DVLA finds its own voice

Voice recognition can offer a friendly user experience without speaking to a customer service agent

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has integrated voice recognition functionality into its contact centre system to support better customer service delivery.

The new system will help maintain the government agency’s customer service satisfaction level of over 91 per cent, demonstrated in the DVLA’s latest survey for 2006/07.

The new interactive voice response (IVR) system, supplied by Avaya, mirrors the agency’s web services to speed up the handling of calls, allowing callers to pay their vehicle tax without the need to speak to an agent while maintaining a positive user experience.

Technology is a critical component of the agency’s business strategy, said Ian Broom, head of DVLA’s contact centre.

“Over the years we have been continually exploring and looking at innovative ways of how we can exploit new technologies to enhance and deliver the best customer experience,” said Broom.

The new system is a dynamic and productive addition to DVLA, who now answer in the region of 25 million calls per annum, said Broom.

The Agency, headquartered in Swansea, has approximately 700 agents dedicated to answer customer queries.

The fully integrated contact centre offers a wide range of services including inbound calls, help desk facilities, bill collecting and market research.