3.7. IVR service

Definition IVR (interactive voice response)

An IVR is initially an announcement. The customer then has several interactive features. For example: For sales inquiries, select the "1", for technical support, please select the "2".

Special case:
Announcement before a personal call: You can also use the IVR for playing a personal announcement before the external caller gets forwarded to the actual extension (employees). For this you select "no option" for each target, and set a timeout with the desired extension as timeout target.

Announcement without recording:
The IVR is also intended to play a personal announcement for incoming calls, which are calling outside normal working hours, but without the option to speak to the company mailbox after the announcement. For this you select "no option" for each goal and set a timeout with the timeout target "hang up".

How to edit an IVR?

Example:
You want to create an IVR, which is externally accessible by calling +49 123 456789 – 111. Furthermore the caller will be connected with the queue “Technical department” if he selects the "1", with the Marketing group if he selects the "2", with the support if he selects the "3" button. The announcement should be repeated if he presses "#" and the call will be terminated if he presses "*". If none of the defined goals is available within 90 seconds, the caller will be forwarded to the voicemail of the team leader.

Instructions:
Enter a short name for your IVR and select an announcement, which you have previously uploaded under the menu item ELEMENTS / Announcement. But you can also upload directly an announcement by clicking the Add-button.

Next you have to allocate the direct dial +49 123 456789-111 to your IVR using the dialog box "Inbound numbers", so that your IVR is accessible for external calls. However, you can also add more direct dials. The number of direct dials per IVR isn’t limited.

Finally select the targets for the IVR:

1: Queue Technical department

2: Group Marketing

3: Support

#: Repeat

*: Hang up

Timeout Delay(in seconds): 90

Destination on Timeout: Voicemail team leader

Configuration

In the serviceportal under "Targets" you click on the ADD-button and select a new IVR service. You can also edit an existing IVR service by double-click.

A new window with "new IVR service" with several sections is shown:

SectionsPictures
Name and extension 
Referenced by
Inbound trunk numbers
Configuration
Key assignments