IVR is a strong software for managing name queues and enhancing buyer satisfaction, however it requires upkeep for optimum use. Common IVR testing is crucial to ensure your system is safe and works because it ought to. Testing additionally helps you enhance name flows, guarantee high quality, and perceive efficiency.
Listed here are the several types of IVR testing instruments you’ll want as a way to run an environment friendly and profitable system.
Kinds of IVR testing instruments
1. Automated IVR testing instruments
These instruments automate the method of interacting along with your IVR system to get a way of what it might be like if an individual had been utilizing it. They simulate calls, navigate menus, enter knowledge, and confirm responses so you may establish factors the place potential points may happen — with out having to take the time to undergo an entire bunch of situations your self.
One of these testing is very helpful when first establishing your IVR system, because it gained’t have been used but by energetic callers. It’s additionally a good suggestion to run by way of automated testing any time you make any adjustments or additions to it, or combine new software program, like a CRM.
These three predominant areas of testing are known as purposeful testing, regression testing, and integration testing. Automated IVR testing instruments, akin to Cyara, can deal with all three of those areas.
2. IVR efficiency and cargo testing instruments
Whereas automated IVR testing instruments run by way of situations one by one, efficiency and cargo testing instruments simulate a number of situations all on the similar time to see if the IVR system can deal with the quantity.
These exams sometimes deal with the next:
- Load testing: Measures how nicely the IVR responds to a traditional or peak load of simultaneous customers and knowledge switch requests.
- Stress testing: Displays what occurs when the IVR will get a really heavy load suddenly or in a protracted method.
- Scalability testing: Checks how the system would adapt to adjustments within the dimension and complexity of the workload, akin to adjustments to the variety of customers or community site visitors.
The primary conditions the place you’d use efficiency and cargo testing instruments are whenever you put a brand new system in place or whenever you’re anticipating upcoming durations of upper name volumes. They’re additionally nice if you wish to increase your IVR’s capabilities however aren’t positive if the system will be capable to deal with it.
In case you’re already experiencing issues, efficiency and cargo testing instruments may also help you establish the supply of the issues and break up bottlenecks. Empirix Hammer is a noteworthy efficiency and cargo testing software price trying into.
3. Voice high quality and speech recognition testing instruments
An IVR system is barely nearly as good as its skill to work together with a caller and perceive what the caller says in return. That’s the place voice high quality and speech recognition testing instruments like Klearcom are available.
First, voice high quality instruments consider the readability, consistency, and ease of understanding of the voice prompts that come from the IVR. Then, they search for points in pronunciation, audio high quality, and delays. Speech recognition testing instruments additionally consider how nicely the system understands what callers are saying to it.
The primary areas these instruments deal with are how precisely the system understands what’s being mentioned and the vary of responses the system can perceive — together with uncommon phrases, phrasings, dialects, accents, and audio with background noise.
Each voice high quality and speech recognition instruments are important whenever you’re creating your IVR since they assist be sure that the system can each communicate and pay attention appropriately. They’re particularly necessary for companies which have a extremely interactive or complicated IVR system.
If prospects need to combat a machine to get what they want, it’s extra probably that they’ll hand over and ask to talk to a consultant. To make issues worse, in these conditions, they’re probably already irritated once they lastly get linked with an agent.
4. IVR name stream testing instruments
Name stream testing instruments focus particularly on the sequence of actions inside an IVR system.
They ensure that all of the menus are arrange in ways in which make sense, that requests get routed to the suitable division, and that there’s both a simple strategy to attain a consultant or an in any other case straightforward strategy to cope with an error if one thing sudden occurs inside a menu.
Just like automated IVR testing instruments, name stream IVR testing instruments simulate calls. However reasonably than mimicking potential buyer interactions, they methodically cycle by way of the menus. As such, they’ll let you know concerning the accuracy of name routing, the benefit and effectiveness of your navigation, and what occurs when one thing goes mistaken.
You’ll most definitely need to use name stream testing instruments whenever you’re first establishing your IVR and any time you replace your IVR or add one other menu layer to it. Name stream testing instruments are additionally necessary any time you combine different software program along with your IVR, since integrations can typically trigger unintended loops or useless ends in IVR techniques.
An open-source name stream testing software is accessible on GitHub from consumer SketchingDev.
5. IVR safety testing instruments
IVR safety is a big deal. In case you’re solely capable of do one sort of IVR testing, it ought to most likely be safety testing. These establish vulnerabilities in your system and make it possible for buyer and enterprise knowledge stays protected.
They will additionally enable you to keep away from points with denial-of-service assaults, during which malicious actors flood your IVR system with so many calls that it turns into unusable.
There are three major forms of IVR safety exams that companies can profit from:
- Vulnerability scans: These exams undergo every step of your IVR and search for locations that hackers might break into, steal info from, or in any other case exploit.
- Penetration exams: Penetration exams are executed by simulating quite a lot of identified assaults on the system and seeing how nicely or poorly it responds.
- Authentication exams: These exams are executed to ensure your IVR can’t be tricked into releasing confidential knowledge by somebody pretending to be another person.
Altogether, these exams give you a transparent image of your IVR’s vulnerability to assaults, letting you make selections about the way you need to defend it.
You must use exams like ProCheckUp, a robust instance within the area of IVR safety testing, commonly all through the lifetime of your IVR. It’s particularly necessary to do safety testing after making any upgrades or adjustments, simply in case any safety points had been launched.
Utilizing IVR testing instruments vs hiring professionals
It’s potential to make use of IVR testing instruments your self, however some folks choose to rent technical consultants to deal with the evaluation. Contemplate the next components when deciding whether or not to conduct your personal IVR testing or rent knowledgeable:
- Your degree of experience: When you have prior expertise testing IVRs, then you definately most likely don’t want to rent knowledgeable. Whereas it’s one thing you may study, when time is an element and also you don’t have the data, then knowledgeable could also be higher.
- Your sources: Your price range is a key consideration when deciding to make use of a DIY strategy in your IVR testing, as are your time and your competing priorities. Do you will have the price range to rent somebody? If not, do you will have the time and bandwidth to do it your self?
- The complexity of your IVR: In case your system is pretty simple, likelihood is you are able to do the testing your self with out an excessive amount of hassle. When you have a way more sophisticated system, it’s most likely higher to outsource.
- The stakes for your small business: Contemplate how necessary your IVR is to your small business operations and your relationships with prospects. If one thing goes mistaken along with your IVR, can your small business deal with it, or would it not be massively disruptive? Equally, in case your prospects’ knowledge had been ever compromised, how a lot of an issue would it not be for your small business? The upper the stakes, the extra probably it’s you may gain advantage from knowledgeable.
It’s necessary to notice that almost all VoIP suppliers do their very own IVR testing and upkeep, so there’s no want so that you can fear about it should you go that route. In case you’re utilizing a unique sort of enterprise telephone system, you’ll must find time for common testing, whether or not you do it your self or discover exterior assist.
