Marie Angselius Schönbeck, Chief Impact Officer at Teneo,ai, talks about how traditional IVR is not useful anymore. Furthermore, she emphasizes the importance of customer service in today’s business landscape.
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Under the pressure of cost reductions, call centers need to rely on technology to support their customers. However, some IVR solutions create inefficient and frustrating experiences, leading to poor customer satisfaction and lost business.
To address these issues, businesses are turning to newer technologies. One of these, is conversational IVR which is used to support customers and human call center agents. McKinsey predicts that Generative AI could enable labor productivity growth of 0.1 to 0.6 percent annually through 2040.
One successful example of implementing conversational AI is Swisscom’s use of Teneo Conversational IVR. The company uses Conversational IVR to enhance the customer experience in its contact centers. By allowing customers to explain their matter in their own words, Swisscom was able to direct them to the right team. As a result, their contact center has experienced a significant increase in NPS scores.
The solution is able to understand customers as they explain their issue in their own words and language. It can communicate in national languages (German, Italian, French and Romansch) and even in non-written Swiss dialects. Transactional NPS scores have sky rocketed by +18 points.
To achieve great customer experience (CX), it’s essential to focus on the right targets when measuring success, including Net Promoter Score, conversion rate, transfer quota, and automation quota. However, it’s important to remember that introducing conversational IVR into an organization should not create fear in employees and partners. Instead, it should be introduced transparently, with a focus on upskilling staff to build expertise in areas that AI can’t handle.
Follow Marie on LinkedIn for more insights and to learn about CX in 2023. Contact the Teneo.ai team to learn more about how to enhance your traditional IVR with Teneo Conversational IVR.
FAQs
Is traditional IVR really dead and what has replaced it in modern customer service?
Traditional menu-driven IVR is becoming obsolete as customers demand more natural, efficient interactions. Modern conversational AI and intelligent voice automation have replaced rigid menu systems with natural language understanding (99%+ accuracy), immediate intent recognition, and seamless customer experiences that feel more like human conversations. 78% of organizations plan to replace traditional IVR by 2025.
Discover IVR evolution: Explore next-generation voice automation to see how modern systems replace traditional IVR limitations.
How should organizations measure customer service success in the modern era?
Modern success metrics include customer effort score (CES – target below 2.0), emotional satisfaction ratings, first contact resolution rates (target 85%+), conversation completion rates (target 90%+), customer lifetime value impact, self service success rates (target 80%+), omnichannel experience consistency, and AI automation effectiveness rather than just traditional metrics like call volume and handle time.
What are the key performance indicators for conversational AI customer service?
Key KPIs include intent recognition accuracy (target 95%+), conversation completion rates (target 90%+), customer satisfaction with AI interactions (target 8.5/10), escalation rates to human agents (target below 15%), self-service success rates (target 80%+), response time improvements (target under 30 seconds), cost per interaction reduction (target 50%+), and overall customer experience enhancement compared to traditional systems.
How can organizations transition from traditional IVR to modern conversational AI systems?
Successful transition involves conducting current state assessments (2-4 weeks), defining clear objectives, implementing phased rollouts (starting with top 20 use cases), training staff on new systems, monitoring performance metrics, gathering customer feedback, optimizing based on data insights, and partnering with experienced conversational AI providers for guidance and support. Typical transition takes 3-6 months for full deployment.
Modernize your customer service measurement: Schedule a metrics consultation to develop success measurement strategies for conversational AI implementation.