The Real CX Impact of IVR Failures and the Human Touch

When a customer calls your contact center for help, the experience begins long before an agent picks up. In a conversation with host Shep Hyken, Mark Rohan, Co‑Founder and COO of Klearcom, reminds us that “customer experience does not start once customers talk to an agent. It starts from the very first time that a customer makes any engagement with the business.”

That means every touch: voice menu, prompt, digital assistant shapes perception. Mark shared data that brings this into sharp focus: “around 73 percent of people will avoid a business if they have a bad encounter with an automated phone menu.” Those first moments can determine whether a caller stays or hangs up forever.

Voice still matters, but only when it works

Despite the rise of chat and AI tools, there are moments when voice is irreplaceable. Mark says, “no matter how good AI and digital options become, there will always be moments when people want to talk to another person.” That human connection matters most when issues are urgent or sensitive.

Automated systems may handle routine tasks faster. But when stakes are high, people gravitate toward voice. If that channel fails through poor audio or confusing menus, the damage starts before the interaction even begins.

Change is uncomfortable, but necessary

Mark is clear that comfort should not stand in the way of improvement. He advises, “embrace change. The most detrimental words to any business in the world are ‘That’s the way we always did it.’” Clinging to legacy systems while customers compare their experience to the best they’ve ever had puts companies at risk of falling behind.

Every failure is an opportunity to build loyalty

How you resolve failure can define your brand. Mark puts it simply: “Everybody remembers the poor experiences, but very few people remember the good ones.” But if you recover well, “when things go wrong, what’s important is to go above and beyond thereafter, because that’s the thing that resonates a lot more with customers.”

That means turning issues into moments that earn trust, something proactive monitoring and fast response can help you do.

Why proactively monitoring IVR and voice matters

If the customer experience starts at the first ring, problems must be caught before they hit callers. Klearcom’s platform simulates real-world customer calls across global networks, surfacing issues like silent IVR menus, garbled prompts, or carrier degradation before they impact callers.

That real-time visibility means fixing problems earlier, reclaiming trust faster, and turning what could be “experience crushers” into satisfaction builders.

Synthesizing digital efficiency and human empathy

AI and IVR tools are powerful when they work, but not when they block access to help. Mark’s message is firm: digital options are effective for predictable tasks. But humans must remain part of the equation: “There will always be moments when people want to talk to another person.”

Your ecosystem needs to be frictionless. When callers need a human, IVR must legally and emotionally hand them over, quickly, reliably, empathically.

Hear them. Fix it. Rebuild trust.

Every brand wants fast, low-cost automation. But Mark’s interview reminds us that true customer experience isn’t just convenience, it’s reliability plus empathy.

The voice channel is only as effective as what lies along the call path. Poor IVR is not just technical failure. It is trust failure. But when you detect issues early, resolve them gracefully, and provide a seamless human handoff when needed, you transform frustration into loyalty.

Ready to monitor what your callers hear, and turn first impressions into lasting trust? See how Klearcom ensures a flawless and human-centered IVR experience.