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The Role Of IVR (Interactive Voice Response) In Market Research |
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Written by Vision One Research
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17 Sep 2010 |
What is Interactive Voice Response? IVR is a computer based technology used extensively by customer service providers and those interested in monitoring customer satisfaction.
It enables computer systems to detect voice and touch tones using normal or mobile phones.
IVR can be used to manage almost any function where the customer interface can be broken down into a series of simple menu choices. They are flexible systems which can respond with pre-recorded or electronically generated messages to record caller information and direct calls. An increasingly popular use of IVR is in customer service centres, where a caller uses their telephone keypad to respond to computer generated voice prompts.
From a market research perspective, IVR systems are often integrated with other computer based surveying platforms. This means that survey responses can be captured in many ways - from online surveys and mobile phones, to kiosks. They are ideally suited to high volume surveys and often provide significant cost savings over traditional CATI and telephone based interviewing.
Examples of IVR Survey Uses and Applications
FREEPHONE IVR surveys
This is where customers are invited to call a free-phone number and answer pre-recorded questions verbally or by using the buttons on their phone. This is ideal when customers have just experienced a product or service, such as a live event, a shopping experience or visited a restaurant or hotel.
POST-CALL IVR surveys
This is now very common practice in the UK where customers/callers are invited to participate in a survey at the end of their interaction with a call centre agent.
This can be applied to virtually any organisation where staff are interacting with customers over the telephone. This can involve capturing the information immediately after the interaction with staff, or through an automated call-back.
Some of the key applications of IVR are:
* Customer satisfaction programmes
* Employee surveys
* Exit interviews
* Member/Supporter surveys
* Customer experience evaluations
The Advantages of IVR
Giving people the option to respond immediately by simply calling a freephone number, increases the chance that they will respond but also ensures the experience is still fresh in their mind.
Some of the other key advantages include:
• Another advantage is that an IVR survey can be completed anonymously which helps to increase both their participation and honesty.
• Traditional online and pop-up surveys are often part of the same platform and can be incorporated seamlessly into IVR programmes.
• The technology also allows the use of kiosks so that an individual, wherever they are, can directly access the survey.
• Ability to handle multi-lingual surveys makes it suitable for local and international research projects
• IVR operates in real time and results are captured instantaneously. This enables clients to potentially access live reports and even receive email or SMS alerts (for example when a customer is dissatisfied).
• Low cost (typically 50% or more cheaper than research traditional methods)
If you would like to know more about IVR or how IVR could help you, please visit our website Vision One Research at Market Research UK Vision One Research is a full service UK market research agency offering qualitative (focus groups, eye-tracking) and quantitative research methodologies including; CATI, Online, Face to face and IVR Research called TotalRecall We specialise in both business and consumer research – from brand and new product development, to customer satisfaction research and ethnography. September 2010
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