How do you design a user-friendly and accessible automated call menu?

2 Challenges of automated call routing

Despite its advantages, automated call routing can also present some challenges and risks. For instance, the lack of a human touch and empathy may not be suitable for complex or sensitive situations, and customers may find poorly designed menus, robotic voice prompts, or limited choices frustrating or confusing. Additionally, automated call routing may prevent opportunities for upselling or cross-selling products or services, as well as building rapport and loyalty with customers. Lastly, technical issues or errors may disrupt the service or damage the reputation of the call center.

3 Best practices for automated call routing

To maximize the benefits of automated call routing and overcome any challenges, it's important to keep the menu simple and short, avoid jargon or acronyms, and provide a repeat and skip option. Additionally, segmenting and prioritizing your callers based on their profile, history, preferences, or behavior can help route them to the most suitable or skilled agents or departments. Before launching your system, test it thoroughly with different scenarios, devices, and feedback channels. Once it is in use, monitor and measure its performance and optimize and update it regularly based on the data and feedback you collect.

4 Tips for human call routing

Automated call routing is not always the best solution, and in some cases human call routing may be more appropriate. Human call routing can be used for complex or sensitive cases, such as complaints, refunds, or emergencies, as it can provide more empathy and flexibility. It can also be used for high-value or loyal customers, as it can help increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, human call routing can supplement or support automated call routing by providing backup, overflow, or escalation options, or by following up with customers.

5 How to balance automated and human call routing

Finding the optimal balance between automated and human call routing for your call center depends on several factors, such as your goals, resources, capabilities, and customer expectations. To help you find the right balance, start by defining your objectives and KPIs. Analyze current trends and patterns in your call volume, distribution, duration, resolution, and satisfaction. Evaluate the pros and cons of automated and human call routing in terms of time, money, quality, and risk. Finally, experiment with different combinations and configurations of call routing to see how they affect your objectives and KPIs. Compare the data and feedback from each experiment to make adjustments as needed.