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The Voice of Big Pharma

You’ve probably seen the magazine ads and television commercials, advertising various medications available to the consumer — they have been on the rise since the FDA relaxed the guidelines for direct-to-consumer advertising of drugs in 2005. $3 billion a year is spent by pharmaceutical marketing to consumers in the U.S. in 2012, and an estimated $24 billion marketing directly to health care professionals.

We’re all guilty of cringing when the voice-over for a drug commercial casually works in some of most prevalent side-effects for patients who have taken the drug (especially when they cavalierly toss off “death” as a remote but real risk.)

While not being quite fortunate enough to land a national pharmaceutical commercial V/o, I have voiced the IVRs for many large drug store chains, and years ago I was approached by a pharmaceutical marketing firm to voice the product monographs to a wide variety of drugs on the 1-800 information lines (the monograph is simply that page on the other side of the magazine ad — in excruciatingly fine print — warning patients of contraindications, possible drug interactions with medications you’re already on, and, of course, the dreaded *possible* side effects of taking the medication.) All that fine print needs to be read in audio format for the sight-impaired for the drug company’s information line; so there I found myself with the challenge of conquering a great deal of medical terminology (which I love), having to list off other medications which conflict with the drug (no easy task — most of them are derived from industry-significant acronyms and have no grammatical intelligence — ever heard of Premarin? So named from a combination of PREgnant MARe urINe — its chief ingredient. Google it if you don’t believe me.) It can be a rather laborious session to voice these product info projects; I try to bring as much “life” and conversational tone into the otherwise somewhat dry copy, and I attempt to sound as matter-of-fact as I can — without underplaying the real risk — of the side-effects (one has stuck in my mind ever since I started voicing them: “Use of (the drug) in laboratory mice resulted in wavy ribs found on necropsy.” Wavy ribs? Cool! Sign me up. At least it’s not as serious as “Golden Retriever Head” or “Hot Dog Hands”, as was mentioned in a mock pharmaceutical commercial a few years back.)

I have also voiced auto-dialers which went directly to the patients in clinical trials of drugs, reminding them to take their meds on a regular basis, giving them hints about diminishing the negative side-effects of the drugs, and suggesting ways to improve their progress in the study — those I definitely approached with as upbeat and encouraging a tone as I could muster. I’ve also voiced telephone surveys which track the progression of patient’s chronic diseases; Diabetic and COPD patients have participated in surveys which I’ve voiced, which have helped researchers chart the effectiveness of treatment and the overall compliance of the patients — and therefore helping future patients similarly afflicted with the disorder.

The pharmaceutical industry has a lot invested in advertising, and making the health consumer more aware of what’s out there assists them in selling more medications — their admonitions for you to “Ask you doctor if (medication) is right for you!” makes you a pharmaceutical rep of the highest order. The least you can do is be as informed as possible — and if I can play a part in that by voicing clear, easy-to-understand spec sheets for the drugs, it will hopefully make people better consumers and better advocates of their own health.
By Allison Smith 20 Mar, 2024
I always ask for a show of hands in my workshops of who enjoys their voice in their outgoing voicemail message. Absolutely nobody raises their hand. They all ask me why they sound different in recordings than they think they do. The explanation is actually fairly un-glamorous: you hear your voice cushioned and muffled through a series of bone and muscle, and *also* you are hearing that sound in your head, simultaneously with the sound coming through your mouth and to your ears. That extra muffling makes your voice sound lower than it actually is (“I sound like Minnie Mouse in recordings!” No, you don’t. That’s what we’re hearing too.) For someone like myself – who voices every day and edits those sound files – I have developed a certain “detachment” towards my voice. I know a good take from a bad one; I can clinically listen to my sound files and determine when things are sounding “normal” and when things have gone off the rails (much like a dancer who can look at themselves in a mirror and see good alignment and alignment that needs adjusting.) We, as voice talent, need to be able to have an objective listen to the sound files we create and double-check as to whether they are executing the writer’s wishes, whether or not we are delivering the message that was intended, and if we are honoring the material. All that requires a certain detachment to these sounds; they’re merely a product we make, and we can clinically observe what we’re doing and modify as needed without attachment or investment. It's important that voice talent at the mic ask themselves three basic questions before hitting “send” on those sound files – either as an audition, or as a finished piece of work. Who is this for? It’s critical to know just *who* this project is pointed at, and who it’s for. Is this for industry insiders who know all the terminology and nomenclature, or for the lay public who might require a more detailed, slower ease-in into the topic? I’ve voiced projects for a large auto parts distributor; they had me voicing staff e-learning training modules, and also informational public-facing videos for their customers. Very different treatment