IVR - interactive voice response

IVR - interactive voice response

IVR - interactive voice response


With Fonzer you can effortlessly add a choice menu or IVR (= Interactive Voice Response) to your telephone exchange! An IVR is a system that allows you to offer callers options so that they immediately get the

information they need or are immediately connected to the right employee or department. It can also be useful to offer callers a choice to leave a message (voicemail, reception, reservation, etc.). The caller can continue, and so can you! You can then call back at a time that suits you. You can also let the callers reach a person, a group of people or a queue system from a menu, so that they can be offered to your call centre in a dosed way.

You may find a menu not pleasant for the caller, but an IVR does not have to be a starting point: you can choose to put a selection menu in the course of your calling plan if no employee is available to answer.

An IVR is better than the caller or your customer not being able to get hold of you.


Contents

1.       Configuring the IVR
1.1     This is how to create an IVR
1.1.1  Starting point
1.1.2  Invalid
1.1.3  Time-out
1.1.4  Options 0 to 9, * and #

1.2    Saving and modifying a selection menu (IVR) or context (submenu)  

1.  Configuring the IVR

In your selection menu you can use the previously defined voicemail boxes, fax boxes, time conditions, and call queues. 
Often a scenario can be realised in several ways: a time condition in the menu or in the call route, or a dial plan in the IVR, it is all possible!

You can set up one or more selection menus and then immediately add them to your dial plan(s).

1.1      This is how to create an IVR
  1. In the Dial plans overview, click on [IVR]: you will find the selection menus that have already been created here.
  2. Click on the [+Add]
    button

    fig.1

  3. You can create a drop-down menu that consists of several submenus or usage contexts. Name and colour the parent menu, and name and colour the contexts or submenus. 
    Define the time-out time of the context or submenu and optionally specify whether the respective submenu is the start environment when a caller arrives at the menu. This
    start menu is marked with a flag. (see also chapter 1.2)


    fig.2

  4. The selection menu and context (=submenu) provide their own timeline with a starting point and follow-up actions in case of an invalid choice, no choice or a correct choice. You determine the appropriate actions by
          selecting the desired components from the left menu or dragging a submenu from the right menu onto the start menu timeline. (fig.3)


    fig.3


1.1.1       Starting point

Here you can determine what happens when the caller gets to the menu.
Usually these are one or more ANNOUNCEMENT components with a welcome and a list of the available choices.

You can drag this ANNOUNCEMENT into the box of the Starting Point. (Fig.3)

1.1.2        Invalid

Here you can define what happens if the caller makes a choice that does not exist. Suppose you offer options 1, 2 and 3 but the caller chooses 4. You can set it to your liking here.


fig.4


In most cases, when making an invalid choice, you want the caller to hear the menu again.
You then make sure that you select the start menu again. The start menu is located to the right of the selection menu ringing line in the submenus (fig. 4). The start menu is marked with a little flag.

You can also add an ANNOUNCEMENT, which will first mention to the caller that the selection made is invalid and then play the start menu again (fig.5).


fig.5

1.1.3        Time-out

Here you can define what happens if the caller does not make a choice within the set time-out duration.
Suppose a time-out of 10 seconds is set and the caller does not make a choice within this 10 seconds, then you can define what should happen here.

Again, you could choose to add the start menu here, but it is always possible that some callers cannot make a choice due to e.g. a bug in their phone or software.
It is useful for these callers that they still get to speak to a member of staff. 
You then want the caller, who was unable to make a choice, to end up at the reception desk and can still be helped. If the receptionist is not available, a voicemail may follow. (Fig.6)

1.1.4       Options 0 to 9, * and #

After playing the start prompt with the available choices, most callers will make a choice. You can determine the corresponding actions for each choice. You can have multiple actions performed after each other. For example, option 1 can first go to one employee and then to a group of employees. If the call is still not answered, it can proceed to a Queue. When the timeout of the Queue has expired, a Voicemail can finally take over.

By adding the Prefix, you can show on the phone display that the caller chose the Dutch language option in this example. (fig.7)

We recommend, however, that you first create an individual call plan for this purpose and then link it to the corresponding option via the Transfer component. In this way, you make the selection menu less complex. Please note that if you change the call plan later on, this also immediately applies to the selection menu.


fig.6

You can also create multiple submenus and attach them to the options as a completely separate context or drop-down menu. In the example below (fig.8) options 1, 2 and 3 have such nested submenus or in other words a menu option which goes to another specific context of use.

In this case, you have to make a language selection in the start menu. As soon as e.g. the option Dutch is chosen, the underlying menu or Context: Dutch (fig.9) will start with its own timeline.

fig.7


fig.8

1.2      Saving and modifying a Selection menu (IVR) or Context (submenu)


fig.9

In chapter 1.1 you can find the explanation for configuring a new drop-down menu.
When you are completely satisfied and ready to finish the Selection Menu, click [Save Changes] at the top of the menu.
You can click on each (sub)menu and then use [Settings] to change the colour and label, and possibly indicate that it is a start menu. As soon as you indicate this option, the sub-menu will get a flag.


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