Why Do Companies Use Automated Phone Systems?
As telephone systems began being converted to digital systems, the cost of automated phone systems dropped and the number of features available via a digital phone system increased. These improvements resulted in most companies adopting automated phone systems.
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Individual Call Routing
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Companies with many employees, who don't want to give each employee a separate direct dial number, can set up an automated phone system so callers can enter the employee's extension without human intervention. This reduces the time it takes for the customer or caller to reach the desired employee, and reduces costs because an operator is not required.
Locating Appropriate Department
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By establishing a customer's needs before connecting him to an employee, the customer receives more timely information because he doesn't need to be transferred from department to department. This also reduces overhead costs by lessening time wasted by employees trying to handle caller problems that are better solved by more appropriate personnel.
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Reduced Personnel Costs
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By reducing the number of employees required to deal with a customer problem or question, personnel costs are lowered. Because fewer people are required to answer general questions (a task usually handled by the operators at the front end of a traditional telephone system), personnel costs are further reduced.
Reduced Customer Service Costs
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By ensuring that the majority of customer calls reach the appropriate customer service representative and do not have to be transferred to other personnel, the overall cost of providing customer service is reduced. In addition, a captive audience listening to marketing pitches can often be enticed to purchase additional products or services.
Automated Information Systems
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In many cases, a large group of customers needs to hear the same or similar information. These customers may not need to speak to a person. Information can be provided via an automated system. More specific information, such as account balances, can be provided after establishing the identity of the caller.
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References
- Photo Credit Photo: Michelle Byrd, stock.xchng
