Truly interactive programming has long been a goal of movie and television producers. 13th Street productions have effectively achieved the first step in reaching such a goal with the help of IVR technology. In their first interactive feature film "Last Call," movie goers are asked to enter their cell phone numbers into a database which is used during the movie to direct the actions of characters. In the horror film, the character calls a random viewer seeking help to escape the killer. The IVR system registers the responses and the film proceeds according to those choices. This can result in unique moviegoing experiences for each viewer.
Of course, this is only one step in the process of fully interactive movie entertainment. The viewer does not have complete control over the action in the film but rather binary choices at several points in the action. The ultimate goal is complete control over a virtual world, but this is a positive step which appears to be a hit among test audiences and well suited for the horror genre. This application of IVR is another in a long line of uses of the technology above and beyond its initial concept.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
In-Car IVR
IVR systems continue to be tested and utilized for applications outside the realm of telephone on-hold and customer service systems. One such development is the use of IVR to communicate important auto related information to drivers. In systems similar to OnStar, important information can be delivered to a driver through an IVR device located in the vehicle. This information could include routine or immediate maintenance issues, recall notices or real-time traffic updates. The driver would have the ability to activate and respond to such information using voice commands allowing for hands free operation and minimal distraction. Although these systems are only beginning early stages of development, recent research suggests that drivers would find them more convenient that currently available systems.
An ATX Group survey revealed that a large majority of drivers would be receptive to in-car messages about recall notices, gas station locations, fuel prices and regular maintenance notifications. Respondents also indicated a preference to in-vehicle messages as opposed to those delivered by direct mail, telephone, email or text message. Pilot tests sending in-vehicle maintenance messages from dealerships have shown a high level of comfort among drivers as well as a very low number of opt-out requests. An important factor in design and user acceptance is to ensure that the messages are delivered in a non-invasive manner but rather can be reviewed on-demand at the driver's leisure. The ATX survey suggests that most drivers would be receptive to important and useful audio messages being sent to their vehicles allowing for yet another novel use of IVR technology to help improve daily life.
An ATX Group survey revealed that a large majority of drivers would be receptive to in-car messages about recall notices, gas station locations, fuel prices and regular maintenance notifications. Respondents also indicated a preference to in-vehicle messages as opposed to those delivered by direct mail, telephone, email or text message. Pilot tests sending in-vehicle maintenance messages from dealerships have shown a high level of comfort among drivers as well as a very low number of opt-out requests. An important factor in design and user acceptance is to ensure that the messages are delivered in a non-invasive manner but rather can be reviewed on-demand at the driver's leisure. The ATX survey suggests that most drivers would be receptive to important and useful audio messages being sent to their vehicles allowing for yet another novel use of IVR technology to help improve daily life.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Disecting an IVR Failure
Recently, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) announced that they would be opening a live call center to handle and address water supply shortages plaguing it's customers around the south Indian city. The call center is set to replace an IVR system that was so woefully inadequate, approximately 80% of registered complaints were not being addressed. Officials at the BWSSB blamed the failures on incorrect account numbers and incomplete customer address information left as voice messages on the system. The call center will put customers in direct contact with human operators who will verify specific account and address information with customers so that their issues can be resolved in a timely fashion.
This situation seems to be a clear failure of the IVR system design and not of IVR technology. The main purpose for the implementation of an IVR system is to save money by employing fewer live operators. A secondary feature is to empower customers to access company services and complete simple transactions without the help of a human call center agent at any time of the day. The system that the BWSSB employed failed to adequately accomplish customer self-service thus forcing the utility company to spend more money on a staffed call center. By adopting a few simple design strategies, the BWSSB IVR system could have been a sufficient method for reporting water outages.
Many IVR systems employed by utility companies will request that customers enter an account number or telephone number associated with an account in order to access associated information such as a customer name and address. A good system will ask customers to verify that it has accessed the correct information by prompting the customer to enter a PIN or some other form of identification. Upon completion of the verification, the system can then proceed to record the customer complaint or issue. The BWSSB system simply recorded customers speaking their account numbers or address so that a technician could then follow-up on the complaint. The lack of real-time verification resulted in most complaints being left unaddressed. The troubles were avoidable if a properly designed IVR had been utilized saving the BWSSB time and money. Now they are forced to spend more of both at the added expense of customer satisfaction.
This situation seems to be a clear failure of the IVR system design and not of IVR technology. The main purpose for the implementation of an IVR system is to save money by employing fewer live operators. A secondary feature is to empower customers to access company services and complete simple transactions without the help of a human call center agent at any time of the day. The system that the BWSSB employed failed to adequately accomplish customer self-service thus forcing the utility company to spend more money on a staffed call center. By adopting a few simple design strategies, the BWSSB IVR system could have been a sufficient method for reporting water outages.
Many IVR systems employed by utility companies will request that customers enter an account number or telephone number associated with an account in order to access associated information such as a customer name and address. A good system will ask customers to verify that it has accessed the correct information by prompting the customer to enter a PIN or some other form of identification. Upon completion of the verification, the system can then proceed to record the customer complaint or issue. The BWSSB system simply recorded customers speaking their account numbers or address so that a technician could then follow-up on the complaint. The lack of real-time verification resulted in most complaints being left unaddressed. The troubles were avoidable if a properly designed IVR had been utilized saving the BWSSB time and money. Now they are forced to spend more of both at the added expense of customer satisfaction.
Friday, June 4, 2010
IVR Design Tips
Most negative customer experience issues related to IVR systems are due to poor system design. Despite multitudes of customer feedback data and industry best practices, many IVR systems lack basic design features that would make them more acceptable to customers. The principles behind a good design are rather simple however a designer can often make what seems like a straightforward navigation menu to other designers, but is overly complex or daunting for the average consumer. To this end, Acclaim Telecom Services recently released a list of common sense IVR design tips.
Like many lists of design tips that have come before, Acclaim recommends that first and foremost, the navigation menu should remain simple and concise. Many systems try to offer too many options potentially resulting in customers forgetting choices and having to re-listen to a particular menu. Another very important design tip is to only ask customers to enter information once. Any duplicate request for information is indicative of an inefficient system and can cause frustration among customers. Perhaps the most important tip is to make it easy for a user to exit the automated system and speak to a live operator. Too many systems either bury the live operator option deep within the menu choices or worse, don't even give the customer the opportunity to speak to a human being. On one hand, this is an excellent money saving strategy, but on the other, it is terribly alienating for a frustrated customer. These tips are very simple however they are so often missing from the most basic IVR system. Simply adjusting the design mindset can help drastically improve customer experience and satisfaction with an IVR system.
Like many lists of design tips that have come before, Acclaim recommends that first and foremost, the navigation menu should remain simple and concise. Many systems try to offer too many options potentially resulting in customers forgetting choices and having to re-listen to a particular menu. Another very important design tip is to only ask customers to enter information once. Any duplicate request for information is indicative of an inefficient system and can cause frustration among customers. Perhaps the most important tip is to make it easy for a user to exit the automated system and speak to a live operator. Too many systems either bury the live operator option deep within the menu choices or worse, don't even give the customer the opportunity to speak to a human being. On one hand, this is an excellent money saving strategy, but on the other, it is terribly alienating for a frustrated customer. These tips are very simple however they are so often missing from the most basic IVR system. Simply adjusting the design mindset can help drastically improve customer experience and satisfaction with an IVR system.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
