If you own a call center and want to improve the customer service, then an IVR system will let you get there. However, you want to ensure that the IVR system is working properly even before it goes live. Once it goes live, you also want to add personal touches here and there so that it provides the best customer service for your specific clientele. Highlighted below are the best practices to make sure the IVR system is effective for both you and your customers:

Let the callers know what to expect from your system immediately

It is a simple rule that ensures a pleasant greeting and explains what the system can do for the caller.

Never hide the option for callers to interact with a live agent

Your IVR system can be very effective but there are those times when customers want to speak to a live agent to have their problems solved.

Give an approximate time for callers to complete their request

If you are to transfer them to a live agent, let the callers know the supposed hold time and don’t forget to provide options to get back to the IVR system.

Callers should not repeat information collected in your IVR system to the live agents they are transferred to

You want to make your callers believe that the IVR system can help them resolve their problem, so respect the time they put in the system and do not let them ask for the same answers more than once.

Touch-tone or the speech recognition options can allow callers navigate the system

Let your callers choose the best option based on their location, preferences or understanding of the system.

Personalizing the IVR

You can also personalize the IVR system for each of your callers by integrating it with your customer databases and CRM systems. You want your callers to stick to the IVR system, so the best way is to let them know that the system recognizes their identity.

Apart from identifying them, you should also communicate a few commands that are recognized during a call. An example includes “beginning” that lets one to get back to the start of any dialogue.

You should keep the interface simple

Use short and closed prompts, request one word responses and limit the number of menu choices to keep the interface simple. Did you know that callers want a system that is easy to use and one that can solve their issues? You don’t want to give them anything less than that.

The system should provide a courteous and smooth error handling platform

Error messages that are not geared to a caller’s situation will most likely drive them away from the IVR system. The IVR should always take the blame for errors.

It is relatively easy to establish the above practices especially with fully configurable or custom IVR systems, but it is recommended that you ensure the system is continuously checked for functionality and that you conduct a survey on your clients to make sure it is working well for them. At Simplified Telephony Solutions, we provide custom IVR solutions and we are ready to work with you!

Businesses all around the world over are dependent on successful communication systems to keep their structure running. Communication with the clients is important at every level of the contract and customers need to be updated regarding the many new changes in your agenda and the launch of new products from your business.

You need to implement a good communication structure to keep your customers satisfied at every turn with proper support and technical help. You need to have a system in place to log customer feedback so that you have valuable information recorded when you need them to start building particular strategies, or creating a product line based on what your target audience needs.

So, now that it has been established that a successful business cannot function without a superlative communication structure in place, you can progress to analyzing your available options and cataloging your choices according to priority.

VOIP

This stands for voice over internet protocol. If you have used the popular internet service Skype, you already know the basic way that this particular technology works. In fact, many startups and individuals confuse VOIP systems and Skype to mean the same thing. This service is particularly popular with new starting businesses because of its affordability. However, in the end, the system is not that efficient considering the random outages and low quality of the calls might affect your business process.

IVR

It stands for interactive voice response software. These can be customized according each business’s needs. This gives it an edge over all the other options in this niche. The system is automated to respond to speech and is often referred to as speech recognition system as well. The automation is one of the highest points of advantages regarding this system. The system can encompass a wide range of other options including PBX (Private Branch Exchange) and Customer Relation Management Software. The disadvantages to the system are a higher cost of integration. So, it is important that you think about the budgetary constraints before starting out this project. The quality of the speech from every piece of software differs according to the company delivering the software, so make sure you register for trial runs before buying in to the pro-versions of the software.

PBX

It stands for Private Branch Exchange and the system itself is a digital continuation of the age-old system of a private telephone operator handling the systems of a business. Just instead of a personal operator, you will have a digital “operator” to help you with the process. The digital operator might be powered either by software, which can be customized, or by a physical device, which you will need to automate according to your business needs. The system allows you to have short telephone numbers (3-4 digits) assigned to various aspects of your system. On the flip side, your conversations will not be automated and are dependent on keypad entry and the various user-programming models. This makes it harder to regulate the system if you are a mid to large sized business.

Every company needs to think about the foundation and work on their functional approach. Organizational processes are important, regardless of whether your company employs a few people on your staff list or for a staff of more than hundreds of people. The time tracking capacity in your company will be important for so many different aspects of your progress.

Foundation

The time tracking feature helps you create an infallible situation of work. Every department will be focused on their versions of project development during the billable hours because you will have a system in place that regulates this approach.

Productivity

The creative process of the company needs a structure to be as efficient as it can be. Productivity is always slow if you do not proceed with a systematic approach. People will be multitasking without any available system to regulate the entire process, which will only lead to delays in the final consolidation of the project. With time tracking, you will be able to create a productive ambiance because each task will be broken down in to timelines, which will hold your creative teams accountable to finishing their projects within a reasonable deadline.

Accounting and Invoicing

The billable hours will help you keep track of the various invoicing structures in place. You might have teams on contract and executives who might be hired on a consulting capacity. Other than these, you will also have support staff, which might not even be within the same state lines but you will still need a system o regulate your accounting. It is situations such as these when a similar interface on a global basis helps create a common structure for your accounting team.

Outsourcing

Outsourcing without an agenda in place will only harm the entire approach of your company. However, if you have a time tracking solution in place, you will have a concrete idea of the number o hours that a task requires, the manpower needed to solve the situation in the last amount of time and create a project agenda based on this information. Such an agenda will yield efficient results when you put the outsourcing plan in to action.

Accurate Reporting

Reports and statistical information are important for every successful organization. However, without trackable data it is impossible to create such reports. With the help of an efficient time tracking software in place, you can calculate your average over times and under times logged in by various employees. You can also create individual reports based on the track times that every employee has logged, time that has been spent on each contract or client account. This will give you a clearer idea for summarization of various projects. You will be able to understand the areas where you need to build up your strategies or areas which need total revamping.

These are just some of the many reasons why you need to have a time tracking business solution in place within your organization. Fortunately, with web-based solutions for similar services, you can organize your entire system on a global basis.