IVRs - How to Create and Manage

Interactive voice response (IVR) is an automated phone system tool that handles incoming calls by providing a menu of options for users to choose from. The IVR menu selection involves choosing services and corresponding digits for callers, while voice prompts are categorized into IVR menu, IVR timeout, and Service closed prompts, each with global or local options.

1 Creating a new IVR menu
2 IVR Settings
3 IVR menu
4 Voice prompts

Creating a new IVR menu

Customize your IVR

You need to assign a distinctive name to your IVR and include a description if needed. Additionally, you have the option to select the time zone and language for the IVR.

IVR front page

Once you’ve created your IVR you get to configure it like you’ve configured your queue. The information, phone number, Service open, exceptions and callback service tabs are done in the same way as in your queue. The settings, IVR menu and voice prompts have some differences.

IVR Settings

In the IVR settings, adjustments can be made to the Timezone and Language. Additionally, there is an option to choose how many times to play the menu prompt, set in the voice prompt section, before routing the call to overflow with “Play menu prompt”. You can also set the time on how long to wait for the caller to make a selection in the menu with “Menu selection timeout”.

IVR menu

This is where you choose the services that the caller will be directed to and what digits can be pressed.

IVR prompt

You have to set a prompt for menu options. You should provide information on the available options for the caller to press and the corresponding destinations for each option.

Adding menu targets

To add a new target for the caller, click on “Add menu target”.

Select your target

Once you’ve chosen what digit the caller has to press you get to choose where the call will be routed to and what language the IVR uses. You can route the call to any queue, another IVR or a phone number. Adding a phone number may result in additional charges.

Voice prompts

The voice prompts within the IVRs are categorized differently from the prompts in the queues.

Voice prompt categories

There are three different categories in the IVRs voice prompts, IVR menu, IVR timeout and Service closed. You can choose either a global or a local prompt for all of them.

The IVR menu voice prompt is for when the caller is presented with the options for where they can be routed to. IVR timeout is for when the IVR isn’t working and Service closed is for when the queue is closed.