The way we communicate has drastically changed over the last few decades, from a time when face-to-face was the primary way to conduct business. In the modern world, people can talk to each other and purchase goods and services through all manner of new channels, often without ever speaking to an employee of the company.
Technologies such as the internet and social media have played a substantial part in this transformation. However, they are supported by a wealth of exciting technologies that have become part of our daily lives. One such technology is IVR, and with recent developments, it could go on to further shape the way customers and businesses interact.
What is IVR Telephony?
Interactive voice response (IVR) is a telephone technology (telephony) that allows computers to read and share data and information with a human caller. IVR enables computers to communicate verbally during a telephone call, while humans can interact either by voice or via the keypad on their device.
IVR takes advantage of a host of other telephony systems, such as dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) technology, which lets people interact with IVR systems via the keypad. Another supportive technology is artificial intelligence (AI), which has allowed modern IVR systems to develop better communication techniques.
The Development of IVR Systems
IVR has been around since the 1970s, although at the time it was deemed too expensive for many businesses. The technology rose to popularity in the 1990s, when many call centres adopted IVR systems. At this time, the technology consisted of digitised speech and humans entering DTMF keypad responses.
At the turn of the century, IVR systems that allowed people to use speech to communicate became more commonplace. At this time, the words they could use were often limited to a predetermined script, meaning specific or unique interactions could prove quite challenging. However, recent developments have seen IVR technology improve leaps and bounds.
Lead by giants such as Google’s Duplex, the latest IVR systems can speak and understand all manner of social communication, including small-talk and instances of poorly spoken sentences. Nowadays, IVR technology can hold a complete, natural conversation with its human users.
The Potential of IVR Systems for Businesses
Modern IVR systems can almost perfectly replicate a human-to-human conversation. With the benefits of computer technology, IVR can now supply a wealth of advantages to business users.
One of the main advantages of an intelligent IVR telephony system is its potential cost savings. IVR setups can resolve all manner of customer queries without the need for a live agent. They can do this for countless callers, all day, every day. IVR is widely used by banks for this ability to offer a 24/7 service to customers, something that would be costly if achieved through human staff. Over time, this can drastically reduce a business’ spend on live agent costs or call centre outsourcing.
IVR systems are capable of organising and using consumer data to help resolve queries. An intelligent IVR can also use data obtained and entered by human agents to offer a better service itself. This reason explains why the medical industry often uses IVR systems, thanks to their ability to use accurate information to ensure the correct solutions are provided with minimal hassle for the customer.
Bespoke IVR Chatbots for Your Business
IVR systems are becoming increasingly powerful, and the potential benefits for businesses continue to grow. Given the speed of its development and the companies backing it, you can expect that this technology will only become more prominent and useful as communication methods continue to develop.
Here at Hostcomm, we offer a state-of-the-art IVR system that utilises the latest technology to improve customer engagement for your business. Our bespoke software can provide all the previously-mentioned benefits and more to your company, so why not request a demo of our services today?
