IVR Deconstructed

While finding a favorite TV show is great, it can turn into a long-term commitment.  Sometimes it is nice to venture over to the local theatre, turn off all cell phones and distractions, sit back, relax, and watch a wildly entertaining movie for a couple of hours.  At any given time, there are a myriad of selections to choose from at the box office.  Whether someone is looking to get scared, sit on the edge of their seat, sing along to a new favorite song, watch something truly thought-provoking, or delve into another world, movies have it covered.  For a short time, movies allow viewers a mental escape from their surroundings, without commercial or (hopefully) human interference, and a favorite pastime for many is checking out the local fare at area theatres.  Oft times, I myself don’t get to view the movies I choose as often I would like, purely because I forget they are available, or just don’t feel like waiting in line.  However, an IVR system could be put in place that could change all this, and allow even the most casual movie viewer to frequent the theatre more often.

An Interactive Voice Response system put in place for movie viewing would work similarly to the previously discussed IVR system for television viewers.  An IVR could be put in place that would allow moviegoers to call in, hear about show times, synopses, user reviews, and personalized recommendations.  Essentially, users could call in, select their location, preferred genre, or preferred movie going time, and procure information that will allow them to become better informed about available movie selections.  Users could pre-select titles they are interested in, and when the movie hits theatres, the system could be programmed to make an outbound call complete with information on where to view the film.  Additionally, the system could be set up as a payment processing system, collecting payment information, issuing ticket confirmation texts or emails, and eliminating obnoxious wait times at the physical box office.  Even with the best of intentions, moviegoers sometimes just aren’t able to get to the theatre to see their preferred selections.  The IVR system could keep track of their titles in a users run and updated database, and send out outbound alerts whenever their preferred movie was available for rental, purchase, and scheduled to be on TV.  In a world where interactive voice response makes everything easier, the movie-going process is no exception!

Subtle changes are becoming more and more visible as the seasons begin to change.  There is crispness observable in the air in the mornings, the leaves are slightly beginning to alter their colors, and the sun is setting a bit earlier with every passing day. While there are no more water parks to frequent or outdoor music festivals to groove at, there are plenty of fall activities on the horizon that should put a slight spring in people’s step.  While the end of summer is typically a symbolic and melancholy time for most, there are certainly some things to look forward to: performance fleece wearing, the integration of warm weather hats into everyday outfits, and the beginning of a new fall TV season.  Premier week kicks off in mid-September, typically coinciding with the change of the seasons and accommodating the new cooler temperatures.  There is always a twinge of possibility during premier week, and the potentiality that the networks will produce the next Lost or Wire.  TV audiences can always be excited by the mere fact that they might discover their future favorite show, making those long winter nights a bit more negotiable.  With the both cable and network changing up their schedules and rolling out huge amounts of new fare how are television viewers supposed to keep track of shows that might peak their interests?

This is where an Interactive Voice Response system could come in to play.  For viewers on the go, an IVR system could be constructed to inform them of current and future TV offerings, and act as a sort of Zagat guide for the television viewing populace.  An IVR system could be set up to work in any number of ways.  It could act as a TV guide of sorts, gathering information about each and every show available on network and cable TV, and indexing it based on subscriber time zone and preference. Viewers could place an inbound call, hear summaries of shows, get recommendations based on their preferences, and find out what time their preferred shows are on.  Users could also program the IVR system to place an outbound call and remind them when a show they want to see is going to be airing, ensuring that they won’t miss a moment!  The IVR system could be set up so that users could record and hear personalized reviews of shows, even going so far as to set up friend and reviewer networks, so that subscribers could hear reviews from trusted commentators.  Last but certainly not least, this system could be set up to interface with personal Tivo and DVR systems, so that even remotely, users could program their recording to devices to capture their preferred shows.  While the new fall season might feel overwhelming for some, an IVR system can assist everyone in sorting out and pinpointing those shows that are going to become weekly staples in their TV viewing lives!

While most Americans are waiting with bated breath to kick-off the American NFL season, there are many of us that are overjoyed that English Premier League football has started up again.  From August to May, twenty clubs will play thirty-eight games each, vying for the FA Cup and the Champions League title.  While most avid American football fans wish we could be at Stamford Bridge watching John Terry prevent an opposition attack, or at Anfield, watching Steven Gerrard score a well-placed goal, this is sadly an unattainable dream for most of us.  However, despite the fact that we can’t sing You’ll Never Walk Alone shoulder to shoulder with other Liverpool fans, that doesn’t mean that most of us American fans aren’t keeping up with every score, every play, and every victory.  Most games are played on Saturday and Sunday, with occasional weeknight games as well.  With the time difference between London and the US, we are anywhere from 5 to 8 hours behind, meaning that games oft times happen very early in the morning or in the middle of our workdays.  What is a football fan to do?

