Pampering Your Callers

More than offering perks; the tone of your IVR can provide VIP service

I remember thinking -- when I called the upscale bakery to order some cupcakes to take to a function – “Man! Have I called the right place!”

This is a very high-end cupcake bakery, and you *knew* it when you called in. Their IVR was setting the stage for how incredible their cupcakes were going to be. Filled with statements like: “You deserve the best…” and “don’t blow those calories on something second-rate…” the caller is not just waiting to hear the options to place an order; they are being drawn into the experience. (And reassured that they are worthy of this level of baked goodness.)

A similar auditory experience was created in an IVR for a dermatologist/spa clinic that I voiced.

The script called for a luxurious tone; every sentence welcomed the caller and reinforced the idea that they – above all other callers -- *deserve* a spa treatment and will get scheduled for one as soon as someone comes on the line. The prompts *connect* with the caller; they understand why they called, they are in their headspace, they share their concerns, and this unseen disembodied voice is going to take care of you.

Even if you company doesn’t necessarily offer luxury, you can still make a direct and profound connection with your callers. Your prompts can make callers feel good about their choice to engage with you, and they can start the process of relationship building between you and your customer.

When designing your prompts, ask yourself:

Who Are My Customers?

Identifying who your customers are – or more specifically: who among your customer base is more inclined to *phone in* than place an online order – is key to knowing what tone your IVR prompts should take. Rather than profiling, it’s more predicting who your telephone audience is: crucial information to have before you set the tone with your IVR scripting and voicing.

What Do they Want?

Just like the aforementioned cupcake bakery and spa knew exactly what their customer needs, you need to focus on the likely reason they’re calling and meet that reason head on with congratulations for making such an astute choice in calling your company, and reinforcing in their mind that they’ve contacted the right place. I voiced a system for a large, nation-wide auto parts distributor, and the tone was: “No need to call another place; we have everything. But you knew that, you astute customer!”

What Can I Do To Let Them Know That We Are Kindred?

Expressing the idea that you know how stressful life is (and so, therefore, they deserve a massage more than anyone else), how busy they are (we’ll pair you up with technical support as soon as possible), how confusing some things in life are (one of our investment professionals will be on the line to talk you through TFSAs from the ground up), or just generally how special they are (we have the perfect SUV waiting for you!) are just some of the ways to align you with your callers and provide a personalized service scenario.

With an IVR, you can just…instruct. You can simply issue a bunch of options for them to select, and that’s it. Or – and this is where the true marketing to your phone customer comes in – you can identify the customer, you can meet their needs head on, and you can show them that you have a true understanding of them.

Allison Smith is a professional telephone/AI voice heard on platforms and applications globally. theivrvoice.com, @voicegal.