Voice processing and telephone management systems solutions provider Quintron and health care IT solutions provider MIP Health recently completed a project to provide medical aid administrator IFM with an interactive voice response system (IVR) to enhance IFM`s call centre facilities.
The project, which took a month to complete, enables IFM`s 31 000 medical aid members and their dependants, as well as service providers such as doctors and hospitals to call in and enquire about payments, or to request authorisation numbers using standard dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) telephones.
The Teledata IVR system guides callers through the available options and callers press touch-tone keys on their telephones to obtain the information required.
Quintron outsourced the integration of the system into IFM`s database to MIP, whose MedStar system already administers IFM`s medical aid business.
The Teledata IVR system is a PC-based system running on Windows. It interfaces with IFM`s Siemens PABX system and Progress Unix database running on a Sun Microsystems server.
Quintron MD Hugh Overy says the benefits of the system include a reduction of fraudulent claims as the automated system cannot accept any false numbers; and faster response times for callers. "The average call to the system lasts 30 seconds compared to more than 3 minutes for a call to an operator in the call centre."
Graeme van Bergen, principal officer for IFM`s medical aid schemes says the system is a boon for IFM`s call centre staff as they need only deal with major enquiries, since simple requests such as those for authorisation numbers are handled by the IVR system.
"The system has eliminated the need for a 24-hour manning of the call centre and has speeded up service," he says.
IVR technology is being used very successfully in a number of applications in South Africa, notably by banks. "Although you would expect there to be resistance from the man in the street, we are finding that there is acceptance when people realise how quick the service is," says Overy.
Other organisations that have installed the Teledata IVR include:
Rennies Moneyline - for a service that gives up-to-date foreign currency conversion rates over the phone and even does the calculation for you.
Silverton Radiators
Mercantile Lisbon Bank
MST Stockbrokers
- for automated order processing for their franchises nationwide. This has resulted in a substantial increase in customer service levels.
- for a system to issue authorisation numbers to the vendors for purchases made by cardholders.
- for investment-account balance enquiries and details of stock exchange deals.
Overy maintains the Teledata IVR system costs a fraction of the price of its foreign competitors, making it very accessible to small companies who would not normally be able to afford this type of system.
"Major call centres cost anything between R1 million and R50 million," says Overy. "In the past you may have paid R500 000 and upwards for an IVR system. Our price is less than a quarter of that."
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