IVR Lessons

E Source has completed and published rankings of the best IVR systems for utility companies in the United States and Canada and found some conflicting, but useful results that can be applied across the board for makers of IVR systems. The leading statistic is that utilities only offer 54% of what customers want leaving almost half unsatisfied. Previous research indicates that 70% of users were successful in completing self-service transactions on the first try but the same users reported that they were unsatisfied with the automated experience. These type of results confirm that there are still opportunities for improvements in IVR systems and that focusing on the customer experience could be the key to achieving better satisfaction ratings.

The overwhelming data suggests that customers still prefer to complete transactions with a live phone operator or a web based utility rather than an IVR system. The common thread among those utility companies with the highest rated systems is that they consistently focused on the customer experience. Those that scored poorly employ systems that are technically capable of guiding the user through the automated transactions, but still left the customers unsatisfied or frustrated in the process. There are certainly strong preconceptions about IVR systems among most users, however this study shows that there is a need to continually improve and develop IVR systems from the perspective of the user as opposed to simply design them to complete the task at hand.