of the material, from the writing to the style in which I voiced it. Knowing your audience is crucial. What is this about? This one seems painfully obvious, but if you really listen to TV and radio commercials, you’ll hear lots of voice talent who are just reading words. Just getting the words out correctly. Saying the words in the prescribed time parameters(very important for broadcast spots). Without really thinking about what they’re saying, or even what the words mean. Before you voice something (anything) read the copy. Several times. Put the copy away and paraphrase in your own words what the content is about. And make a decision – on the fly; not marking your script – which words need emphasis (because that’s what we do naturally in speech.) The comprehension of the material seems axiomatic, but all you need to do is listen to locally-produced commercials or YouTube videos to hear people just saying words. Making sounds. Without thinking about them.  Does this take fit the brief? You may think you’ve done a technically strong take; you may like the way you sound in that take – but is it fitting the brief of the instructions/specs? Is it honoring the words? And does it fit into the client’s vision or intention? All these things are more important than how you aesthetically sound. If the client’s intention is not apparent through the description on the audition sides or the job brief, start a conversation with the client and ask some essential questions about the overall message of the piece and how your anticipated contribution fits in. It takes a clinical ear – and a step-back from yourself – to honestly listen with an objective ear – and be able to assess where you’re at. That objectivity is the difference between a pro who genuinely enjoys being the ambassador of the client’s message, and one who merely enjoys time at the mic.
By Allison Smith 22 Feb, 2024
I have long been an advocate of writing strong, concise, fast-moving IVRs; with the caller’s patience and time being at a premium, IVRs should not be written (or voiced) at a plodding, leisurely pace. Callers need to get to where they’re going as quickly as possible. And I’ve also written a lot about working more compassion and feeling into IVR scripts; gone is the robot, and almost any industry can benefit from a genuine, caring voice guiding them to their various choices. In no other area is it more important to design IVRs which are fast – and compassionate – than those systems which face a public who might be in a mental health crisis. Whether we’re talking about an acute care facility, the psychiatric intake department of a regional hospital, or a community mental health department, it’s especially astute and wise to have a sensitivity and awareness of the special needs and situations of your typical callers. Here's the first thing to consider when designing an IVR for mental health consumers:  Triage. There’s a vast distinction between someone navigating the soul-crush of a romantic breakup, and someone hallucinating about people monitoring them through their TV and plotting to kill them. A system of triage built into your IVR to sort the “seriousness” of the caller needs to be put into place, to use your resources most effectively and make sure that those in need of urgent help will get it and those with less urgent needs will still get help – but in a priority sequence which reflects their urgency. The next important thing to never forget is: Immediacy. You need to get callers through to help as quickly as possible. I have mentioned in many presentations and interviews that I voiced an IVR for a cardiology clinic in Florida, and they had 15 options (way too many) – and literally the last one was: “if this is a medical emergency, hang up and dial 911.” If someone has made the mistake of calling their practitioner’s office when they’re in medical distress, instead of getting emergency help, you’d want to set them straight sooner than later. That 911 “emergency hatch” needs to be front stacked at the top of the menu. The actual number of options needs to be culled down to five or six choices, and the prompts need to written – and voiced – in a style that is fast and efficient. Take a critical look at your phone menu and make sure you edit out the dross – if there is any information that can be left out (or edited off into a submenu) do that, instead of forcing callers to listen to directions to the facility or explaining the parking protocol, while their anxiety is amping up with every wasted second. Decide on the top six options, and list them in priority sequence. The final component to designing the perfect mental health IVR is compassion. Not the insincere assurances of an on-hold system, repeatedly thanking callers in an empty way; your prompts need to convey a genuine empathy and compassion in addition to the smart triage and the speedy egress through the menu options. The prompts need to be written and voiced in a way that conveys that the agency understands the seriousness of their call, and also a level of comfort conveyed that they can deal with anything. I cite the example of a colonoscopy clinic IVR I voiced years ago, which said: “Our trained intake nurses have heard it all, so feel free to ask anything at all about your upcoming appointment.” How freeing would that be for a caller to hear, especially if they were apprehensive and nervous about the procedure, and afraid of asking something stupid? Acknowledging the precarious state the caller may be in with care and empathy can go a long way towards forging a relationship with the caller and to ensure that they get the care they need. In the mental health arena, extra sensitivity to a precarious human condition and designing communications to address the specialized needs of the mental health caller is essential to providing safety, care, and ultimately compassion for those in need.
