Finding the right combination of communication solutions to drive the ideal customer experience (CX) can feel a lot like getting back into the dating pool… exciting, confusing, intimidating. To pursue or not to pursue? That is the question. This is especially true when checking out a speech-enabled Natural Language (NL) application.
NL is gorgeous on the outside looking in, but a fickle mistress to organizations that jump into the relationship without getting to know the deeper nuances. Luckily, companies thinking about introducing a NL solution to their IVR can avoid a disastrous blind date: Click here to learn When to Use Natural Language – and When to Avoid It.
While traditional touchtone (DTMF) IVR applications require customers to key in responses via 
keypad, NL frees them to speak naturally, or as though they’re conversing with an agent. For example, a caller might call into your IVR and encounter a prompt such as, “What can we help you with, today?” Used strategically, NL can be a major tool one’s IVR design arsenal and could decrease call duration, improve call containment, more accurately route customers to where they need to be and improve the overall CX. However, without the proper forethought, NL can be a waste of company time and energy. In certain situations, your tried-and-true relationship with DTMF-based IVR still comes out on top.
