3 tips to improve "the telephone lounge" (IVR) of your company
Each of us has had to wait in the phone queue for a call to the customer service department. Everyone knows that this is not the most pleasant activity. However, there are ways that can help to make this moment more pleasant.
For a better reader, press #1
I remember the times when in primary school for a joke my friends and I typed some vulgar words into the computer and waited for the speech synthesizer to say them out loud. It was super fun, the teacher got really mad, and we tried to blame each other for committing this crazy offense.
Ok, it was fun. But it was a thousand years ago in primary school. Now, after many years, I know that the synthesizer helps, for example, people with disabilities. However, it is highly unprofessional to set it as the voice which welcomes our customers. All sorts of robotic-sounding words are cool when we have a Transformers toy in front of us to play with. However, if we want our customer service line to be professional, we must make sure that the reader is a person with a nice, welcoming voice.
It may seem like a small detail, but in our opinion as a company that provides, among other things, virtual telephone exchange (+ IVR) services, it is significant.
For a better music, press #2
Soon, I’ll be flying to Paris for a few days. I go to the hotel website, I make reservations, I call to confirm and what do I hear apart from the nice voice of the reader who asks me to wait to be connected to reception? Music.
Not some awful pop hit or "Who let the dogs out?" (although if I called a dogcatcher and heard something like that, it would probably make me laugh), but Edith Piaf – “Sous le ciel de Paris” (literally “Under the Paris Sky”; listen to it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKEzDfFiRBs).
Finally, someone answers... I think it is probably even the same woman who was just the voice of IVR a moment before.
For a moment, I don’t even know what to say because I cannot rouse myself from my reveries after such a — I know it may sound strange — nice time spent waiting on the line.
I am not a music maniac, but such a nice accent made me very happy and gave me an idea for how you can charm your clients with a simple procedure involving choosing the right music repertoire for those waiting for a connection with the hotel staff.
Btw, if I had a hotel somewhere in California... the Eagles would be playing on continuous loop for every second of the customers’ waiting time on the phone.
To avoid the queue, press # 3
Just kidding. Sometimes nothing can be done about this. Your clients will simply have to wait, but let them know about it! Tell them if they are 4th, 5th, 21st, 23rd, or 33rd in the queue.
Sure... They may be annoyed, but during this waiting time in the queue they will be able to, for example, take care of something else or call later. That’s why you should not forget about this option.
The Dzinga company provides communication solutions for enterprises. One of them is the virtual telephone exchange https://dzinga.com/pl/products/hpbx/, available in our specially prepared packages, tailored to the needs of your company.