How WebRTC is Reshaping IVR
For those of us that use it to handle inbound calls, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a valuable tool. Through a series of recorded prompts, IVR is an affordable, efficient way to make sure callers are routed to the right department first time.
However, that’s not how your customers see it. Unfortunately, years of bad design, endless menus, and confusing options have tarnished IVR’s reputation. In fact, an incredible 83% of consumers feel IVR systems provide no benefit to them at all.
Changing that public perception will take a fundamental reinvention of how IVR works – and, by bringing communications into web browser, WebRTC could be just the technology to do that.
Customer benefits of Visual IVR and WebRTC
With WebRTC, your customers can initiate contact via VoIP, live chat, or even video from inside their web browsers. As a result, typical approaches to IVR using audio recordings are just one of the available options.
Visual IVR is an innovative new way of delivering an experience that works in the same way as traditional IVR – with the advantage of added convenience for your customers.
Instead of listening to a recording, your IVR structure can be transformed into a visual tree on your website.
This comes with several key advantages.
1. Visual IVR is faster and easier
The recorded messages used on a traditional IVR system need to strike the balance between speed and clarity. In many cases, that means listening to slow, arduous items on a list before finally arriving at the relevant one.
With Visual IVR, your customers set their own pace. Instead of waiting to discover their department is very last on the list, they can simply complete a form or instantly scroll to the relevant section and connect to the appropriate hunt group.
2. Visual IVR is more transparent and accurate
With your IVR and WebRTC interactions all driven by code in the web browser, it’s easier to present customers with detailed, transparent information on how calls are routed.
For example, if a customer is required to make three choices (progressing through business divisions, departments and teams), you can include a visual cue that shows how far along the process they are.
In addition, this enables contact centres to add more depth to their IVR structure if necessary – something that would be guaranteed to frustrate customers in an audio setup.
Contact centre benefits of Visual IVR and WebRTC
Finally, using WebRTC and Visual IVR comes with unique benefits for contact centres and businesses – and not just the fact that your agents will be dealing with customers that are less frustrated by confusing recorded messages.
Most compellingly, Visual IVR is quick and easy to change. If you restructure your business or add a new project team, there’s no need to invest in re-recording all your IVR messages. Instead, just work with your service provider to change the code on your website – a fast, simple and cost-effective process.
WebRTC and Visual IVR makes communications better for your customers and your contact centre alike.
Find out more at https://www.hostcomm.co.uk/solutions/web-rtc-for-business
