Companies
are introducing automated voice response telephone systems in an effort to
free-up time and make staff more productive.
Telecomms
firm Avaya has rolled out an intelligent interactive voice response (IVR)
system to all its 1,000 UK-based staff in a bid to help with more than 700
calls a day.
The
virtual receptionist can identify any member of staff through voice recognition
and connect a caller to an individual member of staff in a call centre or
office.
Clive
Sawkins, vice-president for Avaya, said the software, supplied by Nuance, had
been successful during a trial period and helped callers get through to the
correct person: "We believe it has the potential to liberate call centre
agents and receptionists by freeing-up their time to undertake more fulfilling,
productive and rewarding tasks," he said.
