“Press 1 to book a service, press 2 to speak with a manager” — you’ve probably heard something like this at least once when calling a company. That’s a voice menu.
IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is essentially an interactive automated answering system. It helps companies handle incoming call volumes more efficiently, and helps customers get answers faster.
In this article, we’ll look at how IVR works, why businesses use it, how to set up your own IVR, and which type of interactive menu is best for your needs.
Types of IVR menus and how it can be useful
Most often, IVR clarifies why a person is calling and routes the call to the right department or specialist.
What you can do with IVR
- Route calls by branch, department, employee, or request type;
- Stay reachable outside business hours and on holidays: answer questions and collect callback requests;
- Serve customers without an operator: answer FAQs, provide order status, share address and contact details;
- Send customer data to your CRM: details, call recording, opt-in/opt-out, etc.;
- Use CRM data during the call: customer name, order number, status, and more;
- Collect feedback — NPS and customer reviews.
IVR types
An IVR can be:
- Single-level
A short menu with just a few options. After the greeting, the system reads the menu options, the caller selects one, and the IVR performs an action — for example, transfers the call to a manager or provides an answer.
Example of a single-level IVR dialogue
Customer: calls
IVR: IVR: “Hello! You’ve reached ‘Starlight’. To place an order — press 1. For delivery questions — press 2. To speak to an operator — press 3.”
Customer: presses 2
IVR: “Connecting you to the delivery department. Please stay on the line.”
(If everyone is busy)
IVR: “All specialists are currently busy; your call is in the queue. To request a callback — press 1. To continue holding — press 2.”
Customer: presses 1
IVR: “Please say your phone number after the beep.”
Customer: says their number
IVR: “Thank you! We’ll call you back shortly. Have a great day!”
- Multi-level IVR
A menu with branching. After the greeting, the system reads the menu options, the caller chooses one, and then the IVR presents another set of choices. This type of menu can have multiple levels.
Example of a multi-level IVR dialogue
Customer: calls the company
IVR: “Hello! You’ve reached ‘Starlight’. To place an order — press 1. For delivery questions — press 2. To speak to an operator — press 3.”
Customer: presses 2
IVR (level 2): “To check delivery status — press 1. To change or cancel an order — press 2. If the product didn’t fit — press 3. To return to the main menu — press 9.”
Customer: presses 1
IVR (level 3): “Please enter your order number.”
Customer: enters 58321
IVR: “Thank you! Your order has been handed over to the delivery service. Estimated delivery date: tomorrow, from 12:00 to 18:00. To receive a tracking link via SMS — press 1. To connect with a delivery specialist — press 2.”
Customer: hangs up
How to set up an IVR scenario
- In the “Inbound Calls” campaign settings, find the “IVR Settings” section and choose the “With reaction” option.
- Check the “Recognize words” box if you want the system to respond to spoken words as well. By default, the IVR recognizes only keypad digit presses.
- Now set up the first level of the scenario.
Add a ready-made audio prompt from the platform for a standard scenario — click “Choose prompt”:
Or create your own prompt from scratch:
Choose how many times the system will repeat the audio prompt until the caller makes a selection, and set the pause between repeats.
- If your scenario expects a caller response, configure how the IVR reacts to caller actions:
Select which digits and words the IVR should react to. Then choose the action and add the IVR’s response if needed.
The platform provides 10 reaction options:
- Record response — log the caller’s action and end the call;
- Forward to a phone number — forward the call to a specified number. You can set a different forwarding number for each caller;
- Forward to SIP — forward to SIP telephony. You can set a separate SIP line per caller;
- Send SMS to the customer — you can set an individual SMS text per caller. You must mention in the audio prompt that the caller’s action will trigger an SMS;
- Send SMS to the account owner — send an SMS with the caller’s number to a specified owner number, with a specified text;
- Repeat the prompt on key press;
- Add to stop list — calls won’t be made to numbers on this list (common stop list for all campaigns);
- Webhook — notify third-party apps about events that happened;
- Go to Level # — jump to a specific IVR level (only available if there is more than one level);
- Send email — send an email to the specified address with call information (number, date added and processed, pressed key, call recording, etc.). You can set individual text, email, and subject for each phone number.
