How to Choose the Right IVR Number Provider?

Even though the IVR solutions provided by each IVR service provider might seem to be similar, picking the best one for your cloud call centre requirements can depend on several crucial aspects. But before we get into what to look for in an IVR service provider, you must understand the key factors that contribute to making such a significant business investment.

What is an IVR number?

IVR number or interactive voice response number that can be used to offer a range of services, including:

• Addressing frequent inquiries
• Providing customer support
• Connecting Live agents
• Playing caller tunes/audio messages
• Receiving SMS's

By lowering the volume of calls that must be handled by live operators, IVR systems can help businesses provide better customer service and operate more efficiently.

Why do businesses need an IVR number?

Reduce call volumes:

IVR systems can aid in reducing the volume of calls that live employees are required to manage. By lowering wait times, this can enable your employees to concentrate on more complicated problems while also enhancing client satisfaction.

Boost efficiency:

IVR systems can help to boost efficiency by swiftly and conveniently directing calls to the relevant department or individual. By ensuring that customers are communicating with the appropriate individual for their needs, you may save your company both time and money while also enhancing customer satisfaction.

Save operational expenditures:

By decreasing the need for live agents, IVR systems can help organisations save money. For firms with significant phone volumes, this is especially advantageous.

IVR systems can, in general, be a useful tool for companies of all sizes. They can help to enhance customer service, boost productivity, and make savings. If you don't already, you might want to think about implementing an IVR system.

Following are a few more advantages of using an IVR system:

Customer satisfaction:

By offering a quicker and more convenient means to acquire assistance, IVR systems can help to increase customer satisfaction. Customers don't have to wait on hold or speak to a live representative in order to swiftly and simply acquire the information they require.

Sales growth: 

IVR systems can help businesses grow by enabling clients to make purchases or schedule appointments without speaking to a live employee. 

IVRs increase customer satisfaction rates, facilitate agent workflows, increase agent retention, and enable businesses to respond to more consumer enquiries in less time. First-call resolution rates also rise as a result of an IVR's accurate handling of hundreds of queries. Businesses who haven't adapted to this fast-paced climate are soon falling behind because it has become the norm.

What to look for in an IVR number provider?

Routing across different channels 

Customers now anticipate several forms of communication from the businesses they do business with, including, SMS, email, and phone. For a better customer experience, an IVR service provider should connect through at least more than one channel.

Customers of Alohaa can use an IVR system via calls and SMS. Companies must be careful to give customers more options to contact them now that smartphone usage is commonplace and consumers can select between various channels. By doing this, businesses can stay current with user experience technologies and be competitive in their respective markets.

Call logs

Customer satisfaction percentages might decline significantly if operators are under pressure and feel as though they must speed through each call. Customers and agents are relieved of tension by call logs that show numbers of clients that were not connected during the time. With the help of automated routing, Alohaa’s IVR system circles back to these unconnected calls after completing the list.  This ensures customers go about their day knowing that they will eventually connect and have their queries resolved.

Simple setup 

Making the switch to a new procedure is difficult enough as it is. Because of this, the installation of a new IVR system shouldn't be. Ask your provider to walk you through the setup procedure, and find out what kind of instructions you'll have access to as the new system is put into place. When choosing an IVR service provider, make sure they have knowledgeable advisors on hand in case you have any questions as your contact centre gets used to the new IVR.

Customer support

The IVR service company you select should give excellent customer service. You might occasionally have queries or run into problems with the IVR system that you're unsure how to resolve. Your business won't promote dissatisfied customers and worn-out employees if you have qualified and knowledgeable support on hand. 

Quick and accurate routing

Calls should be effectively routed to the appropriate agent or department by your IVR system. In addition to improving the customer experience, Alohaa’s robin-routing and priority-routing prevents pointless transfers and holds.

Features

Look for additional features that ease and simplify the agent's process. For example, Alohaa’s call recording, log calls, and note section help agents get context before speaking to the client and addressing their queries faster.

