IVR (interactive voice response) is an automated menu that routes callers to the right department via keypad or speech recognition. TTS (text-to-speech) reads dynamic announcements; database lookups can branch by customer number. After-hours, holiday, and emergency routing rules live in separate flows. Keep menu prompts short and clear.
IVR runs in front of a contact center queue or as the main greeting on a single-line business. It depends on IP PBX or cloud PBX licensing. Verify greeting scripts and key assignments on an internal test line before go-live.
Design principles
- Short menus and clear key mapping
- Repeat prompt and operator exit
- Recording and statistics reporting
- Multilingual greeting (optional)
Keep hold music and location announcements current during peak hours; review the holiday calendar at least once a year. An operator transfer key should be available at every menu level.
Related links and product CTAs
For CRM triggers, integration; for trunk access, SBC. Prompt and license questions: technical support; dealer sales: dealership. Catalog: phone systems, IP phones.
Tip
Menu depth should not exceed three levels; place frequent options on the first key. Prompt quality and silence timing directly affect customer experience.
Together with AI receptionist
Classic DTMF IVR and TTS menus can share the same PBX design with a conversational AI receptionist: simple intents stay in self-service, complex cases drop to the ACD queue. For architecture and discovery checklists, see contact center solutions (AI receptionist, transcript, assistant).