I
recently read an article whose title espoused the opposite perspective of this
column's. Perhaps you saw it too. I began reading it, in eager expectation of
an enlightening and insightful discourse on the use of IVR (Interactive Voice
Response) in the call center. I was soon to be disappointed.
Essentially, the author took the position that the masses (which really means
"customers") are selfish and shortsighted when they attempt to bypass IVR
systems to talk to an agent. Doing so, which he likened to fraud, causing call
center costs to go up and thereby resulting in higher priced goods and services.
If a call
center is a cost center for their company –one that has no real regard for their
customers – then yes, tighten up the IVR. Force callers to spend more time
interacting with your IVR so that your agents can spend less time interacting
with your customers; do everything possible to block callers from talking to
your agents; and hold down costs to make the call center look good. That's fine
if you have a captive customer base, operate a monopoly, or believe that it is
easier to get a new customer than to keep an existing one. Otherwise, we need
to listen, really listen, to what the masses are saying. Because they are
right.
IVR has
its place in the call center, but we need to not overstate what that place is.
If IVR can truly speed up the call for the customer or gather information
that can assist the agent in providing better, more effective service, then by
all means use it. However, when the primary goal of IVR becomes to save money,
reduce the agent headcount, or limit customer service options, then it needs to
be put on the scrapheap of bad ideas.
Here are
my recommendations for the right way to use IVR in your call center:
IVR Dos:
-
Always, always provide an option for the caller to press 0 to talk to an
agent.
-
Provide short and basic options that can be readily understood by someone
from outside your company.
-
Ask
your customers, and even your friends, to call and test your IVR. Then fix
the things that bug them.
-
Setup
your call center's IVR exactly as you would want one to work when you
are calling someone else.
IVR
Don'ts:
-
Don't
block the digit 0. "The customer is always right" and if the customer wants
to talk to a person, let them.
-
Don't
prompt for an account number if the agent is going to ask for it again.
-
Don't
have callers make entries (such for "billing") and then not tell the rep
which option has selected.
-
Don't
route callers to a general agent queue after you have made them take the
time to tell the IVR specifically why they're calling. Skip the subterfuge
and just route the call.
-
Don't
provide level after level of menu options; keep it simple.
-
Don't
force a mildly irritated customer through a frustratingly long and
cumbersome IVR tree, because they will exit it highly irritated – and
take it out on the agent.
Yes, the
masses are right about IVR. In most call centers IVR is broken and needs
to be fixed. What are you going to do about it?
Peter DeHaan is
Publisher of Connections Magazine,
addressing the teleservices and outsourcing call center industry. At the
website you may read call center articles and whitepapers,
subscribe to the magazine, and read or download past issues. Also, check
out Peter's blog
and
outsourcing
call center newsfeed.
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