Is It Time to Leave the IVR Hold Line Behind?

Chris Caile of Nuance Communications makes the case for digital solutions to take the place of the traditional contact centre IVR hold line.

Would you stand in line to talk to a bank teller if you could get your questions answered from a kiosk five feet away? No, of course not. Or how about waiting on hold for product support if the same answer was waiting for you on the company website? Only true line lovers opt to wait.

Yet that’s what many of us do when we stay on hold for a call centre agent to ask about a problem that’s easily addressable in other channels.

In the modern omnichannel world of customer service, there is so much more organisations can do to help callers escape long hold times. Companies need to start offering customers the ability to leave the IVR and resolve their query via digital experiences.

Shifting From IVR to Digital – a Better Way

Modern organisations today can move targeted callers out of the IVR to a digital experience such as a virtual assistant, live chat, or self-service guides on the website.

By doing this, the caller can resolve their issue faster and on their terms, and this lightens the load on the call centre – freeing agents to help callers with more complex questions.

An IVR-to-digital solution allows both the company and the customer to be in control. The company selectively targets who they offer the chance to move. And the customer chooses whether to take the option to move or stay put in the call queue. Both parties win.

Will I Lose My Place?

Leaving a line is often scary. Will I lose my place? Will I have to call back in? Nobody likes to feel like they are losing their spot in line.

It’s human nature to be concerned. But an IVR-to-digital solution takes callers to the answer to their problem in the first place without dropping the connection. And they are transferred with context to avoid repeating themselves over and over.

Will My Issue Be Resolved?

Curious about how an IVR-to-digital solution can work for you? Check out this interactive infographic to see how two customers get two different experiences when they contact their bank.

Organisations need to determine if they want to offer a “Pam” experience or an “Oliver” experience. Only the most die-hard line lovers would choose Oliver. The rest of us choose Pam!