The obsolescence of old IVRs
Faced with the increasing demands of consumers, companies have been using every possible means for decades to meet their expectations favorably. This notably involves multiplying alternative communication channels (email, chatbot, social networks…). While these channels, however numerous, often prove effective, the phone remains the preferred channel for customers. In the 90s, with the emergence of the first automatic servers, this technology was perceived as very complex and quite costly. A few years later, the voice server gained ground by becoming more democratized thanks to the emergence of low-speed modems and the Minitel in France.
Here we are in the 2000s, in an era of great technological upheavals. IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems are already well implemented, and companies are facing increasingly fierce competition to satisfy their customers in the most ingenious way possible! The only catch: the disenchantment of callers towards traditional IVRs is becoming more and more omnipresent…
IVR and DTMF: a passionate alliance for the benefit of the consumer?
The use of IVRs and voice automation in call centers allows responding to user requests without making them wait indefinitely or bearing the cost of a real agent. All of this aims to identify the reason for the customer's call (and respond quickly!).
IVRs allow customers to interact directly with a host system through voice menus using DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) tones. Callers are then offered several options and select their choice using encrypted telephone keys. This action triggers the sending of a DTMF tone and deduces an appropriate action such as:
Routing the call to the appropriate agent and/or service;
An automated response to the caller via recorded voice messages;
Triggering real-time actions in the information systems of contact centers, thus identifying the caller's request.
All this leads us to think of a true sustainable solution that benefits both entities and customers, and, above all, without flaws! Yet, reality is often quite different…
Is DTMF a death already programmed?
We have all experienced it at some point: contacting customer service hoping for, with apprehension, a smooth and uninterrupted interaction. Often, this expectation is not met, and we find ourselves stuck in an endless IVR, forcing us to (re)listen to options that do not concern us. This dissatisfaction is largely caused by DTMF IVRs, for several reasons:
They are too rigid: if the caller finds no option corresponding to their call, they have no choice but to contact an agent via another dedicated channel: social networks, email, chat…
They are too long: the duration of the call is increased, and customer experience is significantly degraded;
They are too opaque: the caller does not always know how to choose the right option among those offered and is not aware of the different levels of the IVR;
They are too directive: as long as the caller has not answered all the IVR questions, they cannot even speak to someone who could directly resolve their issue.
A picture is worth a thousand words, here is a video that illustrates well the obsolescence and frustration generated by DTMF IVRs:
Moreover, a survey* conducted by Arise in 2019 demonstrated that while about two-thirds of respondents were willing to accept a waiting time of less than two minutes, 13% stated that no waiting time is acceptable.
The result is without appeal: there is a clear and direct correlation between the increased irritability of consumers and the rising abandonment rate of calls within an IVR. Indeed, callers tend to hang up as soon as the situation becomes complex or too lengthy, or attempt to circumvent the predefined path to access an agent more quickly!
Finally, according to VHT**, an abandonment rate of calls within an IVR greater than 5% is considered “poor” and needs significant improvement. However, in a large majority of cases, IVRs using DTMF technology produce abandonment rates higher than the critical threshold of 5%.
Thus, the era of DTMF voice servers is inexorably tending to disappear. Customer expectations in terms of responsiveness and personalization in their interactions with companies represent an ongoing trend. This naturally leads us to wonder whether the technological relic represented by the IVR needs a good dusting off, by replacing DTMF menus that are completely losing pace with natural language voice services?
Choose a natural language voice assistant solution for an enhanced customer relationship
Voice artificial intelligence serving commerce is an obvious reality increasingly settling in our habits. Indeed, the fundamental challenge of voice assistants is very much present in the customer relationship: it is about qualifying and responding quickly and simply to the caller's request. Today, thanks to the deployment of natural language and the personalization of exchanges, it is only natural that voice assistants are incorporated into the process of handling a client or prospect call.
The close collaboration between artificial and human intelligence through the implementation of a conversational assistant is a key lever for creating a positive customer experience, and at ViaDialog, we have undertaken numerous developments in this direction…
Stay tuned for the next episode
*Arise Customer Service Frustration Series: Phone Hold Times, 2019.
**E-book VTHcx, Definitive Guide to Contact Center Metrics for Agents.
