Interactive Voice provides automated service capabilities by enabling customers to use the keys on a touch-tone phone to access information, such as bank account balances, flight arrival and departure times, and package delivery status.
This capability is provided by using a pre-recorded human voice stored on a computer hard drive, or by using text-to-speech technology. These pre-recorded options are accessed via customizable touch-tone dialing (DTMF) phone menus.
Some providers offer a self-service solution that includes an unlimited number of phone menu options such as playing a message, routing an interaction to a queue, sending a fax, opening a sub-menu, and other features.
Advanced features include data connectivity to multiple ODBC data sources, wireless access, automated speech recognition (ASR), in-depth reporting, Voice Recognition XML and SALT support, and support of multi-channel communications, such as input by Web or fax.
Applications can vary in scalability, from several ports for a single location, to thousands of ports suitable for multiple centers or even carrier networks.
Industry analysts report that interactive applications can significantly reduce the cost of supporting customer interactions if advanced speech software is used to more flexibly support complex interactions, such as helping callers self complete applications, scheduling service requests, providing technical support, and handling financial transactions. Some studies show that a company migrating from touch-tone to ASR experiences up to a 15 to 20 percent gain in un-assisted call completions. Below is a list of companies who can implement an integrated self-service system with IVR for your business.
For more information, click on the Companies listed below.