Survey Methods White Paper Series Four Options for Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Surveys

Transcription

1 Survey Methods White Paper Series Four Options for Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Surveys POLARIS MARKETING RESEARCH, INC LINCOLN PARKWAY, SUITE 320 ATLANTA, GEORGIA

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3 Four Options for Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Surveys Key to using IVR technology in survey research is selecting the invitation approach. There are four common options for using IVR-based systems for contact center post-interaction surveys: Option #1: Inbound IVR Prior Solicitation (not Agent initiated): One of the most commonly used forms for IVR Surveys, potential respondents are recruited through letters/postcards, s, sales receipts/invoices, restaurant table cards, point-ofsale information, etc. They may even be recruited as part of the client s call center s frontend IVR menu system. Low cost No interviewer bias; No concern about interviewer judgment. Low completion rates low initial cooperation rates & high break-off rates, Probability of polarized customer ratings, Inability to probe reasons for responses, Short surveys only (5-6 minute or less), Low sophistication in survey design, Low sophistication in survey design, Option #2: Inbound IVR Agent-Initiated Transfer: In this case, Agents offer a pre-scripted invitation to the customer at the conclusion of the transaction. If the customer agrees to participate, the agent transfers them into the IVR survey system. Another option is for the customer, at the completion of the call, to request they be transferred to the survey. 1

4 Option #2: Inbound IVR Agent-Initiated Transfer: Same List as Option #1 Same List as Option #1 Very Low cost Agent self-selection bias (rep will only transfer positive calls) Assurance of respondent s identity, Immediacy Option #3: Outbound IVR: Generally reserved for political polling, this method involves automated outbound calls to a list of customers who have recently interacted with the client s agents. Since it is not initiated by the respondent and can seem at first listen as a telemarketing call, this methodology has extremely low completion rates. Can leave negative impressions with customers as being both intrusive, impersonal and cheap. Same List as Option #1 Same List as Option #1 Very Low cost Seems like a telemarketing call/ Inconsistent with a customer-focused image/ sends wrong message, Extremely low completion rates, Option #4: Multi-Modal IVR (Interviewer Recruitment then Transfer to IVR): Professional, third-party interviewers, not the Client s agents, make very-short outbound telephone calls to potential respondents to solicit their participation then immediately transfer them to the IVR system to complete the survey. 2

5 Option #4: Multi-Modal IVR (Interviewer Recruitment then Transfer to IVR): Highest completion/cooperation rates Same List as Option #1 Still much lower cost than other survey methods (phone surveys, online surveys, etc.), Highest Cost for IVR Sends positive message, Minimal interviewer bias (and then, only in recruiting), Can assure respondent s identity. Generally speaking, the response rate has two components: (1) the contact rate, or the percentage of sampled households that the pollster is able to reach during the course of the study and (2) the cooperation rate, or the percentage of contacted households that agree to complete the survey rather than hanging up. So the response rate tells us the percentage of the eligible sampled households that the interviewer is able to contact and complete a survey. For more information about survey research methods, please visit our website at or call us at Research LifeLine is a division of Polaris Marketing Research, Inc. 3