By Allison Smith 22 Feb, 2024
On hold systems went through a heyday in the 90’s and 00’s – they were a fashionable and affordable way for a company to advertise their goods and services to those detained in the inevitable purgatorial holding pattern before they reached customer service. That’s when the cliché’s started. “We know your time is valuable. Please continue to hold and you will be helped by the next available agent… ” and “ please hold for just one moment more…. ” Even though we *knew* it wasn’t for “just a moment more.” Unfortunately, the cliches eventually took over the industry, making tropes out of the standard phrases, practices, and structures that built on hold companies. The off-color jokes about: “Suicide Hotline – please hold…” became the thing that most people thought about when they encounter an on-hold program – the tacky, time-wasting insincerity of a voice keeping you entertained while you wait to speak to an agent about a discrepancy on your bill. (I gave a presentation at an on-hold conference years ago, and me – a voice talent -- pointing out the stereotypes to the people who created them went over with mixed reviews. Some people appreciated the input from an “outsider”; others took it as me asking them to reinvent the wheel.)  What exactly can be done to modernize on hold, make it more relevant, and refresh it from its dated, cliché-ridden past? Re-Educate the Caller Everyone gets that sinking feeling when they’ve entered an on-hold sequence. Nobody’s happy about it, but we endure it to get to a solution. “Oh, this is the part where someone drones on about how great the company is, and this is just something I have to tolerate until I get to an actual agent.” What if the on-hold sequences *weren’t something that needed to “endured”? And what if – in your company’s on-hold messaging, you meet the resistance head-on? (“Listen, we get it. Nobody likes being on hold. What if we told you that the wait is worth it? We have the best-trained customer service reps in the business, who know everything about your make and model of printer, and who are committed to making sure you leave this call a happy customer.”) I’d be somewhat intrigued and placated by that messaging, and I’m willing to gamble that your callers will as well. It’s an Opportunity. Don’t Let It Pass You By. To have a seemingly never-ending couple of sentences repeating over and over again while your callers are holding, is akin to water torture. *If* clients have to be on hold, see it as a golden opportunity to inform, reinforce, and yes, even brag. Callers might as well hear all about what makes your company different from the competition. They should be reassured by your messaging that they did not, in fact, make a mistake by engaging with your company, and if there are little extras which make your company awesome (five star ranking on Google, a recent glowing write-up, an award, brand-new facilities or even free parking) crow about that. Use Only When Needed. The dream, of course, is to always have your callers encounter a short, fast-moving IVR which gives them choices (to best utilize your staff’s skillset) and to get them immediately to that specialist. That’s not always realistic. Especially if you have a “busy season” (or peak time of day), it’s necessary to deploy an on-hold system. Make sure that *if* and *when* an on-hold system needs to be put into play that it’s sincere, it’s respectful of the caller’s time and tolerance, and that it shows the company in their best light. The last piece of advice I have is: do something fresh . We have all heard – ad nauseum – those ubiquitous on-hold phrases that reassure us that live help is just a moment away (we don’t buy that for second), that our time is valuable (then why am I detained?) or that we’re the next caller in line (just stop.)
