Latest news with #Klearcom
Forbes
16-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How IVR Failures Undermine Customer Experience (And How To Fix It)
Liam Dunne is the Co-founder and CEO of Klearcom, a global leader in customer call path testing & real-time contact center optimization. In today's world, where everyone is looking for convenience and customer loyalty is more fragile than ever, one bad interaction can quickly sever the bond between a brand and its customer. And the interactive voice response (IVR) system—the first point of contact in so many customer journeys—is the most common culprit? When these systems fail, the consequences can be spectacular. Imagine a loyal customer calling in to sort out a billing issue. They navigate through a complicated IVR system, get stuck in endless menu loops and eventually hit a dead end. Frustrated, they hang up, never wanting to deal with that brand or that situation again. This isn't an unusual scenario. According to an Accenture survey, 87% of customers said they'd avoid a company after just one poor experience. And the financial fallout isn't pretty either. Research suggests that businesses lose about $262 per customer each year due to ineffective IVR systems. At Klearcom, I've seen the damage firsthand. For example, back in April 2022, we spotted a major issue with a client's IVR system. Christmas messages were still being played months after the holiday season had passed! Then, in late 2022, during a trial with a global services provider, one of their emergency lines was down, causing customers to get a "We're sorry, but this number is not in service" message. These types of failures, if left unchecked, could easily drive customers away. Historically, businesses have relied on customer feedback to identify and fix service failures, but that's no longer enough. Customers now expect brands to anticipate and fix issues before they even notice. In today's competitive landscape, businesses must ensure their IVR systems run smoothly in real time, especially in emerging markets where service standards might not be established. When you're operating globally, it's essential to have a clear understanding of service standards across regions. Ask yourself, "What's our benchmark in each country?" and "Are we meeting a consistent service standard worldwide?" Failing to measure and address these benchmarks can lead to silent brand killers. You might not notice the flaws, but your customers will, and their dissatisfaction will quietly chip away at your brand loyalty. These days, businesses can no longer hide behind excuses. Customers expect top-notch service, and they don't care about your internal challenges. At Klearcom, for example, we caught an error for a global pharmaceutical client where their compliance line was incorrectly telling customers they were unavailable to take calls. While we quickly resolved it, sustained error could have likely caused further, possibly irreparable damage. As Gen Z and younger generations rise through the ranks, they're bringing with them a new standard of speed and efficiency. Outdated service models won't cut it anymore, and customers won't hesitate to move on if they're not getting the service they expect. In industries where products and services are increasingly similar, customer experience becomes the key differentiator. For example, in the telecom industry, two companies can offer nearly identical plans at the same price. However, the provider with a seamless, frustration-free experience will have the edge. A well-run IVR doesn't just solve problems; it shows your commitment to customer satisfaction. Every time a customer interacts with your IVR, it's an opportunity to reinforce your brand's values. Gone are the days of just trying to get customers off the phone as quickly as possible. Today, businesses can use IVR and contact center interactions to communicate their brand's culture and ethos, turning a simple call into a memorable experience. To do this effectively, organizations should start by aligning their customer service training with their brand value, whether this means emphasizing empathy, transparency or innovation. They should also audit their IVR scripts and contact center messaging regularly to ensure the language reflects the brand's tone of voice. Workshops can also help departments collaborate on reinforcing brand identity through support touchpoints. Even something as small as the music or hold messages used can subtly convey brand personality. We can all hum along to our favorite hold music! Most importantly, leaders must champion brand consistency as a strategic priority, reinforcing it in performance reviews, onboarding and CX metrics. As industries mature, many products and services start to look and feel the same. The big advantages that once set companies apart, like price, quality or features, are becoming less noticeable. But there's still a powerful way to stand out: how you interact with your customers. Businesses need to reorganize the importance of IVR systems in driving customer retention and shaping brand perception. By proactively addressing IVR failures, setting global service benchmarks and integrating your brand identity into every customer interaction, you can turn your IVR system into a customer loyalty machine, rather than a silent brand killer. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Techday NZ
09-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Klearcom eyes 79% revenue growth as AI fuels global expansion
Klearcom is forecasting a 79% increase in revenue in 2025, driven by new partnerships and an expanded product portfolio. The company expects its global customer base to rise by 75% during the same period, attributing the growth to its extended market reach and a stronger focus on AI-driven solutions, including large language models and conversational AI. Klearcom has outlined plans to add 35 new carrier partnerships and expand into 15 additional markets by the end of 2026, with particular emphasis on further development in Asia and Africa. These efforts are part of a strategy to serve a more diverse customer base and increase international presence. Since 2022, the Waterford-based firm has expanded its carrier network from 80 partners to over 340 by 2025. Its carrier services are now available in over 100 countries, reflecting the company's commitment to expanding its global footprint. The integration of emerging AI technologies is expected to bring improved service reliability, broader geographic coverage, and quicker response times to Klearcom's clients, according to statements from company leadership. Mark Rohan, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Klearcom, said, "It's been an exciting period of growth for Klearcom and we have no intention of stopping any time soon. As we embark on an ambitious strategy to further expand our operations and disrupt the market, our recent success is merely a sign of things to come. Underpinned by truly global contact centre testing solutions, we are delivering the fastest response and most cost-effective service for multinational companies across the globe." "This is driving further demand for our offering, which we are bolstering