Call center and retail businesses have used the speech IVR various “solutions” with success for some time now. But when you actually look at the data, the results were not as good as it appears. All too often, business owners find themselves devoting more time to understand the complex software, investing several thousand dollars, and worry about whether their products actually deliver the promised results. You are reading this article because you do not want to find ourselves in the same place. And, you certainly do not need. Here are five ways you can start saving time, money, and worry about choosing the right IVR software.
1. Get time commitment!
Time is one of the biggest factors that you will want to consider before choosing IVR Solution. It is not unusual for a voice recognition system to take weeks or even months before the setup is complete. Regardless of your current workload, this is unacceptable. Just like in the real world, time is money. Fees and costs are usually commensurate with the amount of programming involved.
2. Look beyond the initial cost savings
True, both the IVR functions can easily save untold cost that you would have otherwise spent on employees. However, it is in your best interest to go beyond the point of sale if you are really interested in saving cash.
Two things that can save you money right off the bat is (1) examined the host IVR option, and (2) to find out if your phone system is currently eligible for an upgrade, rather than starting from scratch with a new unit.
3. Make sure your software includes comprehensive data reporting
Sure, you can try to estimate how many additional calls being resolved. You can try to measure the increase in sales.
You can even hypothesize about the area in the department of your business that is being ignored. At the end of the day though, all you do is guess.
Some, but not all software applications provide detailed figures and easy to understand in these areas. Take the guess work out of your call automation and use these statistics to your advantage. Once you have factual data on how the software is doing you will be able to make the necessary changes that produce better results for your business.
4. Say goodbye to outdated software
The problem with software commonly used by call centers and retail businesses is that they are 100% dependent on the caller that said “true”. But, you cannot just treat every caller as they are the same. They do not.
Speech IVR industry has reached a point where it is no longer necessary programming obsolete. Current technology now range from the so-called “open speech” programming and is able to interpret the contents of the caller’s request.
5. Stop worrying about programming
If you are like most people, you buy software IVR to alleviate bottlenecks in your customer service calls, to see more productivity in your workplace, and to improve customer satisfaction. Remember, the software is supposed to make your life easier – not harder. Some phone systems product out there requires a monthly service agreement for technical support and programming, or even worse, expects you to make these changes yourself.
Unless you are a highly skilled programmer, this will only end up costing you time, money and will definitely make you stress. There are enough third-party software provider that enables you to outsource or run a hosting option that you do not have to deal with technical issues.
For more information about how Auto Dialer, Hosted IVR solutions and voice broadcasting software may work for your small business, visit the LeadsRain.com