By Allison Smith 13 Jan, 2024
Don’t get me wrong; I love all my clients and I love voicing everything – no job is too big or small. And there is virtually *no* industry for which I haven’t voiced. There are, however, certain projects that leave me with a nervous feeling. It can be something as basic as repeated “fail” prompts (“I’m sorry. I didn’t quite get that. Could you try again?” “I STILL didn’t get that. Please try again”) that I know are ramping up the caller’s frustration no matter how cheerily or diplomatically I say them. And even though I’m not *personally* being difficult – and even though I can’t actually hear the callers – I still hate being responsible for contributing to their frustration. Sometimes, it’s the actual nature of the product that makes me feel a little uneasy. Years ago, I voiced a series of auto-dialers which called parents of students who decided to take an unscheduled day off school and inform them of their child’s absence. Again – I’m not directly the bearer of bad news, but the idea that I helped to start a parent/child confrontation was difficult to reconcile. (AND I felt like a snitch!) Making recordings on behalf of credit card companies was always hard to finesse: if someone is in financial peril, what kind of voice do they want to hear, reminding them to pay their outstanding bill? Reassuring? Sympathetic? Or Tony Soprano on a “collect”? Perhaps the hardest project to do is a job that I still do on a sadly regular basis: calling registered sex offenders via an auto dialer, notifying them that they are in violation of their parole, and instructing them to report to their local sheriff’s office to check in and have photos taken. What once started as an occasional thing – for a few states – has now extended nation-wide, and the need to keep tabs on high-risk citizens is a sadly perpetual and growing need. I can’t ponder what led to someone ending up on that path; authorities need to keep tabs on them, and I need to find a voice that does that effectively. It's easy to voice a friendly IVR for a jewelry chain – it’s another set of skills to convey a serious, even sinister message with the intent to call someone into action who may be ambivalent, undeterred, or just generally unmoved to do the right thing. The key for me (and other voice talent in this position) to keep in mind is the greater good. The idea that if I can persuade someone to call the collection agency back and get on a payment schedule and get back on track financially or to do a difficult thing to be compliant is a good motivation for me to voice those difficult calls with firmness and respect. Allison Smith is a professional voice talent who specialises is voicing IVR, call center, and AI prompts. Theivrvoice.com, @voicegal.
By Allison Smith 13 Jan, 2024
Have you ever had this feeling of disconnect, when – after visiting a website for a company and being truly impressed by their modern approach, their slick graphics, and their forward-thinking strategy to business – you decide to call the company, and encounter a phone system that just doesn’t dovetail with their online image? Their online presence says up-to-date and current, and their opening greeting – voiced by Sue in accounting – sounds sad, tired, unprofessional, and out of step. Just as the layout, the verbiage, and even the font and color scheme of your website was hotly debated and anguished over, the tone of your telephone system should receive as much attention, and should not be a neglected aspect of your outward-facing image. It’s just presumed that everyone’s preferred mode of interacting with a company is online – and it’s true that we’re comfortably turnkey with looking for a product or solution online. But what happens when a customer has a legitimate issue, a problem that’s more complex than anything in your FAQ section, or if they’re emotionally escalated and need to talk to a live agent? Suddenly, that puts your IVR in the spotlight, and makes it less of an anachronism and more as an essential portal for customer contact. Here’s an often-overlooked fact about callers: they need greater specialized care and have more questions than a typical online customer. Your IVR needs to meet those expectations head on, and you need to make sure that your outward-facing phone presence shows your company off to its best advantage. In short, it should flatter your company. How do we achieve that? Make Sure Your IVR Agrees With Your Online Image It’s actually really simple: if your website projects a fun, informal, casual and relaxed stance, make sure the way your phone prompts are written and delivered by your voice talent agrees with that online image. More of a conservative, formal company/industry? Just make sure your IVR matches that. What Makes You an Industry Leader? Emphasize That. Everyone has competition. What do you do that sets you apart? Talk about that in your phone prompts and emphasize the reasons why you’re different, and that the customer is going to encounter a completely unique company. Not Where You Want to Be (Yet)? Make It So. I voice for a lot of companies who are small and want to be a player in their industry. They want their company to sound bigger than it actually is, and that’s totally OK. It’s good to visualize where you want to be, and position yourself in your industry. Don’t lie or mislead, but you can create an image – through the sound files on your system – that you’re a more substantial presence than you are, but that you’re also striving to be. Allison Smith is a professional voice talent who specializes in voicing IVR, call center, and AI prompts. Theivrvoice.com, @voicegal.
