Home > IVR University > Angel.com IVR Cheat Sheet for Businesses The last few weeks have produced a good deal of negative media coverage about consumer dissatisfaction with the IVR systems used by major U.S. companies. The reality is that these systems have been around for quite some time, and aren't going away. The good news is that the IVR industry is rapidly maturing, led by companies and vendors who are embracing updated technology and applications. Unfortunately for consumers, not all businesses have kept up with the new technology and IVR design trends. Angel.com designed the IVR Cheat Sheet for Businesses to provide companies with the essential guidelines for designing a customer-friendly IVR system. First and foremost, you should always consider your IVR system a "work in progress" that should be continuously monitored to provide the best service to your ever-changing customers. That being said, here are some best practices in IVR design to make your system efficient and effective for both you and your customers. #1 Let callers know what to expect from the system immediately. This is a simple rule that applies to any customer experience - present a pleasant greeting and explain succinctly what the system can and will do for the caller. Read more on how to create an effective opening prompt >> #2 Do not hide the option for callers to speak with a live agent. No matter how useful your IVR system is for customers, there will always be times when customers want and need to speak to a live agent to resolve their issue. #3 Whenever possible, give the caller an approximate time for the completion of the request. If transferring to a live agent, let the caller know the expected hold time and provide options to go back into the IVR system. #4 Do not make callers repeat information collected in the IVR to the live agent they are transferred to. If you want callers to believe that the IVR can help them resolve a problem, respect the time they put into the IVR and don't ask for the same answers twice. Angel.com offers a variety of options for passing captured IVR information to the live agent, including call whisper and screen pop functionality. #5 Provide callers with an option to navigate the system using touch-tone (keypad) or speech recognition. Let callers choose the most effective option based on their general preferences, location or understanding of the system. For instance, someone calling from a cell phone in their car may find it difficult to make menu choices using the phone keypad, but will be able to make those same choices using speech without any hassle. In Angel.com's system there is also a setting called "barge in" that can be turned off to make a speech-enabled system run smoother when there is a lot of background noise on the caller's end. #6 Personalize the IVR for each caller by integrating with your customer databases and CRM systems. If callers know that the system recognizes their identity, they will be far more likely to stay in the IVR. Angel.com recently launched an IVR system for SunRocket, one of the leading providers of residential VoIP service, which captures caller ID to determine whether the caller is a returning customer, new customer, or prospect to route the caller into a menu customized for them. #7 Identify and communicate a few universal commands that are recognized at any time during the call. Examples include "beginning" to go back to the start of the dialogue and "help" to get detailed information on the current request for input. Here are a few of the best ways to structure your voice prompts >> #8 Keep the interface simple - use closed, short prompts, limit the number of menu choices and request simple, one-word responses. Callers will only use the IVR system if they perceive that it is easy to use and useful in resolving their issue or information request. Learn how to create more effective voice menus >> #9 Always let the caller know what is happening. Keep in mind that the IVR dialogue should be similar to a conversation between two human beings. The system should explain pauses with messages such as "Thanks for the information, let me look up your account" or "I am trying to find the most appropriate person to handle your request". #10 Provide courteous, smooth error-handling. Generic error messages that are not tailored to the caller's specific situation will drive callers away from the IVR. The system should always take the blame for errors. Here are some simple error recovery strategies >> The Last Word: We've provided a list of some of the core characteristics of customer-friendly IVR systems to get you started, but the easiest way to discover the effectiveness of your IVR system is to survey the callers who use it. Angel.com can set up a short IVR phone survey which can be attached to the end of any call and report the results directly back to you for use in improving the IVR system. Learn how and why to set up a Phone Survey >> Hosted solutions such as Angel.com's IVR systems require no hardware or software. Since everything is managed online, you can update your system on the fly at any time with no maintenance costs. This makes it easier for you to change your system to meet the changes of your business and your customers. Are you a business that already runs a customer-friendly IVR system? Send us a note with your contact information and 100 words or less on why your application keeps customers happy, and we'll consider it for the soon-to-be-released "IVR Hall of Fame." As a consumer, what else do you think makes for an effective IVR system? Send us a note with your thoughts. If your company is interested in learning further how to optimize your IVR system to meet the growing demands of your customers: Contact one of our representatives to see how Angel.com can work for you Read about best practices in IVR design Learn how Borland Software drastically improved their call center metrics with Angel.com

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