An IVR system would be a great solution.  For those of us who are unable to watch the games live, an IVR system could be programmed to track the progress of every club from Arsenal to the Wolverhampton Wanderers.  The basic infrastructure of the IVR system could be set up to gather statistics in real time.  Subscribers could enter and save their preferences, in order to get information and updates on a preferred team, or information and statistics on the entire league.  Whenever a match was played, users could call in and hear updates in real time, gather information about game statistics, and even get fast facts about their favorite players, coaches, and managers.  After the week’s play, the system could update current subscribers about player and team standings, and brief them about the upcoming league schedule as well.  While standing in Old Trafford and watching a perfect game of football would be much preferred to having to hear about the matches via the telephone, an Interactive Voice Response system would still keep avid football fans constantly in the loop and updated!

From exotic Senegalese spread to French haute cuisine, restaurant week in Boston is upon us again.  For two glorious weeks, all of Boston’s culinary treasures are available at a reduced fixed rate and menu, giving epicureans the city over the opportunity to try some of the best restaurants in Boston at a reasonable price.  The concept is fairly straightforward; restaurants are offering two-course lunches for $15.10 per person, three-course lunches for $20.10, and three-course dinners for $33.10.  At restaurants like L’Espalier and Taranta, this is a steal, as meals could easily set a party of two back a hundred dollars or more.  With close to 250 restaurants participating, this is every gourmand’s dream.  The city is their oyster, so to speak, and it is most certainly a case of so many restaurants, so little time.  So what is a gastronome to do?  How does one even wrap their head around getting to all the places they want to hit?  Here is where an Interactive Voice Response system could come in quite handy.

An IVR could be set up to interface with restaurant-goers in various ways.  First and most importantly, the IVR could be set up to interact directly with restaurants.  A restaurant database would be constructed that had the ability to interface with restaurants the city over.  With one quick phone call, foodies could be in touch with their favorite eateries, make reservations, and be well on their way to a culinary feast.  While OpenTable and other sites like it are great resources for Internet users, sometimes individuals on the go simply don’t have access.  The IVR could also be set up to interface with online reservation companies by adding telephonic options to their Internet-centric sites.  Users could telephonically dial in from anywhere and request reservations.  Additionally, an IVR system could provide reviews of menus, user recommendations, and information about drink and appetizer specials.  In the event that a reservation needed to be shifted or changed, the restaurant could also make an outbound call informing restaurant-goers of any change to their dining agenda.  This IVR system would be a one-stop shop of sorts, where food connoisseurs could get information on everything they needed to fully immerse themselves in the Restaurant Week experience!

This morning, I turned on the faucet to brew up a pot of coffee and start my day right and it made the most awful creaking sound.  Thinking that it perhaps just needed additional time to adjust to the morning, I let it run for a bit.  Unfortunately, the horrific noise only got worse.  Owing to the fact that it was 7am, and my property managers wouldn’t be available until after 10, I had to go without my morning coffee and forge on with my day sans caffeine.  As the workday progresses, I also have to remind myself to get in touch with my property managers at a later time.  This got me to thinking about how an Interactive Voice Response system could greatly assist renters in their quest to get their household appliances fixed in a timely manner!

This IVR system could be used by property management companies in lieu of the answering machines or answering services that they typically rely on.  Tenants could call in, report their problem, make use of the automatic speech recognition feature to elaborate further upon their issues, set up maintenance arrival times, stipulate special instructions, and in the event of an emergency, be dispatched through immediately to someone on call.  Instead of leaving messages that often times aren’t responded to, residents could be sent a claim ticket via text or voice message, confirming the receipt of their request and the estimated arrival time of maintenance personnel.

In addition, residents could receive outbound calls confirming that their request had been fulfilled, detailing the work performed, or requesting an appointment to complete additional work if necessary.  Property managers could also eliminate the need to personally contact maintenance personal, using the IVR system to interface immediately and directly with them after a resident request has been made.  If property management companies utilized an IVR system, they could cut time in half by immediately having a call dispatched to maintenance personnel, allowing tenants to describe the problem in depth, and allowing maintenance personnel to get back in touch with tenants and brief them about the status of their request, all with the help of an IVR system.