By Allison Smith 03 Nov, 2023
I taught a workshop a few months ago, and an attendee said something so honest and so intuitive, that it made me pause. I always ask attendees what concerns they may have about their voice: many say they wish they weren’t so high-pitched, so loud, so fast. When it came to one woman’s turn, she looked a little uncomfortable, as if admitting to a failing, and answered: “I’ve honestly never thought about my voice.” Fair enough. And that one admission (far from being a “failing”) summed up what many who attend my workshops might be feeling – and this may hold the key as to why these workshops are so beneficial and lacking in most YTT training: most people don’t think about their voice or the impact it makes. Our voices are a deeply personal aspect to our being. They are as personal as our skin, our eye color, our laugh. We use it to ask where to find marinara sauce at the grocery store, we use it to order coffee, it enables us to get to the bottom of our child’s meltdown, and it’s instrumental to making our point in a meeting. But this mechanism by which we verbalize goes much deeper than that. It’s as big a part of our identity as our appearance, and others draw conclusions about us as much from how we sound as whether or not we look pleasant. Others base conclusions on how we sound. I have coached many people looking for more credibility in the workforce (full credit to them for making the connection between their voice and their overall standing in their company/industry) and just as an awareness of the importance wardrobe, business protocol, and overall manners is key to progress in your industry, the sound of your voice is instrumental in ensuring success, regardless of your industry or goals. Three things to spark – and maintain -- a curiosity about your voice: What *Is* My Sound? In my workshop, I pose a little sidebar question: “What is your natural voice?” This voice is revealed in unguarded moments: speaking to your spouse, talking to your dog, asking your friend how her week was. These are the moments where we’re not really aware of being listened to – we’re just “conducting business” with our voice, and getting things done. When you say goodnight to your partner, pay attention to that pitch and that “key” you speak in. That’s where your voice should naturally be centered. Is This How I *Really* Sound? Almost everyone hates the sound of their own voice. They’re hearing their voice through a whole network of bone and muscle, and our voices sound “muffled” and lot deeper than they actually are. We all hate the outgoing message on our cell phones, but getting used to your sound is key to improving your relationship with it. Read out loud whenever possible. For bonus points: record yourself on your phone while doing it and give the recording an honest listen. If you do this on a regular basis – and review old recordings next to recent ones – you can track your progress and detect bad habits along the way. What’s the Feedback Been? If you have people close to you mentioning things like: “You have a tendency to do this with your voice…” or even imitate you, count that as a gift. Feedback from those who know you well can raise awareness of things you might be doing automatically with your voice and curtail anything undesirable. A very esteemed former yoga teacher of mine got great feedback from her students about her voice post-coaching, and many even mentioned that she doesn’t do the “Valley Girl” talk that she used to do (I can’t take complete credit; she had heard the trait in recordings she had done in her class and was aware of her trend in heading in that direction vocally. Her awareness corrected it.)  If you haven’t really thought about your voice: you’re not alone. It’s an entity that just…runs under our lives, functioning without us even considering what it does or what it can do. Increasing your awareness of what a powerful tool it is – and what it’s capable of doing – is the true key to accessing
By Allison Smith 03 Nov, 2023
Natural disasters. Global conflict. Urgent MRI scheduling. All of these constitute emergencies in which companies and organizations need to have fast response, urgent care, and deep-seated empathy. They are rare and serious circumstances in which callers need to be dispatched to live help – as soon as possible (or at the very least: be triaged to reflect the urgency of their request.) It could be argued that the very last thing anyone would want to encounter – if calling to get help during a crisis – is an automated IVR answering their call. I’m remembering an IVR parody from a few years ago that went: “Thank you for calling the suicide prevention hotline. Please listen to all 20 options before making your selection…” When crisis hits, and there’s a likely chance of high stress and emotions with callers, there needs to be an extra attention paid to making your IVR as necessary, efficient, and as quick to navigate as possible. Here’s some real-life examples of when I was enlisted to voice prompts in critical emergency situations, and the excellent way that the clients crafted the prompts *and* designed the call flow to work as smoothly as possible: COVID In early 2020 – when it became clear that this airborne virus coming out of Asia was in fact spreading with alarming speed and virulence, it put virtually every industry in a position of responsiveness, damage control, and fear mitigation. In addition to corporate and retail clients I have needing changes to their IVR to reflect changes in hours and in-person practices, I also voiced many public health telephone systems informing the public of where to go for testing, protocols to observe when out in public, and locations where immunizations were available. Needless to say, all of these systems were fluid; they were ever-changing as the seriousness of the situation ramped up, and they required on-going vigilance to make sure the information on the systems was current and pertinent. Even now – Fall 2023 – the COVID-19 virus cannot be considered to be “over” as it continues to morph and change, necessitating even more up-to-date IVR messaging. Hurricanes I have been enlisted to voice emergency auto-dialers for many hurricane/extreme weather events, and I’m always struck by how ever-changing the information is during these circumstances. I no sooner voice which areas should evacuate, and which should shelter in place, that new warnings come in and instruct *everyone* in the region to evacuate. It’s important that everyone in stricken areas stay on top of information – which is fluid and subject to sudden changes – and for agencies producing the messaging to ensure that changes can be made on the fly. Surgery Clinics I’ve included this category in this article, as it’s crucial for medical practices to have a clear delineation between low-priority patients (those looking to book appointments, inquire about their bill) and those who might be in real trouble, such as someone experiencing an adverse reaction to their medication, or suspecting as post-surgical infection. The phone system needs to triage patients effectively, offering direct (and current) avenues for real-time help, and making sure that those with less emergent issues are handled in a logical order. Making sure that those who need urgent help have access to a live human (with a working extension/cell routing number) can make the difference between catastrophe and real responsiveness. Allison Smith is a voice talent specializing in IVR/call center/AI prompts. Theivrvoice.com, @voicegal.
