Have you ever been put off calling a company because you simply didn’t want to sit through the painful IVR? You dial the number, only to be welcomed by an unenthusiastic robot stating that your call is important. The robotic voice gives you a confusing list of options, leaving you to choose the one that you think will best fit your needs. As you wait, elevator music from the 60’s fails to entertain, before you’re finally connected to a real person.
We’ve all had these ‘interesting’ experiences when dealing with companies, so how do you make sure your customers get a better experience? Plug in some fresh, brand-savvy, creative messaging for your IVR, in-queue and on-hold experiences and you’ll have made a great start.
Here are three tips for getting those messages right…
Tip One – Be Brand Smart
Creating a brand is exciting, but so many companies seem to stumble when choosing the right tone for messages on their phone system. It’s too easy to fall back on clichés like ‘Please hold the line, ‘We’re sorry but’ or ‘Your call is important to us’… sound familiar? Does this really reflect your brand? Is this how you’d use your other communication channels? Probably not. Smart, brand compliant, creative wording can go a long way to providing a call experience that is uniquely you. So being brand smart is essential when it comes to getting the scripts right for your messages.
Tip Two – ‘KISS’ those lengthy sentences goodbye!
Have you ever heard the term ‘Keep it Simple Stupid’? Filling your IVRs with lengthy, confusing messages can be irritating to callers. In fact, it is generally estimated that a whopping 83% of callers are more likely to avoid a company after they’ve had a bad experience. Think of what you want your messages to say and what type of impact you want your message to achieve. Keeping those messages short and sweet is key to a better experience, so tackle one topic in each script, ditch the jargon and get to the point.
Tip Three – The Benefits of Brainstorming.
Great minds might think alike but getting a group of individuals together can rain down solutions or identify pain points you’ve never considered. That’s just as true when creating your messages. Simple concepts can take on a new form, fresh eyes can get you going again when you’re stuck and inviting the views of your colleagues can even encourage team building. These diverse opinions and ideas point the way to new topics and solutions, so when you write you’ll have the knowledge and creativity of your whole team behind you.