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Responding to Negative Press with a Strong Voice

Angel.com: A leader in Interactive Voice Response (IVR), virtual call centers and speech technology applications.

Situation Analysis: Blogger Paul English attracted international media attention in 2005 and 2006 by publishing the “IVR Cheat Sheet” a list of tips and tricks for consumers to code their way out of automated phone systems.  English was featured everywhere from the Today Show to the largest daily papers and magazines worldwide, consistently painting the IVR industry in a negative light. While other IVR vendors stood idly by, Angel.com and its PR team took action.

Strategy: Rather than falling into a name-calling battle with English, Angel.com took the high road, conceded that the industry had its challenges, and published the “IVR Cheat Sheet for Business,” with simple tips to create IVRs that are more user friendly and less frustrating. They also pointed out instances – like checking bank balances or obtaining results from STD tests – where consumers might favor “talking” to an IVR.

Resulting Media Coverage (included, but was not limited to): Baseline Magazine, Entrepreneur, InfoWorld, Network World, Inc. Magazine, Speech Technology Magazine, Call Center Magazine, CIO Magazine, Yahoo.com, Boston Globe, Fox-DC, Fox-Chicago, NBC-DC