Today, it is a known fact that some Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems and live contact centers are frustrating for customers, especially mobile customers who want faster, easier transactions. Both businesses and consumers are calling for ways to leverage smartphones in order to improve self-service IVR and live support.

In fact, according Theresa Szczurek, the co-founder and CEO of Radish Systems (News - Alert) LLC, a provider of voice/data mobility solutions for customer support, 88 percent of people actually hate traditional IVR systems, while 92 percent of people get their impression of a company based on their call center experience, and 63 percent of people actually stop doing business with the company after a bad call center experience.

Luckily, agents that use Radish System LLC’s ChoiceView Live Agent software can send visual data (graphics, photos, documents, diagrams, videos, etc.) during a phone call with mobile users. Mobile users see the visual information, can save it to history, and can send photos and video snippets as part of the session. Radish Visual IVR is all about taking self-service to the next dimension because people want improved self-service.

“The mobile market has grown so we are solving this mobile customer support issue, providing a way for enterprises to support their customers mobile,” said Szczurek in an exclusive interview with TMCnet at ITEXPO (News - Alert) Miami 2013. “We are leveraging the power of mobile devices in real-time over network in real-time.”

For IVRs, ChoiceView allows any cloud or premises-based IVR to be upgraded to a visual IVR with a script change only. It's the first solution to transform traditional IVR systems from many vendors into next generation Visual IVRs. Also, the ChoiceView REST API for Visual IVRs is an open platform for use by IVR developers. With a ‘True Visual IVR,’ customers instantly see visual menus while hearing information and can navigate menus quickly, creating a drastically better customer experience.

“There are literally millions IVR ports out there, new and legacy that do voice recognition and all of the sudden we come along and offer a whole new communication channel: The visual menu,” explained Dr. Richard Davis (News - Alert), Radish co-founder and Chief Technology Officer.

Today, Radish improves the way organizations communicate with mobile device users through its cloud-based ChoiceView SaaS (News - Alert) solution. ChoiceView offers the next generation of multimodal unified communications, allowing visual content to be shared while talking or chatting with smart mobile device users using any phone on any network.

“Visual IVR opens up new communications channels to IVRs,” said Davis. “In the distant future, all phone calls will be like this.”

The results are faster communications, lower operating costs, enhanced user experiences, and higher revenues. Currently, ChoiceView is available as a general mobile app on Apple and Android (News - Alert) mobile devices; software for live and automated agents in enterprise contact centers as well as for individual PC users; as a Software Developers Kit for inclusion in third-party mobile apps; and a REST API for Visual.

“The chances are much greater that the problem will be solved with the visual IVR and you won’t need an agent, but if you need an agent, they will get you help seamlessly,” said Davis. 

These days, Radish is busily working through all of the cloud and premise-based IVRs that are out there who are increasingly supporting ChoiceView. As of recently, the company is finding a great deal of interest in its visual IVR from the healthcare, financial services as well as from the mobile ticketing space.

This week, Radish is holding a ChoiceView Give-Away Contest at ITEXPO Miami 2013. Organizations can enter to win a free ChoiceView Live Agent or Visual IVR deployment (up to five agents or IVR ports) including one year of service for a qualified business.

In addition, Szczurek will be speaking at ITEXPO Miami 2013 sessions, where attendees can learn how to transform self-service voice-only Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems into next generation Visual IVRs and how to enhance live assistance to next-generation ‘voice with visuals’ mobile transactions.

She will be speaking on Wednesday, January 30^th at 9am in the session, “Contact Center Customer Experience: More than “Can You Hear Me Now?”, and at 2:30pm in the session, “Communications Madness on the Move: Keeping Up with the Mobility Trend.” Additionally, Szczurek will be speaking on Thursday, January 31^st at 1:30pm in the session, “Voice-Enabled Applications: The Next Great Mobile Opportunity.”

To enter the ChoiceView Give-Away Contest, go to http://www.RadishSystems.com and contact the company via email or phone stating that you are entering the contest, drop your business card or contact information off at Radish’s ITEXPO presentations, or give your business card to a Radish representative at ITEXPO or another event.

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