IVR - Call center Interactive Voice Response

Step 1: Select your IVR opening hours to welcome your customers.

Step 2: Define your IVR menu according to the different departments or call groups in your company.

Step 3: Personalize your IVR voice messages in a few clicks with Ringover’s online studio.

IVR systems manage incoming call load and help to reduce wait times, as callers can independently navigate the preprogrammed menu to access the desired information or agent. Because IVR improves the efficiency of a call center, it has benefits for both customers and the call center. Customers experience shorter wait times and can take control of their experience through self-service. Meanwhile, the call center requires fewer agents for the same volume of calls.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a feature in business phone systems that allows companies and call centers to interact with callers using automated menus and route calls to the right agent or department. So, what is IVR in simple terms? It is a software solution that does the job of a traditional switchboard operator.

Here’s how it works. An IVR software solution helps you build an automated voice menu with a series of options – press 1 for customer support, press 2 for sales support, etc. It presents the menu to the caller and uses voice recognition or DTMF technology to process their inputs - that is, callers can interact with the menu using the phone keypad or verbally.

It then enables customers to self-serve and find answers to their issues or automatically connects the call to the concerned agent or department using Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) software.

Deliver a personal touch to your customer interactions with the full-suite IVR system from Ringover. The key-based system comes with a wide range of features and functionalities that route calls to the right department for faster resolution or enable customers to find the right information on their own.

In our daily life, we interact with IVR software solutions on several occasions. For instance, when you contact the customer support of your internet provider, you will hear a message like this – Press 1 for technical support. Press 2 for billing. Press 3 to speak to an executive. It is an example of an IVR menu.

Here are a few more examples:

• Greetings: Hello, welcome to ABC. Press 1 for English. Press 2 for French.
• Call-back prompts: Press 1 to request a callback from our agent. Press 2 to chat with an agent.
• Service menu options: Press 1 for technical support. Press 2 for sales. Press 3 to learn more about the company.
• Closing messages: Press 1 if you have another request. Press 2 to give feedback.
• On-hold messages: Our agents are currently busy. Press 1 to leave a message. Press 2 to request a callback.

In the context of call centers, Interactive Voice Response or IVR refers to the telephony software technology used to manage and route incoming calls and improve customer satisfaction.

An IVR contact center or an IVR call center uses the Interactive Voice Response system to create a series of automated menus specific to the product or service. Customers can navigate these menus using their phone keypads or voice responses.

IVR call center menus often enable customers to self-serve. They can navigate the menu to resolve simple issues and find answers on their own, thus freeing up available agents to attend to more complicated requests. Other times, it directs them to a customer care executive who can resolve the issue.

Cloud-based contact center solutions like Ringover have IVR software integrated into their phone system. You do not need physical infrastructures, specialists, or separate software to configure and use the system. You can set it up in a few simple steps:

• Step 1: You must first subscribe to a business phone plan and create an account. Once logged in, you can access the supervisor dashboard.
• Step 2: Go to the dashboard and set up your IVR opening hours based on whether you operate 24 hours or limited hours.
• Step 3: Set up your IVR menu. You can visualize and design simple and complex call flows for the desired outcome.
• Step 4: Record and personalize your voice messages. And voila, you are done!

The features of an IVR phone system might vary based on the vendor, plan, and platform you choose. However, all industry-leading IVR software solutions have the following key features:

• Cloud-based hosting
• Automatic call routing
• Call queuing
• Multi-level IVR
• Call flow visualizer and designer
• AI-based speech recognition
• Visual dashboards
• Call recording
• CRM integration
• End-to-end self-service
• Multilingual options
• Reports and analytics
• On-hold music