with more carriers and more services across more countries. In turn, we will deliver the best customer experience for our own customers and their customers – driving the business forward and strengthening our place in the elite bracket of customer service providers worldwide." Klearcom's growth trajectory has been notable over the past few years, marked by a significant increase in the number of carrier partners and an ongoing commitment to diversifying its international reach. The company has also strengthened its technological capabilities through the adoption of AI-driven tools aimed at solving customer service challenges for large organisations with global operations. The company's SaaS platform utilises real-time monitoring and artificial intelligence to address issues with IVR and toll-free numbers, enabling businesses to manage customer communications across multiple regions. The expansion in carrier partnerships and the push into new geographic markets form part of Klearcom's ongoing goals to improve system reliability and reduce risks associated with customer experience during technology migrations. Follow us on: Share on:
Techday NZ
28-04-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Klearcom launches Verify+ for enhanced global IVR testing
Klearcom has announced the launch of Verify+, its next-generation solution designed to allow multinational companies to test their customer service phone and IVR systems before deployment. An enhanced version of its previous offering, Verify+, enables organisations to simulate real customer calls, test different call paths and assess audio quality before going live with their customer service systems. These capabilities are intended to support businesses as they strive for higher service reliability and efficiency. One of the central features of Verify+ is the creation of reusable templates, which removes the need for companies to rewrite common tests. The system introduces a visual "treeview" model to support sequential testing and allows for concurrent IVR testing at no additional cost. The product also includes audio scoring and real-time monitoring capabilities. These features give testers greater flexibility, accuracy and visibility, helping ensure the high performance and reliability that customer service departments require. Outbound testing is also available, supporting the needs of international contact centre environments. Verify+ supports more than 100 languages and dialects, providing transcript analysis and audio scoring to further bolster testing processes. The platform can facilitate alternate transcripts for calls made during out-of-hours or holiday periods, enabled by automated IVR message and smart scheduling tools. By streamlining the pre-production testing process, Verify+ aims to accelerate how quickly organisations can deploy new customer service systems and identify potential issues within call flows. The solution is designed to enable faster resolution of problems, help reduce downtime and save significant time and operational costs for enterprises. The platform is designed to be quick to deploy and user-friendly, and becomes part of Klearcom's wider product portfolio. Now available in over 100 countries, Klearcom expects the new product to help scale its operations further, provide ongoing support to a growing international customer base and contribute to business growth. The company anticipates demand from sectors including telecom, utilities, retail, healthcare, aviation, banking and finance. Satish Barot, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Klearcom, said: "When people call customer service, they want the fastest possible response and resolution. When businesses are testing and rolling out these systems, they also want that. Verify+ delivers on both fronts by simplifying testing, ensuring optimal performance and supporting the best customer experience." Barot added: "As well as simulating real-world behaviours, including non-linear customer call journeys and interrupted interactions, it delivers a truly global testing capability – not only meeting the evolving needs of our customers but enabling them to meet the expectations of theirs. In turn, we are guaranteeing customer confidence, innovating the customer experience and expanding our customer base." Verify+ also introduces automated features such as IVR message management and smart scheduling, addressing the operational complexities often faced by organisations with distributed or multinational contact centres. These features allow businesses to test their systems throughout varied operating hours and geographical regions, further supporting service reliability. The launch of Verify+ follows on from Klearcom's commitment to help address IVR and toll-free number issues via its software-as-a-service platform, which leverages artificial intelligence-driven real-time monitoring for organisations in over 100 countries.
Irish Independent
24-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Waterford company Klearcom plans to scale up globally with new customer service technology
Verify+ is a new version of the company's initial product – Verify – which is used by companies to simulate customer calls and test the quality and clarity of their audio. The company said that Verify is currently being used in 100 countries for industries like telecom, retail, healthcare, banking and finance. It uses an interactive voice response (IVR) system, an automated tool that answers incoming calls and offers next steps for customers through a set menu Satish Barot, co-founder at Klearcom, said the company plans to add more countries and products to its portfolios. 'We think our customers will go up by 75pc because we are reaching new markets – so will our revenue. Most of our clients are based in the US and Europe and we want to expand to Asia moving forward,' he said. Klearcom has 25 full-time employees and it plans to expand its sales and marketing teams. 'My co-founders Liam Dunne and Mark Rohan are from Waterford. We thought Waterford had the resources and talent that we needed – there are graduates here who have helped us build up this business,' said Mr Barot. He said the new version of Verify plans to makes the customer-calling process simpler. 'When people call customer service, they want the fastest possible response and resolution. When businesses are testing and rolling out these systems, they also want that,' he said. 'With Verify+, we've tried to deliver on both fronts by making the testing process simpler.' He explained that the new model simulates real-world behaviour. 'As well as simulating real-world behaviours, which means uninterrupted interactions and non-linear conversations, it's trying to interpret what the customer's demands will be,' said Mr Barot. The team has made the new platform available in 100 languages and dialects to work with call centres around the world. Klearcom said companies can work with it to score the quality of its audio in real time and use transcripts of the conversations to analyse and improve it. 'It saves significant time and costs. Providers can use it to scale up their operations – so we're hoping it supports our bases in different countries.'