By Allison Smith 03 Nov, 2023
He sounds so genuine, so enthusiastic, and so….willing to help. I’m talking about my bank’s self-service bot, who intones eagerly: “Hello! I’m RBC’s self-service assistant! In a few words, tell me what you’re calling in about!” Now, I pride myself on speaking clearly (my livelihood literally depends upon it) and I’ve worked enough in the automated speech space to know that the shorter your request – and the fewer words used – will be better for the bot to understand. So, I start with: “I need to reset my password.” An uncomfortable pause (at least for me) occurs, and the bot says: “Hmmm. I think you said ‘password’. Is that correct?’ It sure is. I reply: “It sure is.” He then delves deeper into my request: “Sure. I can help you with that. I just need more information. You can say things like: ‘password doesn’t work” or ‘forgot password.” Go ahead when you’re ready.” Deep breath. “I need to reset my password.” A pause. “OK. I think you said: ‘password issues.’ Is that correct?” For the love of all things holy. “Yes”. I reply, knowing full well that we have been at this for about a minute already, and I’m no closer to arriving at a solution than when I started. Then he said: “I’ll transfer you to a live agent, but before I do that, can you say or key in your 16 digit RBC client card number followed by pound?” I went ahead and did that, the numbers were repeated back, and then I was apparently put in a queue, only to hear Mr. Bot chirping in every fifteen seconds or so, reminding me that “many answers to common questions can be found on RBC.com!” And also: “We’re experiencing a longer than normal call volume.” To say that the bot didn’t exactly enhance my experience with the bank is an understatement. It’s also a fair statement to say that this encounter was an exercise in futility; a maneuver constructed to keep me busy and to possibly weed out the callers who aren’t willing to go through lots of hoops to arrive at a solution to their issue. This company/customer relationship is too fragile and too tenuous to risk on bots who can’t intelligently respond to even basic questions or who can hope to fulfill their promise of putting the customer in a position of “being ahead” from having gone through the line of questioning. Two things to keep in mind if you’re contemplating adding a self-service bot layer to your IVR: Want to erode the customer relationship? Disrespect their time and patience. I have harped for years in other blog articles about how callers are short on both time and patience. Think about the last time you called into a company, and how easily irritated you were by steps you had to take which you thought were superfluous or needless. You called in because you couldn’t find an answer to your question on their website, and you need direct, live customer service – sooner than later. Don’t waste your caller’s time. Don’t use up their patience. Respect the fact that they have specialized questions and get them to service in as few steps as possible. Don’t automate unless it’s an actual timesaver. Bots seem cool. It’s viewed as progressive and tech-savvy to have an “assistant” answer the phone and automate the sorting process, especially if you name it and you feel he’s a good outward=facing agent for your company. And it would be – if it actually works. Why did RBC’s utility not recognize a professional voice talent saying – clear as day – “I need to reset my password”? That’s one to ponder. All I know is: if *I* couldn’t make the bot understand me, how the does the elderly/accented/general public fare? They don’t. Don’t have a bot unless it’s an actual enhancement to your customer relations.  Sorting – even the basic sorting done by a well-written IVR – can be a time-saving resource which can ensure that the right agents are handling calls which are in their specific wheelhouse. Where it breaks down is when it’s handled by a non-intuitive bot, not trained to recognize even basic commands, and the customer/company relationship is in danger of being permanently compromised. Allison Smith a professional voice talent specializing in IVR/call center/AI prompts. Theivrvoice.com, @voicegal. She hates talking on the phone.
