What is it and how do you test it?
Interactive voice response, or IVR, is an automated enterprise telephony system that uses pre-recorded messages and/or text-to-speech technology to interact with a combination of voice telephone inputs and touch-tone keypad selection. If you’ve ever had to ‘say or press one for English’ then you already have experience with IVR.
At Spearline, our comprehensive IVR testing solution enables you to track call and data flows to your agents irrespective of location, with the ability to access audio recordings from each step of the IVR flow along with a transcription of that audio.
Before we get to the nitty gritty of Spearline’s IVR testing tool, let’s take a whistle-stop tour of IVR through the last 30+ years.
Hellooo and welcome to Moviefone!
How many of you remember Moviefone? Co-founder, Russ Leatherman provided his oft parodied voice for the well known automated movie-listing and information service in 1989 and while, sadly, consigned to history in 2014, the central premise of Moviefone’s automation technology survives to this day.
Nowadays, the IVR system is an integral part of the daily customer journey. Natural language processing (NLP) technology has supercharged IVR systems even further, expanding the potential avenues for customer interactions over the phone.
Automation gains
Thoughtful, well conceived and developed IVR systems have a myriad of benefits, some of which include;
- Efficient call routing
- Reduced wait times
- Increased first contact resolutions.
- Cost-effectiveness
- Reduced call volumes for customer service representatives
- Extended access beyond business hours
- No need to hire dedicated testers
- Increased security
- Some IVR systems incorporate voice recognition technology to verify the identity of an individual.
- Error Reduction
- IVR systems can eliminate the potential for human error.
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Engaging, prompt IVRs with minimal redirection routes boost customer experience.
Benefits notwithstanding, IVRs do have some potential pitfalls that require careful negotiation. Unsuccessful call connections, overly complex or outdated menu options, erroneous redirection, subpar audio quality, and inaccurate information will result in high abandonment rates and ultimately damage faith in your service and your brand.
Chances are callers are already frustrated with some issue and a less than optimal IVR system is going to make matters worse.
That’s the bad news. Now on to the good news.
Game of phones
When you play the game of phones, you win or you die! Well, ok, you won’t die, but your reputation might. However, with Spearline’s comprehensive IVR testing solution, you uncover the dangers before your callers do.
How do we do it? Let’s take a look at some of the features of our testing tools.
IVR mapping
Our IVR mapping process initiates automated calls that trawl through every possible IVR interaction route, providing a clear outline of all potential journeys and endpoints so there’s no need to manually call and examine each stage of an IVR.
IVR mapping helps you to spot areas for improvement such as outdated IVR options or premature call disconnects within an IVR call path. It can also make the job of migrating from one system to another easier if you are moving to a new provider.
IVR transcription
Our IVR transcription feature automatically transcribes all audio and presents it on a complete map illustrating the point at which each IVR prompt was present. This means you can repair any problems before they impact the customer.
Audio capture
Spearline’s IVR testing solution captures audio from each node of the IVR, which you can use to verify or dispute issues with a transcription. Deciding for yourself if call audio quality is acceptable.
Global coverage
Spearline’s robust in-country testing infrastructure enables companies to ensure that their callers are receiving the right IVR options and localisation messages regardless of where they are calling from.
Tailored test scheduling
Spearline’s customizable scheduling feature enables you to map your IVR flows at whatever times suit your service; inside or outside of regular working hours, according to your cadence.
Personalized dashboard
Maps of every IVR and every possible IVR journey are made available to you through your own, personalized and highly visual interactive dashboard.
Hold the line
The exponential growth in IVR system adoption means that callers are becoming more accustomed to IVR interactions and therefore more discriminating about what makes a good IVR service.
Spearline’s IVR testing solution is the vanguard in the fight to ensure digital transformation success. At the forefront of our thinking is the primacy of early detection. Through scheduled testing and comprehensive mapping you can reduce MTRS/MTTR times and ensure your callers receive the correct information, promptly and sequenced correctly.
An automated, installation-free, and cost-effective IVR call testing campaign with Spearline represents a proactive, global approach to improving IVR efficiency; try our demo today and learn for yourself.
New to Spearline?
Spearline provides quality assurance tools for business communication services, allowing you to proactively manage your inbound and outbound voice, SMS and fax services. Our latest WebRTC products offer testing, monitoring and support for web-based communications.
We work globally across business sectors, supporting contact centers, conferencing services, and more to successfully connect with their customers and employees. For further information, or if you have any further questions please get in touch.
