CMO, Flip. Passionate about bringing humanity to marketing.
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From the earliest days of humanity, we’ve been communicating with each other through our voices. When we speak, we’re able to get across things that we can’t get across as well, or at all, over text. Voice encapsulates and conveys emotions.
Voice plays a huge role in the daily lives of many. People can ask Siri where the nearest restaurant is, tell Alexa to turn on the lights and more. In fact, according to a 2022 report put together by NPR and Edison Research, 62% of Americans 18 and over “use a voice assistant on any device, including smart speakers, smartphones, in-car systems and more,” and 57% of “voice command users use voice commands daily in 2022.”
I believe, however, as someone working in this space, that the power of voice hasn’t been leveraged to the fullest extent by the business world. This is a massive missed opportunity.
Voice: A Pathway To Greater Accessibility And Customer Service
Activating voice in the business world has two main benefits.
One, it enhances accessibility for employees and consumers alike. According to a 2021 article by the World Health Organization, worldwide, “at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment.” Several years ago, I was one of those people. I lost my vision and used voice technology to get through college. Corneal transplants ultimately returned my sight, but graduating would have been extremely difficult without voice technology. With the prevalence of screens, it’s more important than ever that we give people an alternative way to gain information and communicate, instead of overwhelmingly relying on text communication.
Second, it can lead to better customer service. Consider this 2018 finding from Bizrate Insights: As reported by Insider Intelligence, “31.9% of respondents said they prefer to chat with a customer representative over the phone, while 29.1% selected email.” My analysis of this finding is that when people speak to someone over the phone, there’s a level of comfort; they “hear” that someone is tending to their issue. In a way, text, chat and email support “hide” companies from their customers.
Of course, text, chat and email support have their place in customer communication. They’re not going anywhere, nor should they. But people value connecting via voice, and while it’s not feasible for every company to have live human voice support around the clock, there are several ways companies can leverage live or automated voices to enhance accessibility and customer service.
Using Voice For Lead Qualification
Many companies use online lead qualification forms. Prospective customers have to take on the tedious task of entering their names, email addresses and more.
But instead of only relying on text, companies could bring voice into the mix. They could use a voice assistant that prospective customers can select to “speak to.” The voice assistant could then ask prospective customers questions like, “What’s your name?” and “What’s your email?” and populate their responses on the form as they answer.
Additionally, voice could be used to answer prospective and existing customers’ questions. If customers don’t want to, or can’t, sift through online FAQs or knowledgebases but don’t want a real-time interaction with another person, they can connect with a voice assistant to get their questions answered. Of course, this approach isn’t perfect—after all, not even the most popular voice assistants on the market can answer every question. But voice assistants can be a starting point to help consumers get to where they want to go when they interact with companies.
Creating More Pleasant Waiting Times
The elevator music brands play while people wait on the phone doesn’t accomplish much, if anything. Elevator music is limited in terms of what it can do for branding. Think about the companies you’ve called—do you remember the exact tunes they played? You probably don’t.
When used strategically, voice can accomplish a lot for brands. There’s a reason why “Nationwide is on your side” and “I’m lovin’ it” are so recognizable. Instead of using elevator music, a brand could use that “waiting time” to bolster its branding, such as by using an automated voice to state its slogan, tell people about upcoming products and features and give some “tips and tricks” for using its products.
Brands should be careful not to overdo things in this space. For instance, it would be a bad idea to have an automated voice repeat a corporate slogan 10 times in a row. Additionally, brands should remember that a blended approach can work, too—maybe the automated voice gives some updates, then elevator music plays for a few minutes before the customer gets connected to a customer service representative.
Boosting Customer Engagement
Voice also presents great customer engagement opportunities.
While brands could certainly use voice in a more “passive” way to create more pleasant waiting times, they can also use voice in a more “active” way during waiting times—which also ends up boosting customer engagement.
Imagine this. A customer calls a company, and instead of listening to updates or elevator music on the phone, they get to play a trivia game (an automated voice quizzes them on a topic relevant to the brand). Or, the customer gets connected to a customer service representative who can check in with them and get initial insights on their issue before sending them along to a specialist.
Voice, be it automated or live, can unlock more presence for brands, and greater connection and engagement between brands and their customers. It’s a form of communication that tells the world: “We’re here.”
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