A research study commissioned by SpeechWorks and conducted by Gartner Custom found that overall, callers are very satisfied with their experience using speech recognition technology. The research found that the primary drivers for overall caller satisfaction with speech systems included convenience, speed and timeliness of information retrieval, recognition accuracy and a personal and friendly interaction.

The research is based on interviews conducted by Gartner with 302 respondents who had recently interacted with one of a variety of SpeechWorks speech recognition applications in the airline, railroad, car rental and insurance industries.

Some of the key findings:

• Most respondents indicated a clear preference for speech recognition over touch-tone and Internet interfaces, with 47% and 49% respectively indicating that they were much more satisfied using speech technology and 36% and 27% indicating they are equally satisfied.

• Respondents preferred speech recognition over touch-tone by a factor of 6 to 1.

• 43% of respondents expressed strong preference for speech recognition over waiting on hold for two minutes to speak with an agent.

• 69% of callers rated touch-tone their least preferred method of self-service.

• In general, caller respondents indicate strong positive agreement with individual components of the speech technology interaction in terms of clarity, pleasant voice, ease of use, quick and timely interaction, recognition accuracy, convenience and friendliness of interaction.

"This research clearly demonstrates that overall caller satisfaction with speech recognition technology is very high, and that most customers indicate a clear preference for using speech recognition over either touch-tone or Internet interfaces," said Scott Perretta, senior researcher who led the study at Gartner Custom Research.

The Gartner Custom Research study also probed for qualitative insights on speech technology, looking for callers' top-of-mind reactions to their experience. Respondents were given the opportunity to freely state their opinions, with top-rated comments including:

• It's quick (32% of callers)

• Easy to use (15%)

• Answers all questions, gets needed information (12%)

• Don't have to wait or be on hold (11%)

A research study commissioned by SpeechWorks and conducted by Gartner Custom found that overall, callers are very satisfied with their experience using speech recognition technology. The research found that the primary drivers for overall caller satisfaction with speech systems included convenience, speed and timeliness of information retrieval, recognition accuracy and a personal and friendly interaction.

The research is based on interviews conducted by Gartner with 302 respondents who had recently interacted with one of a variety of SpeechWorks speech recognition applications in the airline, railroad, car rental and insurance industries.

Some of the key findings:

• Most respondents indicated a clear preference for speech recognition over touch-tone and Internet interfaces, with 47% and 49% respectively indicating that they were much more satisfied using speech technology and 36% and 27% indicating they are equally satisfied.

• Respondents preferred speech recognition over touch-tone by a factor of 6 to 1.

• 43% of respondents expressed strong preference for speech recognition over waiting on hold for two minutes to speak with an agent.

• 69% of callers rated touch-tone their least preferred method of self-service.

• In general, caller respondents indicate strong positive agreement with individual components of the speech technology interaction in terms of clarity, pleasant voice, ease of use, quick and timely interaction, recognition accuracy, convenience and friendliness of interaction.

"This research clearly demonstrates that overall caller satisfaction with speech recognition technology is very high, and that most customers indicate a clear preference for using speech recognition over either touch-tone or Internet interfaces," said Scott Perretta, senior researcher who led the study at Gartner Custom Research.

The Gartner Custom Research study also probed for qualitative insights on speech technology, looking for callers' top-of-mind reactions to their experience. Respondents were given the opportunity to freely state their opinions, with top-rated comments including:

• It's quick (32% of callers)

• Easy to use (15%)

• Answers all questions, gets needed information (12%)

• Don't have to wait or be on hold (11%)