IVR Implementation & Performance Considerations

Development and implementation of IVR systems can be a complex projects requiring careful management of cost and resources, but more specifically there are several considerations within the design phase that can make a truly helpful and customer friendly system. The IVR Deconstructed blog from Plum Voice has a list of five important considerations in IVR implementation. Audience consideration is key but not just from the perspective of what a customer might want, but also looking at the most popular questions and/or issues arising from past call center data. It is also important for customers to be able to find their desired information quickly without having to navigate through numerous menus. Keeping it simple is usually the best course to take in developing IVR systems.

In addition to the considerations during the implementation of the IVR systems, choosing appropriate metrics to measure effectiveness is important in closing the loop on the development of a system. Without clear measures of success, there is no way of knowing if the desired outcome has been achieved by the implementation of the system. The always useful Call Centre Helper advises paying attention to the percentage of abandoned calls handled by the IVR system. Their data suggests that the recent increase in abandoned call percentage indicates that customers find systems too hard to navigate. Considering these tips for implementation can help customers to overcome their preconceptions and previous bad experiences with IVR. The goal is to implement a system that the customer can use.