5 Benefits of Visual IVR

Today’s customers want to get in touch with companies at all hours of the day and night to do things like check their account status or pay their bill. Mobile devices, which provide a 24-hour connection to the rest of the world, have heavily influenced customer expectations. Information is constantly at their fingertips and there are few things that can’t be accessed in the moment. When it comes to CRM, many customers would love to forgo traditional IVR and instead communicate with brands in the  ways they’re used to. Visual IVR aims to use more of a smartphone’s functionality, not just the ability to place a phone call.

Traditional IVR can be tricky to navigate. Customers have to wait through all of the options to make sure they choose the right one. Voice recognition doesn’t always register what the customer is saying. Visual IVR is similar to traditional IVR but is accessible via a screen rather than a verbal menu during a phone call. Instead of listening to lists of options, customers can scan a screen, decide which option is best and choose that one. Menus can also be visually enhanced to guide the customer through the options.

1. Visual IVR can integrate with your current IVR system. Your scripts are used to create the visual menus. Customers can choose which IVR method they want to use.
2. Visual IVR improves the routing experience, resulting in fewer zero-outs, which is when a customer continues to push “0” in order to speak with any representative. Easy Visual IVR navigation means customers will choose the right options the first time. When it’s time to route the customer to a live agent, the correct department will answer the call.
3. Visual IVR results in fewer calls to live agents. Since self-service is made easier thanks to Visual IVR, many issues can be solved through the session without ever requiring a representative. This reduces the number of incoming calls agents have to field.
4. The Visual IVR menu collects more customer information than traditional IVR systems can. By the time the customer is connected to an agent, the agent has a lot of information to work with and can pick up right where the customer left off.
5. Customers don’t have to install a special app in order to use Visual IVR. They can access menus right from your website whether they’re on a computer or a mobile device.