According to Statista's report, there are 214 million businesses worldwide. Thus customers have the potential to choose from a wide array of alternatives. In this cut-throat competitive market where customers are at the center of the business, inbound and outbound IVR solutions integrated into call center software can enhance productivity.

According to the Market Research Future study, the global IVR market will reach 17.2 billion USD by 2030. It projects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3 percent from 2022 to 2030. This article will give a quick walkthrough on inbound IVR vs. outbound IVR.  

What is an Inbound IVR?

Inbound IVRs are telephony services that enable callers to contact a call center through an interactive voice system routing customers to available agents. Inbound call centers use this tool to automate inbound calls and solve customer queries. With IVR solutions in inbound call centers, businesses can anticipate a caller's requirements and provide access to essential information or support them through a customer care agent.

Advantages of Inbound IVR:

Let us explore some advantages of inbound IVR solutions.

• Inbound IVR system in inbound call centers often helps render a better customer experience by routing calls to the most appropriate agent through intelligent call routing.

• It delivers all the voice options allowing the customers to easily choose their desired option and place themselves in the right executive or customer care department.

• Instead of having the business employee figure out what the customer wants, the customer can engage by querying through the IVR, getting the answer from the IVR, or an appropriate agent.

• For a company with an inbound call center, it reduces costs. IVR service costs are significantly less than 1 USD per call.

• With inbound IVRs in place within inbound call centers, the inbound calls increases, enabling businesses to identify potential leads.

What is an Outbound IVR?

Unlike inbound IVR solutions, outbound IVR helps establish calls from businesses to the caller. It helps engage customers through diverse communication channels (such as voice calls, emails, SMS', etc.) automatically. Mostly, outbound call centers use this tool to automate customer interactions or stay in touch with potential buyers.

  Advantages of Outbound IVR

Let us explore some advantages of outbound IVR solutions.

• With outbound IVR solutions in outbound call centers, brands and companies can stay engaged with customers and potential leads without losing productivity.

• Outbound IVRs also help enhance channel usage. Modern outbound IVRs in outbound call centers can contact potential customers at a suitable time through a channel from which they are most likely to respond.

• Call center software with outbound IVR can drive more revenue by automatically sending sales promotions or launching new products to large customer groups.

• By delivering messages or feedback forms through outbound IVR to specific channels, outbound call centers can provide a smooth customer journey or better understand customer sentiments through feedback.

  Difference Between Inbound vs. Outbound IVR Solutions

Both inbound and outbound IVRs should work in tandem to render business productivity. Businesses can choose based on which one to use and when. Although both provide 24x7 support, here are some notable differences between inbound IVR & outbound IVR.

Inbound IVR:

• The customer or caller initiates the call.
• Its primary focus is on customer service and assistance.
• It is easy to implement and use.

Outbound IVR:

• The company or business' automated system initiates the call.
• Its primary focus is on sales and marketing.
• It is slightly challenging to implement and use.

  Conclusion

We hope this article has given a crisp idea of inbound and outbound IVRs that inbound and outbound call centers can implement in their system. The integration of IVR in call center software is significantly low compared to other telephony services. When looking for excellent call center software to serve customers through inbound and outbound call services, Knowlarity is the best choice. It is the leading cloud-based call center software and IVR solution provider.