Define Your IVR
  • 25 Apr 2021
  • 20 Minutes to read
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Define Your IVR

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Article Summary

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

It is a technology that enables remote access to a computer system and allows various operations to be performed remotely with voice commands that appear when you press the DMTF keypad. In IVR, customers are enabled to interact with a company's call center via a telephone keypad or speech recognition feature.
IVR technologies have enabled making inbound calls to companies and calls made to customers by companies without the need for human power with their smart capabilities.
IVR is basically divided into two main branches: Inbound IVR for inbound calls and Outbound IVR for outbound calls.
You can think of IVR in both ways. Calls made without the need for a agent and calls that you can connect with the agent by dialing. IVR (Voice Response System) calls instead of the customer agent in the Outbound.

What is the IVR for Tegsoft

Tegsoft's IVR model offers you an infrastructure where you can perform all simple and complex IVR operations that can be performed on both channels, Inbound and Outbound calls. The IVR model described in this tutorial has a structure that you can design for yourself. The first thing to consider when using IVR technologies is customer needs.
For Tegsoft, IVR is the most important part of the system. You will find out that things will get easier when you start to manage incoming calls. You can direct the inbound calls as you wish, connect them to the call queue you want, listen to an announcement you want, and establish more complex structures thanks to the IVR model you will select. You can set all the operations that can be done without connecting to the agnet here.

Where IVR can be used

Information and call centers such as banking, insurance, municipality, health, education, e-commerce are among the places where IVR technology is used extensively.

  • It enables you to provide the best service to your customers with Interactive Voice Response.
  • With options such as invoice inquiry and debt reminder, it enables you to perform all transactions without connecting to a agent, unless you need to better direct your customer.
  • With credit card payment, you can offer a fast and secure payment option via the call center and direct it to automatic payment. By storing the card information, it allows you to perform easy transactions for later use. For example, if your customer will only make a payment, they can do so quickly. This is available 24/7 because it is not connected to the agent.
  • Thanks to Automatic Calls (appointment confirmation, appointment reminder, survey, etc.), you can manage many of your transactions with the IVR system.
  • Telephone banking and transactions have become a system that can perform many transactions without the need for a agent. With Tegsoft, you can set up such good systems with special setups.
  • By conducting a Voice Survey, you can both measure customer satisfaction and provide information about the campaigns without the need for a agent.
  • With data verification, you can read data from the web service or from the appropriate excel and make important reminders such as debt information and payment date by matching with the correct data.
  • With Appointment Reminder, you can make reminders before appointment dates, get cancellation or postponement information.
  • With the Welcome Call, you can create short introductory texts for every hour of the day and special days such as holidays.

Types of IVR

Basic IVR and Complex IVR are almost identical in structure. The difference between them is that while there is only one announcement in Basic IVR, there is a system in Complex IVR where you can bring together several announcements and play them sequentially.
Therefore, when the Complex IVR is set up, the Announcement area is added as a tab at the top.

Basic IVR

It is a service that guides us through the keystrokes with which basic IVR operations can be performed, and that can make automatic calls on both channels as Inbound and Outbound. You can initiate automatic calls to customers and shorten call waiting times. You can make informative messages without a agent here.
An IVR system offers callers the possibility to select the options they want by pressing the keys or answering by voice. Pressing a digit on the telephone keypad sends a DTMF tone to the company’s service system, which is programmed to select the appropriate action or response according to the digit pressed.
The service could be configured to answer calls based on the line where the calls come from, as well as if the call is received inside or outside office hours. For example, you may have a different notice for non-woking hours that do not include options to be transferred to groups or queues that do not have agents available to take calls.
Since you can only upload a single announcement while creating basic IVR, you must make sure that the content of this announcement meets your needs. After the announcement is loaded, the system is set up by making the relevant directions on the DTMF side. It will be in the interest of our company to set up our IVR system to transfer to the call queue in cases such as no dialing and timeout.

