So you’re ready to make the leap, opting for the convenience, practicality, and cost effectiveness of an IVR. Before you decide on an IVR software provider, it’s crucial to think through which features and options meet your needs.
Here are 10 questions that you should ask when deciding which IVR software vendor to work with:
1. Is there an IVR setup fee?
If you’re paying a setup fee, you’re incurring an unnecessary cost. There’s no reason to pay an upfront setup fee for an out-of-the-box solution, so make sure your IVR vendor doesn’t charge one.
2. Does your IVR provider require a contract?
Don’t get locked into long-term contract that might not fit your particular business needs down the road. Hosted IVR solutions should provide you with a month-by-month subscription option so that you remain in control, ensuring that your IVR vendor works every month to keep your business.
3. What level of customer support does your IVR provider offer?
Any business worth its salt will tout its excellent customer service. This makes it all the more important to dig a bit deeper, asking some specific questions about how your IVR provider’s customer support actually works. Is the relationship limited to email? Can you talk with your IVR vendor over the phone? What is the turnaround time for answering questions? Do you get a dedicated account manager? The answers to these questions will go a long way in telling you what you can expect from the company you’re trusting to handle your company’s phone calls.
4. How do you update your IVR when you want to make changes?
Can you can easily login and make real-time updates with the click of your mouse? With today’s innovations in IVR technology, there’s no need to hire a programmer or to wait for your service provider to make the changes in the backend for you. Take control of your IVR and demand the ability to login and make your own updates in real-time via an easy online portal.
5. Are multiple IVR menus supported?
Gone are the days in which a business can focus on only one thing. Don’t let this become an excuse for suboptimal customer service. When you chose an IVR software provider, you should pay one price to create as many IVR menus as you need, allowing you to specialize your call menus to suit the specific purposes for which users seek you out. Never pay extra for unique IVR systems or prompts.
6. Does your IVR provider offer additional features?
An IVR is a supremely helpful tool, but it doesn’t live alone. For example, businesses with multiple locations can make their IVRs more efficient by GeoRouting calls to the relevant destination. Find out if your IVR vendor can provide additional features if you ever need them down the line, such as a Virtual Call Center, Voice Broadcasting, and Call Tracking.
7. Can you get access to real-time reporting online?
This is key. It’s users themselves that tell you, more than any other source, how best to configure your IVR. Do 60% of callers end up at the same menu destination? Then this option should be presented first, aiding the very usability of your IVR for the majority of your customers. You can only know to do this if you’re successfully tracking how actual customers use your IVR in real time.
8. How do you access reports?
Your IVR vendor should be able to provide you with access to view results at any time. Data should be available online, in Excel, via email, or via API. Make sure your vendor provides information in the way you want to see it, providing the most convenient access for all users.
9. Does the IVR provider have an API to make it easy for your web developer to integrate the IVR with your database?
An IVR is more than just an automated call menu. Or, at least, it should be. If your provider offers full API support, your IVR will be able to interact with your database in really valuable ways. Consider the following scenario: A customer calls your IVR, checking on the status of a delivery. Once the customer enters her order number, the IVR accesses your order database, determines the tracking information, and relays this information directly to the customer over the phone. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s no limit when your various forms of software interact with each other. Find out if your IVR provider has an API that makes it easy for your web developer to integrate the IVR with your current database.
10. What is your IVR service provider’s uptime and reliability? If something happens, what steps are in place to communicate issues with customers?
All reliable IVR vendors claim an uptime of at least 99.9% uptime. The real test occurs, however, on the slim chance that there is downtime. What is the process for communicating that downtime with customers? Ask your vendor what steps they have in place in the very unlikely scenario that something does go wrong. The answer to that question will certainly help you get a feel with the company you are about to get in bed with.