Nowadays, one of the most important needs of any business is the ability to communicate with customers to provide the best services to them. With the development of technology and its penetration into the business world, the traditional telephone system has been replaced to VoIP technology. One of the most useful features of modern telephones is IVR. IVR technology is an automated telephone answering system that offers many benefits to businesses. In this article, we are going to first introduce this technology and then mention its benefits and efficiency for businesses.
IVR technology
IVR, which stands for Interactive Voice Response, is a system that interacts with callers, collects calls information, and determines the direction of calls to the intended recipient. IVR system is a feature of call center software that allows callers to be directed to the most appropriate department by selecting through an automatic list. By receiving a combination of voice input and touch input, IVR provides appropriate caller answers in the form of voice, fax, callback, email, and other call methods.
IVR systems consist of telephone equipment, software applications, a database, and a support infrastructure. An organization can purchase the required software and hardware to run the IVR system on site, or it can use the IVR hosting service for a monthly fee. IVR systems are based on the VoiceXML(Extensible Markup Language) programming language. VoiceXML consists of several components including telephone network, TCP/IP network, VoiceXML telephone server, web server and databases, all of which are used to provide the best customer service.
Application of IVR
The IVR system is mostly used in places with a large number of incoming calls, eliminating the need for an operator to answer incoming calls and connect calls to the relevant department.
Call centers use IVR technology to identify and categorize callers. Using this system, customers are identified and based on the services they need, they will be in the call queue of the relevant team. The IVR system also provides distance services such as bill payment, traffic and weather information, bank telephone, etc.
IVR can also be used in a variety of other areas, such as:
Sales: The caller can fill out a request form to purchase a product or service via the telephone keypad. The IVR system sends the form to the sales department of the organization and through this, after checking the information and request of the customer, they contact him.
Marketing: The marketing team of any company can use the IVR system to measure customer interest and satisfaction in a product or service.
Medical records: Physicians can use an IVR system to transcribe patient notes and records and have a copy of the transcribed records.
Benefits of IVR system
Here are some of the benefits and features of the IVR system:
· Better customer service and response
With the IVR system, customer response is faster and customers can get their answer just by following the instructions and choosing the right option. As a result, customer waiting time is reduced and time is saved. The volume of incoming calls and the number of customers waiting in the queue will also decrease and customer satisfaction with you will increase.
· Customers access unlimited support
Customers can call you at any time of the day, 7 days a week, without any restrictions, and receive their answers using this system. One of the most important advantages of this system is answering customers’ calls even on holidays and after work hours. This means that the customer is supported indefinitely by using the IVR system options for most of their service problems and questions, without having to talk to your representatives.
· customizing calls
You can establish a better relationship with your customers by using the extensive personalization capabilities of the IVR system. For example, if the caller’s user information is available, you can configure your response system based on his or her personal information and respond to calls using their name. It is also possible to select the language and change the list options based on the selected language. You can also use this personal information to congratulate customers on special occasions such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries and more. By doing this, customers will feel good about your response and support system.
· Create a better image of a business
Having an IVR system in your company will make customers have a better view of your brand and look more professional. As a result, small businesses are advised to use IVR systems to create a professional mental image of themselves. In larger companies these systems create a professional image by maintaining consistency in customer service and managing call volume.
· Increase efficiency and reduce errors
By using the ability to route and transfer calls to the relevant department and employees, less time is spent answering customers and customers get their answers faster and the efficiency of the organization increases. Because this IVR system automatically connects and responds to relevant units, the likelihood of incorrect answering and customer guidance is greatly reduced compared to the traditional method used by operators and answering machines.
Given the benefits and capabilities that the IVR system provides to businesses and customers, more and more businesses are being encouraged to use the system and upgrade their call system. By doing this, in addition to speeding up customer response, you create a more professional image of your business among competitors and people.
Nexfon Pro solution provides the first enterprise-based cloud telephony system (VoIP) for businesses. With this cloud phone, without the need to buy expensive equipment, you can use the various features of this system such as automatic answering of calls, management of internal and external calls remotely with any device connected to the Internet, recording calls, etc. Nexfon Pro Web Admin Panel allows you to quickly record and define IVR. For more information about Nexfon Pro solution, fill out the free consultation form so that we can contact you.
