Speech Self-Service Lessons

Although speech-based self-service IVRs are becoming more popular among most companies, popularity among customers is decreasing at an alarming rate. Recent survey data suggests that as many as 40% of customers avoid using speech self-service IVR systems and 42% prefer using web-based self-service utilities rather than telephone-based systems. Furthermore, only one-quarter of respondents reported that they would use a speech-based option again. As companies continue to implement speech-based systems as a cost savings measure, many considerations can and should be taken as a means of improving customer satisfaction and experience.

One third of customers complain that they often have to repeat information to a human operator after already providing the same to the IVR system earlier in the service call. More than 20% of customers complain that the systems do not understand or recognize spoken commands. Finally, 16% of customers are annoyed by systems that do not allow them to skip directly to menus that they want. Integrating the IVR and human operator databases could cut down on the need for customers to repeat information during a call. Since most customers feel that they must over-enunciate when dealing with speech recognition systems, the software could be improved to accommodate both conversational and more precise speech patterns. Finally, creating shortcuts and/or keywords for frequent callers would assuage some of the frustration associated with listening to long lists of multiple menu options. It is important to take these and other customer complaints into consideration when designing and implementing an IVR system, otherwise the money that is saved in the call center will not make up for unsatisfied or lost customers.