IVR systems are a technology used by businesses to handle customer service and sales. An IVR system allows customers to interact with a company’s representatives via voice or text messaging. The system is hosted on the company’s computer or phone system and typically connects to a call center. IVR systems are popular among small businesses because they are easy to use, cost-effective, and beneficial to customer service and sales processes.

Benefits of Hosted IVR systems

Reduce  costs

  • Hosted IVR systems allow small businesses to reduce their costs by eliminating the need for additional hardware or software. Since an IVR system is hosted on the company’s computer, phone, or tablet, it only needs access to an internet connection and a microphone. This reduces the costs of setting up an IVR system as well as reducing security risks since there is no need for external hardware. Companies can host IVRs in-house or purchase a hosted solution from a third-party vendor. Hosted IVRs also reduce IT complexities since maintenance is more accessible and less time-consuming.

More reliable customer service 

  • Small businesses can benefit from IVR systems by providing more reliable customer service since representatives can answer calls without waiting for an agent. Response times are faster with an IVR system compared to live calls since there is no delay between responses. Business owners should also consider this when determining which option works best for their company based on the advantages listed above. The reliability of an in-house hosted system would be much better than that of a call center with live agents since the response time wouldn’t be affected by waiting for agents to respond first.

Improve  marketing strategy

  • Small businesses can improve their marketing strategy by using IVR systems correctly since they can effectively connect with customers and prospects via voice messaging or text messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. Small business owners can use voice messaging apps to easily connect with customers during weekends, evenings and other busy times that they cannot access personally through email and other digital channels. They can also promote special offers, events, or other information via voice message that would be difficult or ineffective using regular methods such as emailing or texting directly with customers. 

Cloud-based IVR system

While some users believe that utilizing a cloud-based IVR system is faster than desk-based IVRs, the opposite may be true for certain tasks. For example, accessing a phone number via your desktop may be faster than accessing it via your smartphone through an app. Doing so reduces the amount of time required to complete a task as compared to a traditional phone call to your carrier’s customer service line. Furthermore, users can access their user data from any internet-enabled device such as their laptop or tablet. This makes it easy to take notes or make changes to voicemail messages on the go without needing to contact customer service directly via landline or mobile phone. 

Conclusion

Hosted IVRs have proven beneficial features for small businesses, especially those looking to cut costs, increase the reliability of customer service and boost sales strategies based on available technology tools today. Sparktg is one of the reliable service providers in this field.