A loyal customer is always a bonus to your business. Exceptional customer service is essential for building customer loyalty, enhancing users’ experience, improving brand reputation, and driving repeat business.
While we see a significant rise in user demand, meeting customers’ expectations sometimes becomes an unsolved puzzle. Digital communication has wholly changed users’ expectations. People now expect more instant interactions, whether video conferencing or live connection, while playing games from distinct locations and 24/7 support.
Introduction to IVR
An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system is designed to interact with callers, using pre-recorded voice prompts and touch-tone keypad selection to help users navigate, avail, and access specific services and information.
Skipping the technical terms, the traditional IVR is the voice we listen to when calling a toll-free customer service number.
“Hello, and Thanks for calling ABC”
For Customer Support, press 1.
For Sales Queries, press 2.
For Human Resources, press 3.
For Accounts Payable, press 4.
To reach the operator, press 0.
To repeat this menu, press star.
The above voice prompt is auto-generated, but by the time you reach the last key introduction, you might forget the first one. Traditional IVRs are limited in functionality and have rigid menu options, while conversational IVRs, enhanced by AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP), offer a more intuitive experience.
Conversational IVR
Conversational IVRs are data-driven and allow customers to interact using natural language rather than navigating traditional IVR menus. This system uses Natural language Processing to decode the said or written script, process it, and then offer a personalized response. Unlike traditional IVRs, conversational IVRs are context-oriented and can handle complexity without human interference.
Key Features of Conversational IVR
● Natural Language Understanding (NLU)
Hey Siri, What is the scientific name of the Rose flower?
And Siri will have a response ready. Natural Language Understanding (NLU) is the ability of software to analyze and decode human language, which is implemented in applications like AI chatbots, Alexa, and Siri.
● Personalization
Hey Alex, Heureux d’avoir à nouveau de vos nouvelles !
“You didn’t get it, but Alex did.”��
So Alex is an existing customer of your company and a pro in French. A warm greeting message personalized in his favorite language just made his day.
A welcome greeting personalized according to your business niche and your customers’ expectations might add that extra effort required for exceptional customer service.
● Multi-channel support
The most comfortable and user-friendly IVR (Interactive Voice Response) option is connecting via phone, SMS, or chat, seamlessly transitioning between different communication channels.
Key Benefits of Implementing Conversational IVRs for After-Hours Support
A conversational IVR streamlines after-hours services for businesses and organizations and enhances customer experience, ensuring repeat business.
24/7 Availability – A conversational IVR system can provide customers access to information and around-the-clock support. For companies with different time zones, 24/7 availability enables customers to receive instant assistance even when human agents are unavailable, ensuring no query goes unanswered, regardless of the time of day.
Cost Savings – By automating routine customer inquiries, businesses can reduce the need for a larger after-hours support team. Conversational IVR lowers operational costs by handling a large volume of calls without compromising quality.
Reduced Wait Timing – A conversational IVR identifies the customer’s needs and provides the most suitable response or connects them to the concerned agent. Faster response to queries and reduced call waiting improves the customer experience.
Scalability – As businesses grow, so do their needs. Conversational IVR can scale without any additional infrastructure costs or staffing requirements, allowing companies to manage larger volumes of inquiries, particularly during peak periods.
Data Collection and Insights – Conversational IVRs can capture valuable in-depth data on customer interactions, including common pain points and frequently asked questions. This data helps businesses improve their products, services, and customer support strategies and stay aligned with emerging trends.
Challenges
After all, it’s a technology. Conversational IVR requires a comprehensive knowledge of NLP and NLU to interpret human expressions. It may sometimes crash when decoding human text or speech and resolving queries, hurting customer expectations and experience. Also, the everyday innovations in Conversational IVR require AI training and upgraded models to stay in proper action.
Considerations
Choose a simple IVR system over a complex one that can easily be implemented with your existing communication network and is easy for customers to interact with. A business that improves its weak points and provides feedback is always ahead of its competition.
If your IVR system hasn’t implemented a customer feedback response yet, you are probably missing out on a lot.
Thanks for Connecting – A Final Wrap-up
A conversational IVR can be an excellent help for businesses seeking to enhance their after-hours support. It offers a cost-effective, scalable, and customer-friendly solution. Integrating it into your customer service strategy can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty while optimizing resources.