10 benefits of using IVR systems.

If you like robots, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is the most affordable business receptionist. Take a look below at the top 10 ways IVR can strengthen your customer care and save you money. If done right, implementing an IVR keeps everyone happy: robot people get robots, people people get live answering service love.

1. It’s personalized. Just because your callers are hearing a recording and not a live operator, doesn’t mean it can’t be personal. Record any sort of personalized greeting you want, and include the appropriate prompts to transfer callers to the corresponding department.
2. It’s error-free. If you have a receptionist answering your calls, there’s a good chance that in the hundreds of calls received daily, a couple of them will wind up in the wrong place. With an IVR auto attendant, the customer is responsible for where they are going.
3. Not everyone wants to talk to a real person. Some customers would prefer to get the answers they need by interacting with a recording rather than speaking to a live person. Giving customers what they want keeps them happy!
4. It increases productivity. Routing callers to the perfect department or staff member to address their issues means that less time is spent conferring with colleagues to find the right answer or transfer the caller around until they get what they need. The less time you spend trying to figure stuff out, the more people you can help.
5. Calls are resolved on the first attempt. When a caller is routed to the best employee to service their needs, questions are often answered and problems are resolved on the first try. That equates to satisfied customers and a more efficient customer service department.
6. It increases inbound call capacity. If your business uses IVR to direct callers, then more calls can be answered simultaneously. With traditional reception, there would be a flurry of please holds or funky hold music while customers awaited transfer. IVR allows for a higher call volume because customers transfer themselves!
7. Some people want to talk to a real person. While some customers aren’t interested in talking, others insist on it. Using IVR places callers in queue until the specified agent or department is free. It also gives callers the option to have their call returned rather than wait on hold. This small convenience has a big impact.
8. It can make your company look bigger than it is. IVR creates the illusion that your company is so huge, one receptionist couldn’t possibly manage your call volume. It contributes to a professional image, especially if you are working in a 3 person office!
9. It cuts down on answering service talk time. If you are using frontend IVR with your answering service, then giving callers the opportunity to service their own needs or promptly transfer themselves to the right person reduces the cost of operator talk time.
10. It’s affordable. IVR eliminates the need for additional reception staff, and its low cost means a higher ROI. That’s something every business owner will love!

Want to know more about pairing frontend IVR with SAS’ live receptionist services? Give our Sales team a call at 1-888-532-4794, or send us an email!

Want to know more about IVR? Check out our infographic on The Voder, the first electronic voice synthesizer. Without which, IVR wouldn’t be possible.