There’s no doubt that the interactive voice response (IVR) industry has been making impressive strides over the years. Its remarkable evolution has been closely documented here at TMC (News - Alert), where IVR has been modified and implemented in every which way to assist everything from addiction to student learning. Clearly, the public has seen that IVR technology plays an integral role in how companies handle their communications with customers and clients, and has been making leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings. Having said that, it may come as a shock to read Ken Landoline’s blog this week, where he essentially suggests abandoning your hosted IVR system.

Why, though? Let’s explore this further, shall we?

While Landoline does recognize the improvements made to IVR, where it was once, as he says, a ‘push one for this, push two for that’ system, he notes the recent results of a study done by New York University (NYU) revealed that a whopping 49 percent of individuals surveyed believed that IVR systems neither benefit customers nor companies. Ouch.

Even more, only 15 percent of respondents felt that they benefited from self-service tools as customers engaging with enterprises of all sizes today. In a nutshell, customer complaints concerning the IVR interface are so widespread that an abundance of individuals and companies are second-guessing its usage, wondering if their goals and objectives are being accomplished at all.

Let’s face it – IVR systems are implemented to achieve speedier service, reduce company costs, and improve overall customer satisfaction and loyalty. It’s not surprising, then, that companies are integrating and expanding use of smartphones and/or tablets by consumers to hopefully alleviate the major frustrations still lingering in today’s IVR systems; they’re not getting what they were promised.

Let’s take a step back, now. Some of the major frustrations associated with IVR complaints relate to navigating through complex menus with too many choices, the inability for customers to fit their issues into offered categories, and the difficulty in reaching a live agent when necessary and desired. While it’s vital to address such IVR-related issues, it’s even more important to remember that these issues are not because IVR is unreliable; most chances are, the IVR provider you’ve been so heavily relying on simply isn’t doing their job.

Just when making any crucial decision in life – whether personal or occupational – it’s imperative to make an informed decision when choosing an IVR provider. Let’s put it this way, if your child was preparing to go to college and only looked at two schools – one which was extremely competitive and one which was a safety school – would you deem that acceptable research? I didn’t think so.

While they could get accepted into their highly attainable choice, you wouldn’t want to risk having your child stuck at a school he or she hated or settled for – so don’t settle for an IVR system you hate because you didn’t properly look into providers.

To make the process simpler, start by checking out some highly reliable, versatile and scalable interactive voice response systems from a seasoned industry leader with unparalleled expertise. Click here for a guaranteed head start in your search (you can thank me later!)

In conclusion, do I think Landoline is right? I cannot say whether he is right or wrong, as I’m sure many would lean toward his reasoning. He is right in believing that IVR systems, when implemented improperly, become more of a hassle than a helping hand.

He concludes by saying this, “…customer access endpoints are improving the ability of customers to interface with IVRs. Therefore, I do not believe it is time to abandon your IVR, but time to improve it as we learn more about customer preferences and the technology is enhanced. Eventually the IVR’s benefits will outweigh its shortcomings as customers learn to appreciate its ability to provide smarter self-service.”

Well said, sir!

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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