IVR Deconstructed

Yesterday’s IVR blog post focused on apartment maintenance services for renters and property management companies.  However, there is a large majority of individuals who are home owners, and despite the many myriad benefits, they do not have the opportunity to call a property manager to get their appliances or housing issues dealt with instantaneously.  An Interactive Voice Response system could also be set up to assist homeowners in locating qualified service personnel to aid their various around-the-house needs.  An IVR system could be set up as a subscription aid of sorts.  Users could pay a monthly fee and be granted unlimited access to a wide range of home improvement services.  Certified and better business bureau rated companies and technicians, from electricians and plumbers to painting and landscaping services, could also pay a monthly fee to have their company profile submitted to prospective clients.

For example, if I was a homeowner and my faucet broke or I was having issues with water pressure, I could call into the IVR application and be recommended plumbers in my area that could assist with the problem.  The IVR service could be organized by zip code, location, or services offered, so consumers could conduct a search tailored specifically to their individual needs.  Additionally, the service could offer customized reviews submitted by members, which would be available to all subscribers.  The IVR system could make available how-to tips for homeowners who are interested in personalized home maintenance, offering advice and directions on various home improvement projects.  Area home improvement and hardware stores could also be brought into the mix, offering inventory information for customer review.  Homeowners could find out if the specific product they were seeking was currently in stock, and even put a twenty-four hour hold on it.  The IVR system could also be programmed to make outbound calls when previously out of stock products arrived, so that homeowners would be alerted to the product’s immediate availability!