Interactive voice menu (hereinafter referred to as IVR) is a telephone system tool with which the user can:
- make a greeting for the incoming line with the subsequent transfer of the subscriber to the operator;
- automatically inform the client of the necessary information;
- find out the purpose of the call and distribute it among target groups;
- automate call handling.
We at Oki-Toki have created a flexible setting of call scenarios for a wide range of tasks, both for dialers and for incoming lines. Here you will find some useful examples of customizing the voice menu for typical tasks.
IVR on the incoming line
1. Create a script. Go to the menu Project Resources – Call Script. Choose Create. Specify the name of our script and click Save. We do not select a template. If Enhanced Security is used, then be sure to add the script to the desired project. After that, the created script will appear in the list, proceed to its configuration by clicking on the name. This point is repeated for each new scenario. 2. Scenario setup Each scenario consists of elements (bricks as we call them), each cube is a function with its own settings and communicates with others through built connections. To set up a connection between the cubes, it is enough for them to need the output of one cube stretch connection to the input of the required cube (holding the left mouse button) The most basic scenario consists of 3 cubes: Start – Queue – Operator and built connections between them. In this scenario, an incoming call, upon arrival, enters the queue (to which agents are assigned) and is transferred to the first available agent. But what if not all incoming should get to the operator? This is where IVR comes in handy. Through the elements panel, we add the IVR 2.0 cube to our script. As mentioned earlier, each cube can be customized, to do this, click on its name and a menu for customization will appear in the sidebar. For the IVR 2.0 cube, we add answer options, give them a name and assign a number that the subscriber will have to press and press Add. Your choice will appear in the cube. We indicate the recording of the message that will be played to the subscriber at the beginning. It can be downloaded separately through a special menu. It can be either a finished file or a phrase synthesized with the help of a robot. We can also allow\prohibit interrupting the playback of an audio message by the subscriber by pressing any number, # or * on the phone. The setting Do not interrupt audio playback when the client selects a response (DTMF) is responsible for this. Additionally, you can also select an audio message for a specific response. It can be added under the desired answer in the IVR 2.0 die or a separate “Message” die. When you have made all the necessary changes, press Save (for the cube) or immediately Publish, without this change will not take effect. Now we have a scenario according to which the client who called the incoming line will listen to an informative message and, if necessary, connect to the operator. This is the simplest scenario using this feature. All steps are shown in the screenshots: [smartslider3 slider=19]
IVR during auto-surveillance (autoinformer)
An autoinformer is a way of dialer without the participation of operators. Usually used to convey a personalized message to the subscriber. As a rule, an operator is not needed in this type of call, therefore, in the dialer settings, we specify only the scenario by which our auto-informer will work. But what if it is needed? Communication with the operator can be configured using the IVR. In the autoinformer, as a rule, a basic script is used, consisting of the Start and Message cubes. Our scenario with adding logic to transfer if necessary to the operator will be very similar to the previous scenario for the incoming line. To begin with, repeat point 1 from the previous section (Creating a script). According to step 2, we will add IVR 2.0 cubes to the script, where we will upload our message and an additional exit for communication with the operator, as well as Queue and Operator cubes. In this case, the client will also receive a message, and if desired, he will be able to immediately contact the operator. For this script to work correctly, the queue used by the dialer must also have operators with a priority greater than 0 assigned.
IVR operation with voice recognition (IVR 3.0)
In addition to the classic IVR with clicks, we, at Oki-Toki, have created an auto attendant with voice recognition (recognition from Yandex or Google is used). The principle of operation of this function is the same as that of a conventional IVR – there is a proposal and options for possible answers from the client, but here the client does not press anything, but answers with his voice. We add the IVR 3.0 cube to the script and here it needs to be configured additionally: as in the IVR 2.0 cube, we need options for possible answers, but we also fill in the dictionary additionally – all kinds of answers to the sentence voiced in the audio. 
So, if the client agrees to connect with the operator, he goes along the Yes branch, for this he can give an answer in the affirmative form, but we do not know in advance exactly what, therefore, we prescribe the answers that he expects from the client: Yes\ “, Yeah, I agree, Let’s, Okay and so on. Similarly for the other options. There is another important point here: your proposal that sounds in the recording must be clearly and as clearly formulated as possible so that at the end we can get an unambiguous answer from the client. The fewer words the client needs to say, the more accurate recognition will work. Usually it works perfectly, but if something goes wrong, then the question can be repeated.
Instead of an afterword
Some useful information to help make your IVR better: 1. Don’t record a very long message or greeting: clients don’t like to listen to recordings for too long; 2. The depth of the menu should not be full keyboard, try to break it into 3-4 large sections, if necessary, you can make a multi-level IVR. Clients do not want to waste time listening to unnecessary information; 3. When recording audio, try to use a minimum of slang, jargon or professionalism, unless the specifics of the message require it; 4. When transferring a client to a queue to wait for an operator, it is appropriate to put a neutral melody instead of beeps; 5. Use the Do not interrupt audio playback function only in cases where it is really necessary: the client must have the opportunity to make a choice ahead of time; 6. Think over the logic of your scenario with the IVR: how the system will behave during working and non-working hours, maybe you should think about a separate message thread for non-working hours. 7. Use the IVR report to diagnose the performance of your auto attendant.
