IVR AND INTERNET SELF-SERVICE PREFERRED TO SPEECH AUTOMATION

A study of consumer attitudes to service automation by IT services supplier Dimension Data shows that 40 per cent of customers actively avoid automated speech, a four per cent increase against the figures polled last year.

The internet has instead become the first point of call for many customers, with 50 per cent of those consulted turning to the web for answers rather than contacting a call centre.

The continued erosion of confidence in automation is a concern for those businesses attempting to cut call numbers, with just 25 per cent of customers happy to use speech systems again - down from 36 per cent in 2008.  Much maligned IVR systems may actually be a better option, with 40 per cent of consumers stating a preference for touchtone menus.  Another problem highlighted is that data gathered through automated menus is not passed on to call centre agents, requiring customers to repeat the information, which was cited as a source of frustration for 37 per cent of customers.

“There’s no doubt that organisations have turned to speech automation in a move to save money.  However, nearly half of the organisations we surveyed said they had a genuine desire to improve the service they provide to their customers using speech recognition systems.  On the positive side, we are seeing that where the system is designed with the customer in mind, satisfaction levels are high,” said Martin Dove, global managing director of Dimension Data.

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