Abstract:
The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of speech-enabled interactive voice response systems in contact centers, specifically in Turkey. In order to perform this analysis, data was collected from two Turkish companies in the retail and airline sectors, who are very well known in their respective areas of commerce. The data from the speech recognition systems in the companies were studied in order to reveal patterns in multiple criteria, which were determined according to the research questions designed previously. It is determined that a speech-enabled IVR system generates a rapid return on investment, as well as a significant increase in contact center metrics across the board, if the system is congruent and well-designed. Multiple implications were determined and detailed in the conclusion along with three managerial suggestions. Limitations were the analysis of inbound systems only, the existence of time-wise asymmetrical data, and the low number of existing systems providing data to the study.
