Natterbox Voice Anywhere Helps Avoid Perils of IVR

Natterbox, an innovative provider of hosted service services, is helping businesses improve the way in which they handle their customers by giving them a faster and more direct alternative to interactive voice response (IVR) technology, through the deployment of its Voice Anywhere application.

IVR is a technology that allows a computer to interact with humans through the use of voice and DTMF (Dual-tone multi-frequency signalling) keypad inputs, however, it does have a number of pitfalls that cause customer frustration.


By its very nature, customers don’t like having to go through the many, often drawn-out IVR processes to speak to the department or person they require, with many opting to push any button that will get them through to a representative in the quickest time possible. Indeed, according to a recent customer study, 41 per cent of respondents cited voice self-service as the most annoying communications channel.

The main causes of frustration include duplicate information, having to repeat answers and being on hold for too long – with irritating music or advertisements. A fact that unfortunately defeats the entire strategy of deploying IVR technology in the first place and ultimately causes more work for the business having to reroute the calls and ultimately frustrate the customer.

However, Natterbox’s Voice Anywhere solution automatically recognises the number of the incoming call and routes it directly to the appropriate account manager or department, completely avoiding the frustrations that IVR can present. Furthermore, should the business representative be out of the office, the incoming call can be automatically routed to multiple devices, such as a mobile or house phone, without delay or disruption to the caller.

Neil Hammerton, CEO of Natterbox, commented:

"As a result of the current economic climate, customer loyalty has reduced drastically as they pursue the best deals or, the best service. By avoiding the often negative process of IVR technology and routing the call directly to the relevant account manager or department, the customer journey is instantly improved, thus increasing the likelihood of retention and repeat business."

To improve the customers experience further, Natterbox’s Voice Integration application can link telecoms and CRM systems to create a hybrid application that streamlines and improves the way in which a business handles its clients even further. Once a call is routed to the desired destination, relevant information about the caller is immediately made available to the call receiver, such as call history and contact status and, when the call is finished, the CRM system is automatically updated. As a result, call waiting times are reduced and agents can handle even greater volumes of calls, thereby reducing costs, whilst providing an exceptional customer experience.

The problems with IVR are well documented with some countries, such as the USA, having multiple websites which guide callers through the IVR process so they can get through to any representative in the shortest amount of time. However, Natterbox’s innovative applications provide a means to avoiding the use of IVR while guaranteeing a seamless and efficient customer service. Information: www.natterbox.com.  
 

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