IVR, or Interactive Voice Response, is telephone technology that enables users to interact with a database through telephone keypad or voice commands. IVR enables callers to interact more intuitively with automated phone systems, while at the same time providing significant cost reductions over human operators. Callers interact with IVR systems by pressing numbers on a telephone keypad or by recording their voice to answer the computer’s voice prompts. Uses of IVR grow more diverse each day including account balance inquiries, finding store locations, customer surveys and caller identification and routing. IVR can also be used for reporting non emergency problems to utility services, like a delayed flight schedule, or schedule appointments. IVR systems can handle dynamic information like weather, news, stock reports etc. IVR is a technology that’s emerging as commonplace in our everyday lives.
IVR can be used to control almost any function where the interface can be broken down into a series of simple menu choices. In telecommunications applications, such as customer support lines, IVR systems generally scale well to handle large call volumes. IVR systems can also come in handy for making calls for surveys, campaigns and polls. The system makes automated outgoing calls. A prerecorded voice asks simple questions that can be answered with ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘can’t decide’. The IVR system in this case will have limited voice recognition capacity.
It is very important to weigh the variables of IVR for your business, as the aim of any IVR system should be to provide the customer the right information as easily as possible. A poorly designed IVR system does more harm than good and often becomes the target of public criticism.
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