IVR can be of great assistance in retail operations, as it can provide high-quality service across every point-of-contact with the customer while managing costs.
The idea of well-done IVR is to extend the in-store customer service experience to the telephone. A fully-hosted IVR and call center applications give companies a platform for retailers to optimize the customer experience as well as manage costs, increase productivity, and even generate new revenue.
One expert in IVR, Angel summarizes some of the major advantages IVR can bring to retailers:
Store locator: Customers can find the store closest to them, searching by more than 120 different ways, including zip code or area code, to find the location nearest them.
Product line: Customers can use IVR to find, order, and get the status on products at any time.
Gift card management: They can provide customers access to individual gift card information instead of tying up your agents. The Angel IVR system, for example, can help check balances, add value or buy new cards without requiring a live agent.
Virtual call center: When calls require an agent, good IVR systems have a Virtual Call Center
to ensure you effectively and seamlessly route callers from an IVR to an available customer service rep.
Promotion hotline: A quality IVR will let you play targeted, customized promotional messages to your callers.
HR Applications: Not all advantages are strictly customer-facing. They can also be used to provide direct access for your employees to benefits information, and can ease the burden of screening job applicants with a phone-based application survey.
Employee notifications: An IVR system can also be used internally to alert, notify and inform employees on store closings, hour adjustments and benefits information.
Customer satisfaction surveys: IVRs can be used whether you are conducting an outbound survey or gathering information from those that call you.
David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of David’s articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here.Edited by Tammy Wolf