Jacada and Vocantas announced that Visual IVR capabilities are now available with Vocantas' Utilities OnCall solution that is accessible through mobile devices and the Internet.
"Improving customer service by speeding up the time it takes to check a balance, pay a bill, or report an outage will not only improve end-user satisfaction but will ultimately reduce operational costs for the utility, as customers increasingly self-serve rather than hit the call centre queue,” said Guy Yair, Jacada's Co-CEO, in a statement.
Rather than building a custom app which requires stand-alone, back-end systems at a significant cost, the Visual IVR allows companies to extend their Vocantas IVR into the smartphone menu and directly onto their Web site without the development and customization of new infrastructure.
Expanding their IVR services directly to the graphical interface of the smartphone and Web site allows utility customers to navigate through IVR menus and quickly communicate with and do business with the a utility company with the touch of a finger. Utilities can now interact with their end-users by taking advantage of the power of the mobile device. The Visual IVR will offer customers the opportunity to include a photo of their meter reading, or send the utility a GPS locator of their position in case of reporting an outage or service interruption.
"Using Visual IVR Utilities OnCall, utilities can put the power of smartphone technology to work, and give their clients an awesome experience using self-serve tools,” said Gary Hannah, Vocantas CEO, in a statement. “Why not pay your utility bill with the swipe of your finger on your smartphone, with as much effort as it takes to choose a song from a menu on your iPod?"