It was recently revealed via an Adweek/Harris poll that 19 percent of Americans identified a female voice as more persuasive and inviting when implemented into an IVR system or auto attendant solution. And similarly, 18 percent believed the same thing about the male voice. The majority, 64 percent, indicated that it did not make a difference whether the voice used in IVR messaging or an auto attendant system was a male or female. Why focus so closely on the gender of the voice implemented?
With the knowledge that poor auto attendant performance impacts internal operations, as well as customer satisfaction, auto attendant solution providers want to be sure to cover all bases – managed services, pronunciation, updated directories, and inviting voices. In today’s world, self-service solutions are being embraced for their ability to speed customer service, and studies show the auto attendant plays a central role in driving customer satisfaction. A Speech Tech Mag report suggests that such a thing as gender of voice in an IVR system can affect customer satisfaction. Choosing a voice for the perfect auto attendant, however, may be harder than one thought.
Therefore, how do you select the right voice for your interactive voice response system and auto attendant solution? Aside from determining the right gender, you also have to find the right dialect, the right pitch and even the right tone, ensuring people enjoy listening to that voice. This recent GM Voices (News - Alert) post examined the role of voice in IVR and auto attendant messaging and whether or not a professional is needed to get the job done right.
It is important to note when developing the right voice that professional actors don’t actually sound like real people, even if people think they do. An optimal performance by a voice actor tends to be more animated than a real person would project with normal speaking. And, with no facial or body language, the actor has to carry the entire message with his or her voice, which is a challenge that requires not only talent, but also training.
As GM Voices CEO, Marcus Graham (News - Alert), noted that while an internal voice can work well on some occasions, it actually doesn’t make economic or operational sense for companies to use internal – and underdeveloped – talent in their messaging.
Could you tell the difference?
Jaclyn Allard is a TMCnet Web Editor. She most recently worked on the production team at Juran Institute, a quality consulting firm producing its own training and marketing materials. Previously, she interned at Curbstone Press, a nonprofit publishing press in Willimantic, CT, and fulfilled the role of Editor-in-Chief for the literature and arts journal published by the University of Connecticut. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Jaclyn Allard