Complex IVR

In Complex IVR, you can read many announcements sequentially. This has its advantages and disadvantages. You can construct complex structures in this IVR model. For example, if the caller is defined in the system, you can say his name and start a conversation or you can easily add a new information announcement to your existing announcement. The editing to be made on the DTMF side is very important and IVR routing should be in a structure that will create a loop. In this cycle, in cases such as incorrect dialing, timeout, the final destination should usually be call queues or extensions. When Complex IVR is selected, a new announcement tab is opened in the upper tab instead of the entrance announcement. Under the newly opened Announcement tab, the announcements must be lined up in the correct order and active control must be made here, with the option to listen. When there is a numeric expression coming from the system in the announcement part, the system can translate it into text and read it in the desired language. Here, it is stated in the announcement part that the text is text or numeric expression.
It combines the building rules and announcements in this system and allows us to transmit them to the customer in the correct order. Now you will see how to set up a system that combines not a single announcement but partial announcements.
You can set up a loop with IVR in IVR, so you can solve some transactions without the need for a agent. If you want, you can assign it to the call queue and connect it to the agent. Since all the fields you see on this screen make a change in the system, you should carefully read all the explanations while the IVR is being set up and carefully select all the areas you will make changes. You must first make the setup, then log in to the system and define this setup to IVR.

Functional IVR and Application IVR

To be able to use this part of program you need coding knowladge at basic level. While using these two IVR models, it is recommended that you do not continue without support from the distributer and Tegsoft technical team.

Login to the system and screen introduction

In this section, you will see how to define IVR by logging into the system, what should be considered when defining IVR and how the setup should be. Information will be given about how to define and set up the IVR model through screenshots. For example, you want to inform all of your customers due to our new discounts or a change in your system, although it seems very difficult for your call center to do this, it can be easily done with a few editing and editing with IVR.
You can send announcements, discounts, notifications, reminders and all other transactions you want to make to your customers through services such as SMS, voice memo and mail. But it’s worth noting that arming your IVR with access to the right information can better prepare agents to field customer inquiries before they even get the caller on the line. Not only does this lead to faster problem resolution, but it also increases the amount of accurate information that gets exchanged during the interaction.
IVR technology have the flexibility and features to enable these kinds of complex processes, all while delivering unmatched reliability and security for voice communications. When it comes to custom IVR, we have the tools you need.

LOGİN AND IVR SCREEN

With our username and password, the system is logged in from the appropriate fields on the screen.

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Select the IVR screen from the PBX Management from the left panel.

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You should reach this screen and can start creating an IVR.

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First of all, you will start with the announcements because if you do not have an announcement file, you cannot set up an IVR. IVR processes the announcement files with a certain rule and turns into a voice response. If you do not have suitable announcements, you cannot have a suitable IVR.

MANAGE ANNUONCEMENT FILES

In the announcements section, you can perform operations related to the announcement. Area where operations such as loading a new announcement, listening to the existing announcement, and deleting it. You can also send bulk announcements from Excel and download existing announcements to your computer.The file must be in 8 KHz 16 bit PCM MONO WAV format to play.

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With the listen button, you can listen to the announcement you uploaded or in the system and download it to your computer. From here, you can check the audio recordings and intervene in case of an inappropriate situation.

IVR

The IVR part includes four titles in itself. Details, DTMF, Information to agent screen, IVR Diagram; let's look at what these titles are and deepen the content a little. When using Basic IVR, you will focus more on DTMF and Details sections.

Information to Agent Screen
It is designed to share the information given by DTMF with the agent. There may be personal information such as customer number and telephone number.

IVR Diagram
You can upload the IVR scheme you have set up in this area. You can see how the IVR works and if you are going to make changes in the system, you can check the areas that it affects here.

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The user must first select their needs correctly. These needs should be based on the needs of the business. If many announcements need to be directed, a complex structure should be established. If you are going to set up an IVR over a single announcement, basic IVR will be the right option for you.
You can save all the operations you will do from here, at any time you want, from the save button, which will be active on the left, and then continue from the saved operation.
When a change is made, the save button, which is inactive on the left, will become red and active.

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Basic IVR Details

You can create a new IVR with the "+" shown on the left. You can delete an existing IVR with
the "-". You will define some of the IVR rules in the Details section. Different results will occur as a result of all the choices you make. You will describe the options IVR offers us during the setup phase.

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Basic IVR has four announcements. These are the main announcements describing your entire system, Invalid massage for incorrect dialing, Timeout announcement when not dialing, and Exit announcement.

IVR Timeout Settings

You can see it as the second title in the Details section. In case of timeout, you can select how the call will be forwarded or how it will be concluded. How long it should stay on the line and whether it should be routed to IVR or call queue can be selected here.
All fields seen on this screen are explained on the next page. When you examine the options in detail, you will not have trouble understanding the system. The description of options in this section applies to the second section, Complex IVR. The announcement section in Complex IVR opens as a separate tab above. You can see this in more detail in the Complex IVR section.

