Many businesses have quickly discovered the value of using interactive voice response (IVR) systems in their contact center operations. Being able to do such things as distribute information at any time, route callers to just the right contact and answer simple questions without forcing a live agent to handle the job is the kind of thing that makes businesses – and their bottom lines – very happy. But what often isn't considered is how IVR can bring customer relationship management (CRM) into play as well, and that's an advantage that may be just as helpful as IVR itself.

So how does CRM make IVR even more potent than it was to begin with? There are several basic points that contribute to IVR's overall capability in a CRM setting.

• CRM applications enable companies to solicit input and feedback from their contacts and customers. CRM is specifically intended to not only organize business processes, but to also automate and synchronize them across a company. This not only makes it easier to gather information, but also to disseminate it. It's one thing to know what the contacts and customers want, but it’s another thing entirely to act on that knowledge. If no one knows what the customer wants, then what good is that information really? CRM helps get that information in place.
• CRM is designed with the end-user in mind. CRM commonly helps companies ascertain brand image among customers, as well as how to respond to that. Much in the example above, CRM helps keep that information moving so that it can be decisively acted upon.
• CRM helps highlight what a company is doing wrong to quickly resolve it. When a company knows what its customers want, it can then do its best to provide that where it can, or at least as close to what they want as is possible. Some things just can't be done, but for all those that are possible to achieve, they can be done in much more rapid fashion with CRM than without.
• CRM makes the data collection process more accurate. Thanks to CRM's ability to record as well as properly and quickly distribute information, it takes the burden off customer service and sales personnel to remember experiences as well as try to relate said  half-remembered experiences throughout the system. Instead, the process can be streamlined, removing duplicate experiences and ensuring all the details that can be in place are. Can you imagine the breath of fresh air your customers will take upon knowing they won’t have to either repeat themselves or hear something repeated by the agent?

The combination of CRM and IVR allows for optimal accuracy and ease of dissemination. It allows the best information to be had and to be sent where it needs to be in the most rapid fashion, assuring that problems can be fixed, positives can be capitalized upon and that a better overall customer experience can be had. A top-notch customer experience is the first and best step a company can take to success, and ensuring that the bottom line stays as healthy as possible.

To learn more about how you can grow your company with IVR and CRM, click here.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.