a much wider range of functions.
Contact centers that receive inbound calls must handle as many requests as possible per unit of time. IVR and ACD systems are used for this purpose. As soon as the system knows which group of employees the caller should speak to, the ACD system makes the right connection.
In addition to the initial menu, submenus can be used to determine the call subject more precisely. The information obtained in this way is not only intended for the ACD use. When the call is transferred to an agent, all the corresponding information appears on the agent's screen. This allows the latter to structure the call properly without asking unnecessary questions.
New approaches to determining request themes avoid complex menus that annoy customers (and are also inaccurate). Instead, customers can now be offered separate phone numbers for different questions, and additional information can be obtained based on voice communication with the customer: Bots are now sufficiently intelligent.
Before transferring the call to an agent, the system can automatically access the database and determine the caller based on the number. In the process, the system also retrieves all known information about the caller, including details about previous inquiries and the status of the customer's problem (if it has not yet been resolved). All data collected by the system is displayed on the screen together with the call, allowing the agent to resolve the customer's request as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Not all outbound calls require a human agent. Sometimes it is enough to play an automated message to the customer - for example, when their order is ready. This is also a function of the IVR. And if an agent’s presence is indeed necessary, the system can provide the customer some necessary information beforehand, such as who is calling and for what reason. This saves the agent time and effort.
In the most advanced contact centers, IVR can perform automated outbound surveys, clarify the subject of inbound calls, and gather initial information in dialog mode. This is no longer a distant future, but a real possibility already today.
Text-based channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, web chats, chats via mobile apps) are becoming increasingly popular. Here, the dialog system plays the same role as before: it helps to identify the reuest topics and gathers preliminary information about the customer.
If we equip the dialog system with even a minimal artificial intelligence, we create the conditions for solving simple customer requests automatically. In other words, a chatbot is nothing more than a dialog system equipped with AI and other advanced functions, based on a prefabricated logic.
It is best for customers to be able to communicate with the system in natural language. For this purpose, modern speech recognition systems are integrated into the dialog system.
IVR is an indispensable part of customer service systems. Reliable identification of issues and direct routing of callers to qualified agents are key to satisfied (and returning) customers. In today's digital world, service processes must therefore be built on best practices. SoftBCom offers the creation of IVR systems of any complexity.
