We’ve talked a bunch about how phone technologies, and IVR especially, can enable small businesses to create a big business voice. While this idea is no longer so novel, I did not realize its sensitivities until reading Digium’s blog post, “The 15 Commandments of IVR – Commandment #2 – ‘Thou Shalt Not Create Fake Mailboxes.’”
The lasting thought that I was left with after reading Digium’s blog is that creating a bigger voice is not always the right objective. What’s most important for businesses is to create the right sized voice, not just to supersize like a fast food joint.
The blog’s opening caught my attention, so take a quick glance at Allison Smith’s personal IVR experience:
About a year ago, I recorded an IVR for a small independent dry cleaning business – not really a Mom and Pop company; they were located in outlets across three States, and were doing very well – they prided themselves on fitting in seamlessly into the communities they served and they were at just the right size for their comfort level. When I recorded their system, a request for a total re-record came in (never a good thing) but their reason for the redo was unique and sticks with me to this day: my usual professional tone was seen as too “highbrow” for them. Created too much of a “big company” impression. They didn’t want to be “Martinizing”; they wanted to sound “local”….friendly….and accessible.
Allison continues by providing some basic tips in constructing an IVR menu, but her main point is that IVR menus should be simple and should only feature mailboxes that are actually assigned. The common mistake of adding multiple mailboxes to route to one single person, in an attempt to give a “big business” impression, could lead to mailboxes being overlooked or deleted as spam. Even in the best case scenario, where the intelligent routing process remains flawless, extra lengthly IVR menus can confuse potential customers, or simply waste the listener’s time.
IVR’s ability to project a more professional image does not mean that you need to compromise on warmth or endlessly extend the number of mailbox choices. The first step in creating your IVR menu entails self awareness of what impression you would like to portray to your customers.
Related posts:
- How to Create a Great First Impression on your Advertising Website
- Keep Focused: How to Create a Great Company Blog
