Though interactive voice response systems (IVRs) are a critical component of any effective CX strategy, too many of us are familiar with the frustration an unoptimized IVR may bring. From repeating “representative” over and over in the hopes of bypassing complex menus to get to a human agent, to simply finding the input process tedious, many traditional IVRs fail to meet expectations. But recent innovations have made it possible to provide better, more cost-effective, and streamlined interactions that overcome the frustrations that leave your customers dissatisfied with outdated IVRs.
Learn how to optimize your IVRs with Cyara’s automated IVR testing solutions.
IVRs have been a cornerstone of contact center technology for years. However, as customer expectations have evolved, long-winded, complicated menus have become a source of frustration. But, with the inclusion of artificial intelligence, you can innovate your IVR systems to become more efficient, and meet today’s modern customer demands.
The role of IVRs cannot be understated, with optimized systems providing streamlined and cost-effective self-service interactions. However, as customer demands have evolved with an increased call for personalized and self-service options, it’s time to upgrade your outdated and legacy systems to ensure you’re delivering the best customer experience possible, every time.
What is an AI-Powered IVR?
The most basic and traditional IVRs present your customers with a set menu of options. In these cases, your customers access information or are rerouted based on their selection, which they choose through voice commands or via a keypad.
While simple compared to other modern CX channels, IVRs are valuable for their ability to relay basic, routine information or route customers to the department best suited to meet their needs, all without requiring any intervention from a human agent. When your IVRs are performing as intended, your business will reap significant benefits, with one study reporting you can cut contact center costs by up to 30% when you improve your IVR’s containment rates.
However, with recent advancements in AI-powered technology, IVRs have become more sophisticated. In the past, IVRs were limited by strict menus and choices. Today, AI makes it possible for your IVR to understand customer queries and deliver human-like conversations.
For example, in the past, a customer looking to check their bank balance with an IVR would be tasked with entering their information through a series of keypad inputs. While a straightforward and effective method of allowing your customers to easily check their balance without needing to speak with an agent, this interaction felt stilted and impersonal, with your IVR only offering a rigid menu of pre-set options.
With AI, however, your IVR can actively engage with your customers. Instead of merely prompting a customer to “Press 1,” the IVR can decode your customer’s emotions and intent to deliver reliable and accurate responses. Additionally, natural language processing (NLP) models empower IVRs to interpret complex speech. In the case of a customer asking to check their balance, the customer can ask, “How much money is in my account?” or say, “I’d like to check my most recent balance,” and your IVR will understand what they are asking, and proceed accordingly, without strict menus or human intervention.
The Benefits of Moderns IVRs for Customer Service
When you innovate your IVRs, you can reap similar benefits to more traditional systems, while keeping up with modern customer expectations, differentiating your brand from the competition, and making it possible to deliver interactions that will continuously delight your customers.
With an AI-powered IVR, you can improve your CX offerings with:
- Intelligent, seamless routing: With the enhancements of AI-driven technology, your IVRs can better understand your customers’ intent and enable users to navigate their options more easily. Your customer satisfaction rates will improve as your customers are routed to the right departments and gain access to necessary information faster.
- Data-driven interactions: AI-powered systems can collect and analyze large amounts of data rapidly. By tracking customer trends and preferences, your IVRs can deliver optimized and personalized self-service interactions.
- Improved scalability and efficiency: Like chatbots, AI-driven IVRs can provide 24/7 service and handle multiple interactions at once, cutting wait times and allowing you to reallocate your human agents to focus on high-priority and complex tasks.
- Cost reduction: AI-powered IVRs have the capacity to handle many routine tasks, reducing the need for human resources. When you use AI-driven systems in your contact center, you can reduce the amount of time and labor spent on repetitive queries and streamline your organizational processes.
- Better interaction quality: Today’s customers expect streamlined, personalized interactions. But outdated, legacy systems simply aren’t equipped to keep up with this demand. By innovating your tech stack, you can set your contact center up for success.
Businesses that leverage AI-powered IVRs, however, must be aware of these risks and vulnerabilities that these systems may pose. Without the right IVR testing solution in place, your brand may be exposed to a wide range of financial, reputational, and compliance risks, putting your revenue and customer trust on the line.
Optimize Your AI-Driven CX Channels with Cyara’s IVR Testing Solutions
Your IVR is an essential part of your contact center strategy, but you can only benefit from innovating your systems when you have the right IVR testing solutions in place, or you’re likely to face many costly obstacles along the way.
Cyara’s automated IVR testing solutions provide real-time visibility into your IVR’s performance, so you can be confident that you’re delivering quality interactions at scale, every time. It’s time to eliminate potential defects before your customers are impacted, cut out time-consuming manual testing processes, and maximize the ROI of your IVR investments.
With Cyara’s IVR testing solutions, you can:
- Decrease IVR testing time by 90%.
- Accelerate IVR updates by 50%.
- Recapture 90% of abandoned callers.
Contact us to schedule a personalized demo and see how you can benefit from Cyara’s award-winning AI-Led CX Assurance Platform or visit cyara.com for more information.