Abstract
This paper introduces and illustrates the practical application of the Customer-Centric approach to designing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, illustrated here as an auto-attendant function. This five-step approach to IVR menu design produces menu options that match the tasks customers are trying to accomplish. In addition, the options are grouped and ordered by the frequency of customers' tasks, and they are worded in the language of the customer. Consequently, customers make the correct selection and reach the correct service entity without additional assistance. Results indicate that the Customer-Centric approach, relative to more traditional IVR design approaches, is associated with measurable improvements in call-routing accuracy and customer satisfaction. Such improvements significantly reduce the volume of misdirected calls and enhance a company's relationship with its customers.
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