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IVR - Marketing IVR Properly to the End User is Invaluable
IVR
August 05, 2011

Marketing IVR Properly to the End User is Invaluable



By Michelle Amodio, TMCnet Contributor

Short for interactive voice response, IVR is a telephony technology in which someone uses a touch-tone telephone to interact with a database to acquire information from or enter data into the database.

Now that we’ve gotten that little IVR 101 established, IVRs can be used for a myriad of reasons. Some may use it to gather information, as in the case of telephone surveys in which the user is prompted to answer questions by pushing the numbers on a touch-tone telephone. Others may use it to retrieve information including bank balances, flight schedules, product details, order status, movie show times, and more from any telephone.


According to PlumVoice, a provider of IVR solutions, like all good products, an IVR system works best when it is catered to the customer it is trying to serve. IVR systems are typically used to service high call volumes, reduce cost and improve the customer experience. Companies also use IVR services to extend their business hours to 24/7 operation. Given that, who is likely to utilize IVR technology? PlumVoice delves into this question.

Higlighing a recent study by McKinsey, PlumVoice discusses the digital trends of today, citing under the study that in the younger versus older generation, the “more mature” crowd proved to not be using smartphones and digital media. Coined as “traditionalists,” members of this crowd (average age of 48) own feature phones with a precious few owning smartphones. Because of this, traditionalists are often left in untouched when it comes to advertising, as many companies today rely on social networking and other media outlets that are typically accessed these days by a mobile device.

Marketing research. It’s extremely important.

Exactly what does this have to do with an IVR, then? For PlumVoice, the lesson learned about marketing research is invaluable. It’s understanding the end user’s needs and how to market to them.

As a company, PlumVoice does their very best to understand their demographic, who their customers are and why and how they use their products. With offerings such as hosted IVR, IVR systems, IVR software and an array of complete professional services which include designing, building, deploying, managing IVR applications and systems, as well as the QuickFuse rapid development tool, getting the right product to the right customer ensures success on both ends.

For a smaller company that wants to seem bigger than it appears, an IVR system is a great solution, as a caller never needs to know that their sales and support calls are routed to the same person. Knowing that bit of information about your customer will allow you to properly outfit them with the right product compared to a larger company who will definitely need a larger, more complex IVR system.

“Someone in the high-tech industry may use the product in a completely different manner than someone in the field of healthcare or education. For that matter, certain product features and capabilities might be more attractive,” writes PlumVoice.

Customer experience provides an essential business knowledge. Knowing what the end user needs and is looking for is important to determine how well you are helping customers accomplish their goals.


Michelle Amodio is a TMCnet contributor. She has helped promote companies and groups in all industries, from technology to banking to professional roller derby. She holds a bachelor's degree in Writing from Endicott College and currently works in marketing, journalism, and public relations as a freelancer.

Edited by Juliana Kenny


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