IVR Automation Scores Touchdown With Big Game Fans Seeking Food Order Status

Share the Smiles

Multi-National Fast-Food Giant Reduces Customer Wait Time by Partnering With iQor to Digitally Transform the Process of Checking Order Status by Phone

Background   

Our client, with thousands of high-volume fast-food restaurants in the U.S., knows that in their highly competitive field, providing exceptional customer experiences can make a big difference in revenue and profitability—especially during the Big Game, one of their busiest sales days of the year. Every year it sets a strategic goal to make that year’s Big Game experience even better than the year before. 

iQor’s partnership with them includes providing phone customer care (voice and digital non-voice) services. Together, we explore, plan, and execute digital CX solutions that speed up service, improve accuracy, and reduce customer wait times on the brand’s channels of support. 

They asked iQor to help them improve two aspects of their phone customer service. 

1. When customers call for assistance, an interactive voice response (IVR) greets them. The IVR instructs them to press “1” to place an order, press “2” to check the status of an order, and so on.  

One team of iQor agents takes orders, while another team handles order status calls. Order status agents check the system database and update customers whether their order is: 

• In process. 
• Ready for pickup. 
• Out for delivery. 
• Reported delivered.  

Finding the order in the system can take a minute or so, during which time the customer waits on hold. 

2. For our client, their goal is to ensure that all customers enjoy a uniformly excellent customer experience when placing an order or checking its status, while also improving efficiency in their restaurants. Routing eligible callers to an IVR to answer their order status question allows restaurant employees to focus on their in-restaurant customers, completing orders efficiently while also mitigating the need for employees to answer customer service inquiries.  

Our client wanted to reduce customer effort and wait times wherever possible. 

Challenge  

Our client knows that hungry fans who watch the Big Game don’t want to wait on hold and miss the action while an agent checks the status of their food order.  

Months before the 2023 Big Game, they asked iQor to create a strategic CX solution to improve the customer experience by significantly reducing the wait time for receiving order status details. They knew their customers would appreciate not having to wait on hold for their order status during the game.  

After discussing a potential digital non-voice solution recommended by iQor, they invited us to create, implement, and operate it for them. The new digital CX solution would address all aspects of the experience that our client wanted to achieve. Of course, they needed it operational, tested, and fully functional for the Big Game.  

Solution 

iQor reviewed what was then the current system and worked through every possible event that would need to be considered in the new non-voice digital solution.  

Now, when customers who call the central phone line press “2” for order status, they’re routed out of the live agent queue into a new self-service branch of the IVR. The self-service branch is integrated into the client’s digital systems. With the touch of a few buttons, the customer quickly learns the status of their order. This reduces customer wait time and the number of agents needed to speak with customers. 

The IVR is programmed with responses for all possible circumstances: 

• If the system doesn’t find an order associated with the provided phone number, the customer can enter a different phone number or speak with someone who can assist them. 
• If the system can’t find the order status, the IVR transfers their call to someone who can help. 
• If the customer status is “delivered” and the customer has not received their order, the IVR can transfer the call to someone at the restaurant. 

With every possible circumstance considered, the digital non-voice IVR resolves customers’ calls much faster. And in the vast majority of cases, the customer doesn’t need to speak with (and wait for) an agent. 

Results 

One month before the Big Game, iQor met its deadline. The new IVR system with automated non-voice order status lookup was rolled out in time for the conference championship games to make customers smile. 

By the day of the Big Game, the IVR will:

Make it easy for customers to get their order status over the phone.

Reduce order status wait time by minutes per call.

Lessen the need for customers to speak with an agent when checking their order status.

Reduce cost and the number of agents needed to handle order status calls for the Big Game.