IVR (interactive voice response)

How it works

How IVR works

A call comes in, and the menu plays a greeting and waits. The caller presses a key or says a phrase. The system finds the matching branch of the call flow and then gives information, asks for details (such as an order number), or routes the call to an agent queue.

The menu can look things up in your CRM and other systems: recognize the caller by phone number, greet them by name, and skip steps they don't need.

• Keys – the caller presses 0-9, *, and # (touch tones, DTMF)
• Voice – speech recognition understands the caller's phrase
• Customer data – the menu looks up the caller's number or order in the CRM
• Transfer – the call goes to the queue or agent group that handles this question

Best practices

How to build a menu callers like

A short menu works better than a deep tree. A good rule of thumb: no more than 4-5 options per level and no more than 2-3 levels before reaching an agent or an answer.

• Put the most common reasons for calling first
• Always offer a way to reach an agent
• Repeat the menu on request and when the caller stays silent
• Pass what the caller entered to the agent, so nobody has to ask twice
• Once a month, check which branches make callers hang up or ask for an agent

Comparison

IVR vs voice AI agent

An IVR walks the caller through branches set up in advance. A voice AI agent talks like a person: it asks follow-up questions, clarifies, and sees the request through to resolution. The two are often combined: a short menu quickly points the call in the right direction, and the AI agent takes the questions that need a conversation. Learn more in our IVR vs voice AI agent comparison.

In CONTACT.WORK

How it works in CONTACT.WORK

In CONTACT.WORK, the IVR is part of the telephony running on Asterisk or FreeSWITCH. The platform identifies the caller by number, pulls their data from your CRM, ERP, or billing system, and offers only the options that apply to them. The menu reads out order status, account balance, or appointment date automatically, takes callback requests, and runs a post-call satisfaction survey (CSAT and NPS). The call either ends in self-service or goes to the right queue along with everything the caller already entered. Per-option statistics show where self-service works and where it needs improvement.