- If needed, add the next menu levels.
- Add call forwarding after the audio prompt ends where required — for example, if you have a “Speak to a manager” option.
At this point, the core setup is complete and you can launch the campaign. You can also configure the campaign in more detail: maximum call duration, days of the week, and so on.
Common mistakes when setting up IVR
- Too many options
To prevent callers from getting confused or forgetting what they just heard, it’s best to keep it to no more than 5 options per menu level;
- Long greetings and long messages
Callers are calling to solve a problem — long introductions and company stories can be annoying. Try to keep a single IVR line within 10–15 seconds;
- Unclear how to reach an operator
Even if you think you’ve covered everything, the caller may have a question you didn’t anticipate. Always provide a way to speak to a person;
- Not testing the scenario before launch
Before launching, make a test call to ensure everything works correctly: prompts are linked to the right reactions, all caller response cases are covered, etc;
- Forgetting after-hours logic
If your scenario includes an option to reach a manager, but the business is closed on weekends, record a separate weekend prompt;
- Changing contacts but forgetting to update the audio prompt
If your services, pricing, or contact details change, update the IVR the same day so callers always get accurate information.
How to make your IVR audio better
For an IVR to work well, the scenario should be logical, brief, and friendly.
A few tips that will make it more convenient for callers:
- Start from the caller’s goals
People usually call to buy, return a product, or get an answer. So write menu options from the caller’s perspective — not “Sales department,” but “Pricing / terms / talk to a manager.”
- Account for mistakes and silence
What if the caller presses the wrong key or says nothing? A good IVR will offer to go back to the previous level or calmly repeat the message.
- Write the way you speak
Read your script out loud. If it sounds heavy or awkward, rewrite it. Keep it short and simple: instead of “To be connected to the sales department…” say “To place an order, press 1.”
What benefits IVR brings to a business
Depending on how you configure your IVR menu, it can solve different business tasks:
- Save employees’ time
If customers often call with the same questions, record an FAQ. Then managers spend time only on requests that truly require their involvement.
- Stay reachable
Sometimes customers call on weekends, holidays, or after closing. With IVR, you can answer at any time or let the caller know you received the call and will call back during business hours.
- Improve service quality
When all operators are busy, some customers can get an answer without a human, while others will know how much longer they need to wait in the queue — and feel less frustration.
How IVR is used in different industries
- Retail and e-commerce
IVR quickly routes callers based on their purpose: purchase, order status, returns — reducing transfers and missed calls. Common questions (address, hours, delivery status) can be handled without an operator.
- Banks and financial organizations
IVR separates customers by product (cards, loans, accounts), call purpose (apply, resolve an issue), and branch, helping speed up service — especially at peak times. Dedicated flows for urgent cases (for example, card blocking) reduce pressure on the line and build trust.
- Medical organizations
IVR simplifies booking and routes inquiries (appointments, test results, certificates, doctor home visits) so reception staff don’t drown in calls. Outside business hours, you can collect requests and offer callbacks.
- Delivery and logistics
IVR handles the flood of “Where is my order?” calls, routes customers to the right flow by shipment/order number, or sends an SMS with a link. This frees operators and speeds up handling of other requests.
- Hotels and tourism
IVR clarifies the reason for calling — booking, changes, transfers, or stay-related questions — and routes the call to the right manager immediately. You can also set language selection and handle calls outside reception hours.
- Technical support
IVR sorts requests by issue type and product, reducing the load on operators while customers reach the right specialist faster.
- Education
IVR helps the administration during admission season, routes callers between departments, “catches” calls when no one is available, and answers common questions.
If you don’t have IVR yet — connect it now
With a well-designed scenario, an IVR menu removes routine tasks from your team, reduces customer wait time, and makes service predictable and convenient.
To automate inbound call handling, list a few of the most common reasons people call you and build the first IVR level around them.
If you have any questions, contact support — we’ll help at any step of the setup!
