An interactive voice response (IVR) system is a powerful tool for managing call queues and improving customer satisfaction, but it requires maintenance for optimal use. Regular testing of your interactive voice response system is essential to ensure that the system is secure and working as it should. Testing also helps you improve call flows, ensure quality, and understand performance.
Here are the different types of IVR testing tools you will need to run an efficient and successful system.
Types of IVR Testing Tools
1. Automated IVR Testing Tools
These tools automate the process of interacting with your interactive voice response (IVR) system to get a feel for what it would be like if a person were using it. They simulate calls, navigate menus, enter data, and verify responses so you can identify points where potential problems could occur, without having to take the time to run through a bunch of scenarios yourself.
This type of testing is especially useful when you are first setting up your interactive voice response (IVR) system, as it will not have been used by active users yet. It is also a good idea to run automated tests whenever you make changes or additions to the system, or integrate new software, such as a CRM.
These three main areas of testing are called functional testing, regression testing, and integration testing. Automated interactive voice response testing tools, such as Cyara, can handle all three of these areas.
2. IVR Load and Performance Testing Tools
While automated IVR testing tools run scenarios one by one, performance and load testing tools simulate multiple scenarios at the same time to see if the IVR system can handle the volume.
These tests generally focus on the following:
- Load test: Measures how well the IVR responds to a normal or peak load of concurrent users and data transfer requests.
- Stress test: Monitor what happens when the IVR receives a very heavy load at once or over a prolonged period.
- Scalability Test: Check how the system would adapt to changes in the size and complexity of the workload, such as changes in the number of users or network traffic.
The main situations where performance and load testing tools can be used are when installing a new system or when you anticipate upcoming periods with increased call volume. They are also great if you want to expand your interactive voice response (IVR) capabilities but are unsure if your system will be able to support it.
If you're already having problems, performance and load testing tools can help you identify the source of the problems and eliminate bottlenecks. Empirix Hammer is a performance and load testing tool worth considering.
3. Speech recognition and voice quality testing tools
An interactive voice response (IVR) system is only as good as its ability to interact with the caller and understand what they are saying back. That’s where voice quality assessment and voice recognition tools like Klearcom come in.
First, voice quality tools assess the clarity, consistency, and ease of understanding of voice prompts coming from the interactive voice response (IVR) system. Then, they look for pronunciation issues, audio quality, and delays. Voice recognition testing tools also assess how well the system understands what callers are telling it.
The main areas these tools focus on are how accurately the system understands what is being said and the range of responses the system can understand, including unusual words, phrases, dialects, accents, and audio with background noise.
Both voice quality and voice recognition tools are critical when developing your IVR, as they help ensure that the system can… talk and hear Correct. They are especially important for companies that have a highly interactive or complex interactive voice response (IVR) system.
If customers have to fight a machine to get what they need, they are more likely to give up and ask to speak to a representative. To make matters worse, in these situations, they are likely already annoyed when they finally get through to an agent.
4. IVR Call Flow Testing Tools
Call flow testing tools focus specifically on the sequence of actions within an IVR system.
They make sure that all menus are set up in a way that makes sense, that requests are routed to the correct department, and that there is an easy way to reach a representative or a simple way to deal with an error if something unexpected happens within a menu.
Similar to automated IVR testing tools, call flow IVR testing tools simulate calls. But instead of mimicking interactions with potential customers, they methodically walk through menus. This way, they can tell you about the accuracy of your call routing, the ease and effectiveness of your navigation, and what happens when something goes wrong.
You will most likely want to use call flow testing tools when you first set up your IVR and any time you update your IVR or add another menu layer to it. Call flow testing tools are also important any time you integrate other software with your IVR, as integrations can sometimes cause unwanted loops or dead ends in IVR systems.
An open source call flow testing tool is available on GitHub from user SketchingDev.
5. IVR Security Testing Tools
Security for interactive voice response (IVR) systems is a very important topic. If you can only perform one type of IVR testing, you should probably perform security testing. This identifies vulnerabilities in your system and ensures that customer and company data remain protected.
They can also help you avoid problems with denial of service attacks, where malicious actors flood your IVR system with so many calls that it becomes unusable.
There are three main types of IVR security testing that businesses can benefit from:
- Vulnerability Analysis: These tests go through every step of your IVR, looking for places where hackers could break in, steal information, or otherwise exploit.
- Penetration Testing: Penetration testing is done by simulating a variety of known attacks on the system and seeing how well or poorly it responds.
- Authentication tests: These tests are performed to ensure that your IVR cannot be fooled and disclose sensitive data by someone impersonating someone else.
Together, these tests give you a clear picture of your IVR's vulnerability to attacks, allowing you to make decisions about how you want to protect it.
You should use tests like ProCheckUp, a solid example in the field of IVR security testing, on a regular basis throughout the life of your IVR. It is especially important to perform security testing after updates or changes are made, just in case any security issues are introduced.
Use IVR testing tools instead of hiring professionals
It is possible to use IVR testing tools on your own, but some people prefer to hire technical experts to handle the testing. Consider the following factors when deciding whether to perform your own IVR testing or hire a professional:
- Your level of experience: If you have prior experience testing interactive voice response (IVR) systems, you probably don't need to hire a professional. While it is something that can be learned, when time is a factor and you don't have the knowledge, then it may be better to hire a professional.
- Your resources: Budget is a key factor to consider when deciding whether to use a DIY approach to IVR testing, as is time and competing priorities. Do you have the budget to hire someone? If not, do you have the time and bandwidth to do it yourself?
- The complexity of your IVR: If your system is fairly simple, you can probably perform the testing yourself without too much trouble. If you have a much more complicated system, it's probably best to outsource it.
- What's at stake for your business: Think about how important your interactive voice response (IVR) system is to your company’s operations and customer relationships. If something goes wrong with your interactive voice response system, will your company be able to fix it, or would it be a huge disruption? Likewise, if your customer data were ever compromised, how serious would the problem be for your company? The higher the risk, the more likely you can benefit from a professional.
It's important to note that most VoIP providers perform their own IVR testing and maintenance, so you don't need to worry about it if you go that route. If you use a different type of business phone system, you'll need to spend time doing regular testing, whether you do it yourself or seek outside help.