By Allison Smith 02 Oct, 2023
I almost couldn’t believe it when it read it out loud in my booth. A prompt so disengaging, so aloof, I broke protocol and messaged the client, urging them to re-word it. “If none of those options are right for you, please hang up.” *Not*: “ If none of those options are right for you, press zero or hold for an operator…” – no, it was a total disengagement from the customer. As if the unspoken words to follow were supposed to be: “We’re not meant to do business together. ” My overwhelming question was “Why?” Why on earth would a company not make even a basic effort to accommodate a caller – especially one whose problem is so specific that none of the options apply? (My client’s reply to that question was: “Those options are what we offer. If they don’t choose one of the options, we can’t help them.”) That door-slam you just heard was opportunity leaving and never coming back. In the end, I convinced them to change the wording to make a concession for all customers for whom the options didn’t work, and they got transferred to a live operator who used their judgment and discretion to pair up the caller with the appropriate agent/department. Here’s some key things to never include in your IVR: “Self-Service” Bots I have been on calls where a company (usually a large financial institution) has a pre-screening, self-service bot installed on their IVR, with the hopes that this will be a time-saver for both company and customer. The bot will say something like: “Tell me why you’re calling in.” Almost always (and I pride myself on speaking clearly and giving to-the-point answers) the bot will reply to my clear, concise query with: “Hmm. I’m not sure what you’re asking about. Can you tell me more?” This invariably leads me to shriek into the phone: “CLOSE CHECKING ACCOUNT!” Whoever thought that these bots – who clearly lack the ability to pick up on even basic word “clues” (in this case “close” and “checking account”) was sadly mistaken. They are ineffective, frustrating, time-wasting, and ultimately will cost the company business. Ditch them. Yesterday. Water-Torture On Hold Recently on hold with a medical practice, I heard a very badly generated TTS utility voice their auto-attendant (horrible) and as soon as the message finished, it repeated immediately. As soon as you heard the ending “Thank you”, the file immediately started over: “Thank you for calling…” in a never-ending loop, until the live answer picked up. An auto attendant message should play exactly once. Then, the caller should be placed in a on hold queue, where a *series* of rotating informative messages play interspersed with healthy stretches of either silence or royalty-free music (preferred.) Not a single, lone message playing over and over, like some sort of water torture. Multiple Levels of Meaningless Sorting You have an initial menu in your auto attendant (which, if you’ve followed my previous direction, consists of no more than five options, all weighted from most important to least important.) Then, if you so choose, you can have a submenu for each option selected – but herein starts the rabbit hole of confusion. Only have submenus if they will truly benefit the caller and make a difference in the care they will receive. If you have an option which states: “To speak with an agent about your life insurance needs, press one. For an auto insurance agent, press two…” and they both lead to the same agent, that’s a meaningless exercise. Only make the caller drill down into several sun-menu layers if it really will help focus the care they will receive, and if it will help to best utilize your agent’s areas of expertise. By avoiding these most frequently seen and most egregious telephony pitfalls, your IVR will be more efficient, less frustrating, and better designed to serve your callers.
By Allison Smith 02 Oct, 2023
Procrastination can be an indication that you’re just not meant to do a task. Something that repeatedly keeps getting re-scheduled and put off might be an indication that perhaps you’re not aligned to do that task. (Unless we’re talking about that colonoscopy, having that mole checked out, or your “check engine” light coming on. Let’s not put those tasks off.) I’ve circled back to clients who have been *meaning* to write a new script for the phone system, and they just can’t seem to do it. They feel the whole prospect of drafting up a script to be daunting. Intimidating. And so, it gets demoted down the list of tasks. I also think there’s a fear of “doing it wrong”.  Personally – from having voiced telephone scripts for decades – I think the only “mistake” you can make is playing it safe, following the same template we’ve all heard on systems for years, and not using your IVR as an extension of your company’s brand.
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