Reaching out to others and working together has led to the creation of the advanced societies we live in today. But as the world grows increasingly technological, it's easy to forget that being human, and treating customers as individuals with their own needs and desires, matters now more than ever.
We've come a long way as a species since our ancestors told stories around bonfires, but science tells us that human interaction is still vital to our health and success. Communication is key to how we understand and how we are understood. However, our rapidly changing world, disrupted by all manner of technological innovations, has left our species valuing efficiency over all else. How can we appease this desire for simplicity while providing a human, personable service that shows customers we care?
Having a deep understanding of your customers is important to all businesses, but especially so for businesses who use automated voice prompt systems. The more you know about your customers, the better prepared you are to anticipate why they're calling and what they're seeking to gain from getting in touch with you. The ability to deeply empathise with and understand each other is one of the character traits that differentiates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom – and from the increasingly advanced AI systems currently in development.
A simple way of doing this is to put yourself in your customers' shoes and try to understand their experience with your company. Performing this exercise can inform your scripting and menu option choices. If you can predict some of the key reasons a customer might call, you can put these options nearer the start of the menu and save them the hassle of clicking through 20 different choices. This will provide your customers with a stream-lined experience, whilst showing them you've actually given thought to their problems and are offering a solution.
It takes less than seven seconds for people to form an initial opinion of your business – so it's important to make your first impressions count. Including a warm greeting in your script and having an friendly voice on the other end of the line will help your business stand out from the competition.
How many times have you called an automated service only to hear a monotonous, robotic voice recording? A professional voice-over artist will help you achieve the engaging, human tone you should be aiming for. It's important to remember that the way your customers feel about your brand will influence how they think about your business. Just because you're utilising an automated voice prompt system, it doesn't mean you can forget that the person calling would like to be treated in a personable manner.
When writing your voice prompt scripts, it's critical to ensure they sound human and conversational. Drop needless words and use contractions so the script is more reflective of how we actually speak to one another. Saying "hello" is more natural than saying "good day" and using contractions like "you're through" rather than "you are through" will help your prompts sound more organic.
It's a well known fact that monotonous voices cause people to switch off. Reduce the chances of your customers missing important bits of information and improve the user experience by avoiding repetition and keeping your messages succinct and clear, cutting out any needless jargon. Using personable words like "we", "you", "us", and "our" will also help your prompts sound more caring and down to earth.
It's also worth considering how you'll build rapport with your callers when things aren't running as smoothly as you'd like. Include empathetic phrases in your on hold message script. It lets them know that you genuinely care about their circumstances, and this will undoubtedly reflect well on your brand.
We can't stop technological change (nor should we – it's our future and should be embraced!), but sometimes it's easy to focus too much on efficiency and forget about the small things that make us human. In a world that's rapidly becoming more automated, being listened to, understood, and treated in a friendly, personable manner is more appreciated than ever.
Following the advice set out in this article will help you make your digital channels less superficial, more engaging, and, crucially, more human.