IVR (Interactive Voice Response) surveys are automated telephone programs that allow people to answer questions without the need for human intervention.
The questionnaire is answered by pressing the telephone keys or by voice, which is recorded and later analyzed.
IVR Surveys can be leveraged across a wide variety of industries to improve customer service and gain customer loyalty.
Types of IVR surveys
IVR surveys can be completed in different ways. Here we mention the existing ones:
Incoming IVR survey: This type of survey is carried out by offering the respondent a telephone number through an invitation that is sent by email or other means.
Subsequently, the participant calls the telephone number at the time he prefers and responds to the survey.
Exit IVR Survey: In this mode, IVR surveys are conducted by calling respondents to complete a pre-recorded survey through an automated system.
This type of survey is ideal to measure customer satisfaction , after a purchase or acquiring a service.
Transfer IVR Survey: In Transfer IVR Surveys, customers are invited to respond to a survey at the end of a support call.
The automated invitation is made with the objective of knowing the immediate reaction of the customers after receiving attention from a customer service representative.
Mixed IVR survey: This is another IVR survey method, which consists of a representative inviting the client to answer an automated survey and at the end of this stage, conclude the process with human assistance.
Generally, this type of IVR surveys are carried out when it is necessary to deal with private or sensitive subjects.
Best practices for conducting IVR surveys
We have some tips for you to help you implement IVR surveys:
Define a specific topic to evaluate
Before starting to apply IVR surveys, you need to focus your data collection on a specific topic. These can be to assess customer satisfaction, brand awareness, etc. Preferably limit the objective to one.
Having a clear topic will help you keep your survey focused on purpose and get results that allow you to make better decisions.
Define your survey keywords
After establishing the topic of your survey, we recommend that you clearly define your keywords so you know what you are evaluating exactly.
Performing this activity will allow you to design a survey with specific questions for the topic and to validate the research.
Use simple words
Using complex words or techniques can lead to a lack of understanding by respondents, which can be reduced to abandonment of the survey, bias in the results and failure of the research objectives.
Conduct a survey that has continuity
When taking your survey, be sure to create questions that are consecutively similar and that allow users to create a connection between them. This way, it will be much easier to complete them.
Use the appropriate rating scales
Generally, feedback surveys are conducted using scales ranging from 0 to 10. However, IVR surveys are answered with a telephone keypad, so it is suggested that the scale be reduced to 5 points.
Provide answers that cover most of the possibilities
After choosing the appropriate number of answer options, offer options that do not restrict the results as much, as this could lead to the loss of important information.
Take a short survey
Because IVR surveys are automated, there is a higher probability of abandonment. Keep it short enough so that users are more likely to answer it.
Taking a survey in two to three minutes will allow you to collect enough information for your purpose. We recommend using key questions at the beginning to maximize the response rate.
Advantages of conducting IVR surveys
IVR surveys have great benefits for organizations that want to obtain information regarding the customer experience. Here are some of them:
- They are easy to do: Since the system is automated, you just have to program it and it will start working.
- Provides scoring results: They are ideal for conducting evaluations where you obtain scores such as the Net Promoter Score .
- The cost is low: IVR surveys are inexpensive, as they do not require human interaction.
Disadvantages of conducting IVR surveys
IVR surveys have some drawbacks. We have for you some of the most relevant:
- The response rate is low: The level in the response rate is due to the fact that the survey is carried out at the end of the call and not during it, so they do not wait to complete it.
- It is difficult to ask qualitative questions: Because it is easier to record responses using the keyboard, users do not always provide qualitative feedback during the survey.
- Only record the telephone point of contact: Since the survey is conducted over the phone, it does not allow surveys about the experience on the website, th