Field NameExplanation
NameThe name of the IVR is defined here.
IVR typeSelect the appropriate IVR types here.
Call profileIn this field, the appropriate one among the call profiles is defined in the system.
LanguageExpressions such as date and number in the system are spoken in the selected language here.
IVR GroupIVR can be included in a specific group here.
# DTMFThe action to be taken when the # key is pressed is selected.
AnswerArea to choose how to start announcements.
NotesThe area where a short note can be written to the agent.
Dial optionsIn this area, who will reach the inbound call in the system is selected.
AnnounceIt is the area where the announcement that the customer will listen to during the call is determined.
Exit AnnounceChoose the announcement that the customer will listen to during the exit process.
Timeout AnnounceWhen there is no keying in this area, it is determined which announcement will be played to the customer.
DTMF TimeoutIf a timeout announcement is selected, the time limit for connecting to this announcement.
Error countIf a wrong key is pressed, the announcement that the customer will listen to is selected.
Invalid massegeIn this field, the number of wrong keying rights to be given to the customer is selected.
Channel var nameThese three areas that are the Channel var name, Log valid DTMF and Log invalid DTMF are related to the report records.
Timeout destinationsIf there is no keying in this field, it is determined where the call will be forwarded. The address to be forwarded in the adjacent area must be selected.
Invalid destinationsThe area where the call should be forwarded when there is no wrong dialing. It can be forwarded to the call queue, IVR, voice response message, extension number. In the adjacent field, the address to be routed must be selected.

BASIC DTMF

There are two important points to note here. The first is the accuracy of the sound recordings and the second is the functioning of the DTMF rule series that has been corrected in editing. After uploading the audio recordings to the system, you will listen to the customer's input message on this screen and create the setup that will continue from the moment it finishes. DTMF editing will be done on this screen. This setup will be designed according to the content of the announcement. Clicking “+” opens a new DTMF. The added one can be deleted by pressing the DTMF “-“ key.

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DTMF works when the given number is dialed. Each DTMF added according to the announcement is given a number. Each DTMF added must have a target type and target. These can be options such as call queues, intercom, repeat IVR, voice massage. You must give all of them a destination. Here you must choose the one that suits your announcement.
While selecting the call queue here, you must make sure that the call queue is defined to the system. All the redirects you make here can be done through the channels available in the system.

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BASIC IVR EXAMPLES

Example1
Let's design an IVR for a food company. For this company, which has two different call queues, our first queue is the sales queue and our second queue is the complaint queue. Customers who call the company by phone should press one button to get information about the products and two to make a complaint. Choose to link it to the sales queue in case they don't flip it. We shouldn't forget to add timeout and invalid announcement in cases of not dialing from the phone and pressing the wrong key; a system where you will connect to the call queue.

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You will see what happened to the DTMF screen after the relevant fields on the details screen are determined according to the need.

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Example2
Let's create an IVR example for an automotive company's call center service.
Our company announcement,
Welcome to X Automobile company.
Press 1 to get information about cars
Press 2 if your current car has a breakdown
Press 3 for accounting
Press 4 for information about campaigns
Press 5 for operator

When one or four dials on the phone, it will transmit it to my voice message. Dial two and three on the phone, and transfer it to the call queue. Dial five from the phone and transfer it to the short number.
If the customer does not call at the end of the deadline, it will be transferred to the call queue. While setting up this system, we can add information announcements for false calls and timeouts, apart from the current company announcement.
You have to upload three announcements to the system. Error announcement, Timeout announcement and System announcement.

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You will add an exit announcement, if available. We don't need to make a lot of changes to the IVR settings as the default case is suitable for our setup. We fill in these fields to redirect to the Timeout destination or Invalid destination call queue. In case of timeout, we repeat this. In this way, you can save after all transactions are completed. We have completed the details section.

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While setting up the DTMF side, it is very important to choose the right place after keying and dialing. As seen in the example, one and four informative voicemails were selected as two and three call queues.

COMPLEX IVR DETAILS

When Complex IVR is selected, as seen in the screenshot below, the Announcement area opens as a tab at the top. This way, you can establish a system where you can announce many announcements in any order. The type of data to be read in the announcement must be selected from the announcement type. Your system, which can distinguish numerical expressions, has added the Tts provder tab so that it can be read in your own language. This way, numeric expressions can be read correctly.
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In the details section, you will see that all other expressions remain the same. Therefore, all the situations you describe in this chapter in Basic IVR apply here as well. Except for the announcement part. We will explain the announcement section in more detail on the next page.

