Planning IVR applications

Before starting an IVR evaluation, make sure that an IVR application is really the solution you need – otherwise you risk wasting your time and the vendors'. If all you're looking for is a better routing system to direct incoming calls to their destination, a better auto-attendant is a much more effective solution for the price.

If a simple routing solution won't fit the bill, look more closely at your goals: think through exactly what you want the system to do. Consider the audience, what information it should provide, and what actions callers should be able to perform.

In most cases, the real advantages of IVR come from being able to provide callers with information from your customer databases: order status, account balances, and the like. For this, you'll need a dynamic IVR application that includes text-to-speech capabilities.

You may want an IVR that can place calls for customer follow-up surveys or reminder. You may not need text-to-speech in this case, since you can prerecord all the messages, but you'll need a system with outbound calling functionality.

For dynamic applications like these, the system will need to connect to existing information stores, such as backend databases, CRM software, or order tracking systems. Gather detailed specs on your current phone system, network, and databases so you can provide that information to the dealers you meet with.

Additional considerations for IVR applications

• How many phone numbers will the system need to work with?
• What is the peak volume (calls per hour) it will need to handle? Is there a seasonal pattern to call volume?
• What is your timeline for getting an IVR application set up?
• Do you want a system capable of speech recognition?
• Do you have development resources in house to configure the system, or will you need to hire professional services?
• Who will handle calls that need to connect to a live agent?
• Do you have the technical staff in place to maintain the hardware and software needed to run an IVR system? Or would you prefer to outsource the hosting? (More on this in In-house vs. hosted IVR systems.)

When making these types of decisions, consider both your immediate and longer-term needs. For example, you may want to start with a push-button system, but switch to speech recognition at some point in the future. Making the right choice up front can considerably ease these kinds of transitions.