Call Deflection with Purpose: How IVR Payments Reduce Volume Without Reducing Service
When people hear the term call deflection, it often raises eyebrows. It can sound like you’re avoiding customers, not exactly the image any CX leader wants to project. But call deflection, when used intentionally and intelligently, is not about dodging responsibility. It’s about optimizing the customer experience and empowering your team. One of the most effective, and overlooked, ways to do this is through IVR Payments.
What Is Call Deflection?
Call deflection is the practice of rerouting certain inbound calls away from live agents to alternative channels that can handle those requests more efficiently, like self-service portals, mobile apps, or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. When implemented with purpose, deflection frees up agents to focus on higher value, emotionally complex, or urgent calls that truly require a human touch.
Call deflection isn’t about turning customers away. It’s about getting them faster, more accurate service, on their terms.
Why IVR Payments Are a High, Impact Deflection Tool
Many organizations underestimate how much time agents spend handling routine credit card payments. Whether it’s a utility bills, hospital invoices, or loan instalments, these are simple calls that consume valuable agent time and tie up your most expensive resource: people.
IVR Payments are a secure, automated way for customers to pay their bills over the phone, without ever speaking to a live person.
Some of the key benefits of having an IVR Payments solution include:
- Payment Security: Customers enter their payment details using their phone keypad. No agent ever hears or sees credit card information.
- Available 24/7: Payments can be made at any time, without being limited to call center hours.
- Fast: Most IVR payments take under 120 seconds to complete.
By redirecting these calls to a self-service IVR system, you not only reduce live call volume, you also significantly reduce your PCI scope and liability.
Why Call Deflection Is Critical During Peak Disconnect Periods
In utility companies and other service-based organizations, the pressure is especially intense during disconnect notice periods. These are predictable monthly spikes when customers rush to make payments to avoid service interruption. Hold times skyrocket. Agents are overwhelmed. And many customers miss their payment deadlines, not because they’re unwilling to pay, but because they simply can’t get through.
This is exactly where IVR Payments shine.
- Customers can make immediate payments, even after normal business hours.
- Agents aren’t stuck processing credit cards while queues grow longer.
- Disconnects are reduced because payments are accepted faster and more efficiently.
- Vulnerable customers who need real help can still reach a live agent.
With a smart deflection strategy, everyone wins. Your team is better utilized, your customers are better served, and your risk of payment, related service disruptions go down.
Results: Lower Agent Load, Reduced Call Times, and Happier Customers
Let’s be clear: IVR Payments aren’t a replacement for service, they’re a reinforcement. When payment calls are deflected to IVR:
- Up to 90% reduction in agent, handled payment calls
- Shorter average call times across the board, since agents spend less time processing transactions
- Fewer abandoned calls, as customers aren’t stuck on hold for something they could have handled in seconds
- Improved agent morale, with less burnout from repetitive tasks
But the most important outcome? Progress toward a 100% goal of removing credit card handling from your contact center entirely. This reduces PCI scope, minimizes security risk, and positions your organization for long-term operational resilience.
“I have to tell you that I am absolutely loving this system and my calls for live payments have reduced by more than 90%… I am a very happy lady!!!” Revenue Cycle Group and Receivables Supervisor, Markham Stouffville Hospital
Real, World Use Case: Before & After IVR Payment Implementation
Before
A regional utility provider handled all customer payments through live agents. Between the 10th and 20th of each month (the payment window), wait times spiked to 8-12 minutes. Nearly 40% of all inbound calls were related to payments. Customer frustration was high, and staff were exhausted.
After
Once IVR Payments were introduced, payment calls were routed to a secure, automated system. Over 65% of customers opted for the self-service path. Live call volume dropped sharply. Average hold times decreased by more than 50%. Agents were able to focus on higher, impact customer needs, and the organization saw a measurable improvement in customer satisfaction.
Call deflection, when done right, isn’t about doing less for your customers, it’s about doing more of what matters.
By introducing IVR Payments into your call deflection strategy, you’re reducing stress on your team, improving service levels, and protecting your organization from unnecessary risk. And during the busiest times of the month, when service disconnects loom, IVR Payments become more than a convenience. They become a lifeline.
If your contact center is dealing with high volumes, long wait times, or unnecessary Payment security / PCI exposure, now is the time to rethink how you handle phone payments. Because the best service doesn’t always require a live voice, it just requires a better process.
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“This was one of the best implementations I have been a part of. The communication was excellent and everything was responded to and dealt with swiftly. A real pleasure. We are looking forward to the impact this will have on our patient payments! Thank you!”