Factors to consider when choosing an IVR number provider

Call Volume:

How many incoming calls will your IVR system need to handle each day? One of the most crucial things to think about when selecting a system is the amount of calls, as you'll need to make sure it can handle your call volume without any problems.

When you call, how long do they usually last? If your calls are getting longer, you'll need a system that can handle them without disconnecting callers or having other problems.

Budget:

How much can you spend? Before starting your search, it's crucial to determine how much you're ready to spend based on the size of your organization and offerings.

Convenience and usage:

When selecting the best IVR system for your organisation, several factors must be taken into account. The usage and convenience of usage are two of the most crucial factors. It guarantees that the system you select is simple to use and configure, allowing you to make changes as needed without experiencing any difficulties. Additionally, it must be adaptable and simple to use by all employees.

Scalability and Reliability:

When selecting a system for your company, you must take into account important criteria to make sure you make the best decision. We'll go over some of the most important reliability and scalability factors you need to take into account while making your choice.

When selecting it, scalability is an important issue to take into account. You could have to replace your system sooner than you'd like, which can be expensive, if you select one that is more scalable. It would be beneficial if you made sure your chosen system could handle an increase in call volume as your company expands.

Additionally crucial is dependability. It would be beneficial if you were certain that the system you choose could efficiently handle a huge volume of calls. You must make sure that your system is reliable and won't cause interruptions because downtime may be expensive for enterprises.

Voice Clarity and Accuracy:

Callers to your company should be able to effortlessly navigate and obtain the information they require. It implies that the quality of your voice recordings and reliability of the data offered must be excellent. Anything less will lead to a bad customer experience.

How to choose the right IVR number provider for your business?

Explore and compare features:

Examine the features and capabilities that various providers of IVR numbers offer. Examine if they provide call routing choices, reporting capabilities, and features to meet your company's demands.

Reliability:

A reliable infrastructure and a solid track record of uptime are important factors to take into account. Calls that are missed as a result of downtime hurt client satisfaction.

Analyse contract terms and price:

Compare the price structures of various providers, taking into account startup costs, monthly costs, and any supplemental fees for extra features or consumption. Pay close attention to contract provisions, such as duration and cancellation clauses.

Evaluate customer support:

Compare the providers' levels of customer service. Think about their accessibility, responsiveness, and the methods they provide for communication, for example, calls and SMS. In order to solve problems and guarantee efficient operations, good customer assistance can be essential

Flexibility and scalability:

Choose an IVR number supplier that can adapt to your company's development and changing needs by taking scalability and flexibility into account. Make sure they provide scalable plans or the ability to upgrade or downgrade as required.

Test the service out:

Several IVR number providers provide demos or trial periods. Utilise these chances to test the service and assess its usability, call quality, and general performance. With Alohaa, you can book a free demo and get in-depth information of how your company can utilise various features with a single and simple dashboard.

Examine the user interface:

Setting up and managing your IVR system will be simpler if the interface is simple to use and intuitive. Look for a service provider whose user interface matches your level of technical expertise and satisfies your needs.

Future growth:

If you have plans to grow your company internationally or if you require foreign phone lines, make sure the supplier can accommodate your needs.

After taking into account all of these elements, you can begin comparing IVR number providers. Here are some pointers to assist you in selecting the ideal supplier for your company:

Read Reviews:

To see what other companies have thought of various IVR number providers, read internet reviews.

Obtain quotes:

Before you decide, request quotations from several different service companies.

Ask for suggestions:

Find IVR number providers by asking your friends in business or coworkers for recommendations.

Conclusion:

There are several factors to take into account when choosing an IVR system to suit your needs, from price and customisation possibilities to scalability and integration options. By recognising these crucial elements, you may select the best solution for your company, improving productivity, efficiency, and profitability.

For more information on IVR numbers and how they can benefit your business, visit Alohaa.ai or schedule a free 15-minute demo now!