With all the technology used in call centres today, it would be understandable to believe that only a specially trained technician is capable of maintaining the system. However, when it comes to interactive voice response, or ivr, uk call centres benefit from a range of systems that are high tech but very user friendly. The result is a more smoothly run service for callers and the companies whose customers they are.

Of course, even in such a specialist market, there are a number of system options to choose from but the demands of the customer service sector has meant that only advanced software is capable of handling the tasks at hand. A standard speech recognition system needs to communicate precisely with the computer system, but for ivr services to work to their full potential, there are a host of other aspects that need to be addressed, from coding to prompt deployment.

Like any other software, there is a need for speech recognition and ivr software to be easy to use. It comes down to a simple matter of providing customers with what they want, and, clearly, the added cost of hiring an engineer to run their system is not something that any business will jump at. Therefore, designers have simplified the tools in software to such an extent that it requires only a few hours practice to all but master a system.

Typically, when a call centre creates its service for a client, the modern software used makes use of icons rather than text, and a drag and drop option when it comes to selecting a service or function. The advantage with this is that everything is run on a visual basis, negating the need to understand the complexities of computer and IT language and, instead, breaking the operation down to a series of actions. Consequently, if the operator wishes to make changes at any time, perhaps because of a change in client information or a need to add the services of a new client, the whole exercise can be done with the minimum of effort and fuss.

Of course, the greatest fear for those who are not computer literate is the coding that must be done. Dialogue from the computer, spoken to the caller, must be written into the system in a format known as voice xml, of vxml for short. Like any other programming language, there is a precision needed when entering the code to ensure that everything works properly.

This is what prompts business owners to call on the professionals, but thanks to modern software, there is no great panic associated with coding anymore. This is because the most recent versions allow for existing code to be reused, while intelligent features helps to eliminate typographical errors, which is the number one cause of system failures.

Being able to reuse components means that segments of coding can be copied and used in creating a completely new service, but with the lion's share of the work already done. Therefore, services can be tailored for individual clients and created within a very short space of time.

Much of the applications is stored on a media server, with communication between it and the computer software a key element of the operation of the whole system. But with immediacy a major requirement for any effective ivr system, modern software reduces the need to refer to the server. Instead, the most common automated responses can be cached outside the server.

There is also a need to review certain aspects such as the performance of services and general call flow history. Technology can easily keep abreast of the relevant histories by logging calls and events, while constant inbuilt system monitoring capabilities means that the maximum attention to performance is maintained at all times.

In an effort to make ivr services as simple to use as possible, the range of user friendly aspects included in modern software is quite wide. This obviously comes as a relief to call centre staff, who are well aware of the importance of providing a perfect service to callers.

The effectiveness of a speech recognition system is dependent on the efficiency with which the technology and software work together. That is why, when it comes to ivr, uk call centres know that only by investing in quality will the efficiency be high.