What is IVR Voice Messaging?
Put simply IVR Voice Messaging is the professionally voice pre-record announcements you hear when calling a contact centre.
You know the type:
Welcome to XYZ Company, please choose from the following 4 options
To speak to our sales team press 1
For customer care press 2
For technical support press 3
And for anything else press 4
Most companies have some form of IVR, ranging from a simple response menu to intelligent automated systems. Whether you’ve got something in place or not, it’s worth investing in IVR Voice Messages that deliver a smooth and efficient customer journey.
IVR voice prompts are essential for large companies and call centres; to direct customers to the right person or department. They also help to manage call queues and keep customers happy from the moment they pick up the phone through to speaking with an adviser.
By working with an IVR consultant, like us, you can map out the ‘branches’ of your IVR tree, ensure that the scripts have the right tone of voice, and that your IVR recordings are in line with the rest of your brand.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or you want to step up the capabilities of your existing system, we can help. Our service can be tailored to your specific needs and deadlines, with a dedicated manager to oversee the project.
Curious to see what professional voice messaging could do for your contact centre?
To discuss your project, call our friendly team on 0333 050 7610 or email your script to hello@ivr-recordings.co.uk for a free quote & audio demo.
The different types of Voice Messages:
Welcome & Privacy Message
Exactly what it says on the tin, this message welcomes callers and informs them about your privacy policy, where to find more information and if calls are recorded
IVR Menus / IVR Prompts / Sub Menus (AKA Auto Attendants or Main Menus)
IVR Menus are there to guide callers to the correct department. They present the caller with a list of options to choose from. For the best experience we recommend keeping the number of options to 5 or less.
If you have multiple departments then having sub menus can help the caller move through the system quicker than listening to a long list of options.
Informational Messages (AKA Channel Deflection Messages)
Once a caller has selected an option from the menu then you have the choice to play an information message to them. This can be as simple as ‘We’re connecting you to a member of our team, please have your account number ready’
Alternatively you can direct callers to self service online or via another channel, this is known as channel deflection and can be utilised when relevant to encourage caller to self serve online.
In Queue Messages (AKA On Hold Messaging)
If an agent is not available then the caller will have to join the call queue, this is your opportunity to play information messages to assist the caller.
What most call centres have is a generic message something along the lines of…
“Your call is important to us, please stay on the line and we’ll be with you shortly.”
This message plays every 30 seconds with music in between.
Please DO NOT DO THIS! It drives callers crazy, so when they are connected to an agent they have to deal with a frustrated caller.
It’s much better to have a variety of messages which are relevant to the callers enquiry.
For example if you’re a housing association, your repairs queue can play messages to callers to tell them how to register non urgent repairs via your portal. Or information on routine maintenance you’re currently performing. Or what to do in an emergency.
Out of Hours Messages
Out of hours messages are played to callers when your contact centre is closed, they can simply inform callers of your opening hours and encourage them to call back then or give them alternative ways to contact you and what to do in an emergency if relevant.
Depending on your industry you might have the following:
Compliance Messages - if you operate in
ID & V Capture & Verification
Call Back Messages
Ready to improve your IVR Messaging?
Book a Discovery Call and Steve our CX Consultant will jump on a call to show you how you could be utilising professional voice messaging in your contact centre
Call us on 0333 050 7610, book a consultation, or email your script to hello@ivr-recordings.co.uk for a free, same-day quotation.