For a customer-friendly Interactive Voice Response experience there shouldn’t be too many options in the IVR menu, nor subsequent steps to follow within those options. It’s not always easy to know which options are essential in the menu and which can be excluded, so to help with this, Aircall lets users “tag” calls by subject. Once a call has been reviewed, agents can manually apply tags corresponding to each IVR selection. Over time, the distribution of tags will reveal patterns relating to call frequency and volume.
Another useful improvement to IVR is to apply a call back feature at the end of your menu options. This way, your customers can go about their days instead of waiting on hold, relieving pressure on agents as well as preventing customer frustration.
Your company’s IVR should always be open for business, even outside of standard business hours. An automated assistant still has value to offer. Simple inquiries with concrete answers such as store hours, store locations, account balances, or basic shipping information can still be provided automatically, without the help of an agent. Even if a customer can’t find a resolution through the IVR after hours or during weekends, the software can direct them to the correct department’s (personalized) voicemail.