Key 10 Questions When Testing Your IVR

IVR, or interactive voice response, is a system that help callers navigate through a series of prompts to retrieve information or reach a specific department of your business. Because it’s the first thing your callers will encounter when calling your business, it’s an important aspect of your company. That makes testing your IVR an essential practice.

In this article we’ll discuss 10 questions to ask yourself when testing your IVR. Plus, we'll share some of our best tips for troubleshooting problems with IVR systems.

1. Are calls being routed correctly?

If not, callers won’t reach their desired agent or department. Most hosted IVR systems allow you to access your call routing rules through a web-based user portal, so you can make changes to your settings quickly and easily.

2. Are your menu choices confusing?

Confusing menu choices can make it difficult for customers to get their questions or concerns addressed. Make sure menu options are short, but easy to understand.

3. Is your hold music appropriate?

Hold music can help make a customer’s wait time more enjoyable. But are you playing appropriate music? Choose music that shows your business in a good light.

4. Do you have too many menu options?

If you have too many menu options, callers may be confused about which one is right for them to choose.

5. Should you include more menu options?

But are you offering enough menu options? If the options aren’t specific enough, callers could frequently reach the wrong department and need to be transferred.

6. Does your IVR greeting provide enough company information?

Some customers may be calling just to get standard company information. Things like your address and business hours may be good things to include in your IVR system greeting.

7. Does your system accept voice recognition or number pad prompts?

Can callers say their answers to your IVR, or do they need to the touch tone keypad to respond to your prompts? Regardless of which method you are using, make sure callers know which one to use.

8. Can your IVR system answer customer questions on its own?

Can customers get personal account information directly through your system? For instance, can they receive updates on their current bill balance? If so, let customers know they can get this information through the system rather than waiting for an available customer service representative.

9. How long does a caller spend on the IVR system before reaching an agent?

One thing to take note of is how long the average caller spends in the IVR system and how long it takes to reach an agent. If the wait time is too long, customers may become frustrated.

10. Can a caller reach every department of your business?

If customers could be calling for different departments, make sure your IVR system allows these callers to reach their desired location.

When you’re testing your IVR system, you should interact with it as if you’re a customer. You want to consider the 10 questions above because they’ll greatly influence the way your customers experience this system.

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