COMPLEX ANNOUNCEMENT

After the Details section is completed, you can edit the announcement. In the Announcement tab, you can open a new announcement with "+". With "-" you can delete the new announcement you have added. You can listen to the announcement from the listening button. After the new announcement is added, you need to fill in the relevant fields on the screen. Since our announcement will read through the system here, you must select the type of announcement. It is important to pay attention to numerical expressions. You must choose the option that is right for you on the screen.
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Although this section is similar to DTMF in logic, there are some things you need to pay attention to. When you open the Announcement tab, you can add here the announcements you have uploaded to the system with "+". The number you will give here indicates the order in which it should be read. By default there are five. Logically, the smaller number takes precedence. For example, out of the three announcements you have, you can give the number 5 to the first row, 5 to the second and 10 to the third. Thus, your announcements will be read in the order of 5-10-15. The numbers you will give to the space here have nothing to do with DTMF.

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In such a system, if the customer calling our company is registered in the system, first of all, good morning, name, surname and will then listen to our company's call announcement. In the setup you created in the call announcement, you will define how it will be directed when it is dialed in the DTMF section. The call announcement and DTMF must match. DTMF is set after announcements are set.

COMPLEX IVR DTMF

In this section, after adding the new DTMF with "+", you must select the appropriate option for you. In our call announcement, there is a structure that can be connected to agents in different call queues for the first three rows. In case four of them are pressed, they should direct them to the voice message. DTMF setup for this announcement should be as on the screen. Therefore, a DTMF setup will be created that fully meets the content of the announcement.
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By specifying numbers in the DTMF section, the process begins when this number is keyed in and takes us to the Destinations Type on the side tab.
Destination Type and Destination fields must be selected in accordance with the setup. The path and destination of each keystroke is selected here.

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COMPLEX IVR EXAMPLES

Example1
Let's set up a system in an insurance company that recognizes our customers from their number and welcomes them by addressing their first name and surname. Then, let's add it here in an announcement mandated by the government. After these two situations are completed, let's add the incoming call announcement defined for our company. Thus, its have a total of four announcements Name, Surname, Mandatory Announcement and our current Announcement, respectively, to the incoming customer. The mandatory announcement should be a single text and say "Your Data is Protected". In your company announcement,
Press 1 to get information about insurance
Press 2 for accounting
Press 3 for information about campaigns
If there is no keying during this period, we can manage the route of the call from the Timeout setting section. Let's choose to connect to the call queue, so that our call remains in the system even when no dialing is made.

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In the Details section, after the relevant field is filled, you add the system forwarding to the call queue in cases of incorrect keying and not dialing. Now you can go to the announcement part. In this section, you can start adding announcements respectively. You can give our customer's name to our first announcement and the second announcement's surname. Let's add the information announcement required by the government for the third announcement. Let's introduce this announcement to the system as a text written by us. You can add the announcement of your own call center as the last announcement. Let's give these in order of priority, starting from small. Thus, it can transmit four announcements in a specific order.

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Now you have DTMF editing. For our example, when you dial one and two, you will transfer it to the appropriate call queues. You will connect it to the voicemail system in case of pressing three.
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Example2
Get discounts on a few items of a furniture company each month. Let the calling customers listen to the discount information first, then listen to the call center announcement belonging to the company. In this example, since our discount announcement will change every month, we need to set up a two-part complex IVR. In your company announcement,
Press 1 to get details information about discount
Press 2 for sales
Press 3 for accuanting
Press 4 for complient
If there is no keying during this period, we can manage the route of the call from the Timeout setting section. Choose to connect to the call queue, so that our call remains in the system even when no dialing is made.
If we do not give priority to the discount announcement, the customer can connect to the agent by listening to the call center announcement and dialing.

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IVR basic rules are selected in the Details section.In the announcement section, first the announcement of the discount and then the call center announcement of the company will be listened.
The priority order has been set accordingly. The priority got ten, the other got the number twenty. It will be enough to just enter here and change the discount announcement every month.

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We assigned the DTMF setup to the appropriate call queues. This way, the customer who listens to the discount announcement first will be able to connect to the discounted product menu by dialing one.

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