Interactive Voice Response Survey
Platform’s Customer Contact Team, the Hub, wanted to find out about your experiences of calling us and using the Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
We asked people who use our phone system how we could make it better. We wanted to know what worked well with the Interactive Voice Response, and what could be improved. We asked questions about how easy the phone menus were to use, how long they had to wait, and if they could easily reach the right person to help them.
It was important for us to find out exactly what our callers thought because we want to ensure that the service works effectively for anyone who contacts us.
What we asked
We asked our callers four important questions to learn more about their experiences:
- Positive experiences: We asked callers what they liked about our phone menu and what made their calls easier or enjoyable.
- Improvements needed: We wanted to know what parts of the phone system they felt needed improvement or could be easier to use.
- Suggestions for the automated system: We asked callers for ideas on what they would like to see or hear when they call our automated phone system.
- Reaching the right department: Finally, we asked if callers felt they got through to the correct department quickly the first time they called.
These questions helped us clearly understand the good and not-so-good parts of our phone system.
What people told us
Of all the customers who responded 77% said our phone menus were clear and easy to understand. They liked that the instructions were simple and easy to follow. This helped them feel less confused when making a call.
However, nearly half (45%) of people told us they had to wait too long to speak to someone. Some (27%) also said they wanted to talk to a real person faster, instead of pressing lots of buttons. Half of our callers felt they reached the right person quickly, but the other half thought this could be improved.
How we improved our phone system
To improve our phone system, we set up working groups and collaborative working to make waiting times shorter. These teams are looking at ways to help our callers speak to someone quicker. This means people won't have to wait as long to get the help they need.
We are also making our phone menus clearer and simpler. By early next year, we will have updated all the phone menus to make them easier to use. This will help callers reach the right team without confusion or having to press too many buttons.
Better conversations
We also reminded our team members how important it is to introduce themselves clearly at the start of each call. This helps callers feel more comfortable because they know exactly who they are talking to and what team they're from.
By making these improvements, we hope to make phone calls easier and quicker for everyone. We promise to keep listening to our callers and finding new ways to improve our service.
