Call Handling (IVR)
Make sure you never miss a call
If you want to handle calls more effeciently and make best use of your in-house team, a call handling system can really make sense.
KC’s Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system is a menu-driven system that will automatically direct your customers to the right person to handle their enquiry, first time, every time.
Acting much as a real-life receptionist might, it redirects calls to the correct department, and can also take messages you can later retrieve. Calls can be automatically routed to agents based across multiple locations, saving time and money while helping to increase customer satisfaction.
An IVR system offers a number of extra business benefits…
- Standard information requests – like requests for opening times – can be answered efficiently
- It welcomes your callers with a professionally recorded message before directing them to a pre-defined number
- Calls can be automatically routed to agents based across multiple locations according to the options you provide
- IVR options can be altered from any location via a web-based interface
- It’s budget friendly, payable via a monthly rental with no capital outlay up front
- You can customise routing plans to point calls to different locations depending on the time of day or geographic location
- IVR is suitable for single and multi-site businesses
What do I need to be able to use IVR?
IVR is only available for use with an 08 or 09 number. However, 08 or 09 numbers make great sense for businesses, offering a single point of contact that’s easy for your customers to remember and simple for you to manage.
Features – and the ways they support your business – include:
| IVR Features and Examples | |
|---|---|
| Single outdial services | Callers hear a pre-recorded announcement, before being routed to a new destination number – ‘Thank you for calling [name of business]. Please hold while we connect you to the next available agent.’ |
| Single announcement information services | Callers choose from a series of options to hear a pre-recorded announcement. For example, horoscope information with a different number for each star sign. |
| Nested menu information services | Callers are directed to the appropriate piece of information by selecting from a range of options – ‘Please press 1 to speak to the sales team, press 2 to pay your bill…’ |
| Voice form record and retrieval | Callers will hear a pre-recorded message, then can leave their details. |
| Tele-voting services | Callers vote by selecting from a series of pre-recorded options. Transcription service allows administrators to retrieve all recorded messages or caller details, or make a random choice if choosing a competition winner. |
| Remote prompt recording and administration | Allows the administrator to record new prompts, or change a previously recorded message, from any location. |
In more detail, what are the features of IVR?
Active-View
An online, feature-rich tool for analysing and managing your inbound call traffic to your 08 and 09 numbers within hours of the calls being made.
The four elements of IVR, all easily tailored to your individual requirements:
Auto Attendant Advanced
Improve business productivity by seamlessly redirecting calls at business critical times – ensure calls are never missed. Re-routed to agents based across multiple locations according to the caller’s choice from a menu. Dynamic routing gives you the flexibility to redirect calls as needed to:
- The next available agent
- A service announcement
- Voicemail
Auto-Attendant
Present your callers with a menu and route the call according to their selection. This system is ideal for routing calls across multiple locations, offering simple onward routing to a single destination. Better still, Auto Attendant announcements can be recorded and uploaded onto the IVR via the telephone with no need for expensive software.
Interactive Voice Response
Welcome your callers with a professionally recorded message – that can includes information like opening times – before directing them to a pre-defined number.
This service is ideal for busy periods or when there is no available call agent. Geographic and Time of Day Routing is part of this service, allowing calls to be handled by agents at the most appropriate location, dependent on the area and the time of call.
Voicemail
Tailored messages can be recorded depending on why the call has been diverted. Messages can be retrieved at any time, from any location.