by Tamu Browne

Created on: April 23, 2009

Hello?

Press one to dial by name, two to return to option one and nine to exit this infernal automated menu and regain your sanity. These all too pervasive automated phone systems range from the simple menu characterized attendant, where the customer selects a numbered selection from a list of options, to the more sophisticated IVR - Interactive Voice Response system. The Interactive Voice Response Systems in addition to allowing callers to select options (pre-recorded voice prompts) from a voice menu, IVRs also allow selection through voice option commands. Commands generally consist of numbers or simple "Yes" and "No" answers. IVR systems also have voice options for "help," "speak with a customer care specialist" or other various straightforward options. By 2010, it is estimated that self-service will account for fifty-eight percent of all service interactions, up from thirty five percent today.

It is a desire by companies to increase their bottom line by cutting costs that is creating the rush to adapt automated answering services. It is estimated that an automated customer service system can handle a query at a cost of eight to fifteen cents a minute. The same query handled by an outsourced customer service representative in India or the Philippines would cost twenty to forty cents a minute, and sixty five cents to $1 a minute if handled by a United States customer service agent. Additionally, the turnover rate of individuals employed as receptionists is staggering, partly because of burnout due to the repetitive nature of the job. The average span of employment for a receptionist is six to nine months, and the infrastructure expense of perpetually training, insuring, and then retraining new personnel is significant. The cost factor is especially important for small businesses with limited budgets. An auto attendant can save tons of time, money, and training. The stand-alone auto attendants that are best suited for small businesses are based on digital announcer technologies that handle a limited number of lines and menu options. They work with a range of phone system types and are easy to add on cheaply to a legacy system and are usually very easy to program and to install.

The cost factor is however not the reason most businesses publicly admit to when explaining their adoption of the automated attendant, instead they claim increased efficiency and argue that the automated voice is part and parcel of their customer relationship management approach, as increased

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