| In telephony, interactive voice response,
| |
| | two-way interaction with the caller.
|
| or IVR, is a computerized system that
| |
| | Automatic call distributor (ACD) systems
|
| allows a person, typically a telephone
| |
| | are often the first point of contact when
|
| caller, to select an option from a voice
| |
| | calling many larger businesses, and can
|
| menu and otherwise interface with a
| |
| | be used in place of more expensive IVR
|
| computer system. Generally the system
| |
| | systems. IVR systems are generally used
|
| plays pre-recorded voice prompts to which
| |
| | at the front end of call centers to
|
| the person presses a number on a
| |
| | identify what service the caller wants
|
| telephone keypad to select the option
| |
| | and to extract numeric information such
|
| chosen, or speaks simple answers such as
| |
| | as account numbers as well as provide
|
| "yes", "no", or numbers in answer to the
| |
| | answers to simple questions such as
|
| voice prompts.
| |
| | account balances or allow pre-recorded
|
| The latest systems use natural language
| |
| | information to be heard.
|
| speech recognition to interpret the
| |
| | IVR systems are often criticised as being
|
| questions that the person wants answered.
| |
| | unhelpful and difficult to use due to
|
| The newest trend is Guided Speech IVR
| |
| | poor design and lack of appreciation of
|
| which integrates live human agents into
| |
| | the callers' needs. A properly designed
|
| the design and workflow of the
| |
| | IVR system should connect callers to
|
| application to help the speech
| |
| | their desired service promptly and with a
|
| recognition with human context.
| |
| | minimum of fuss.
|
| Other innovations include the ability to
| |
| | IVR call flows are created in a variety
|
| speak complex and dynamic information
| |
| | of ways: while older systems depended
|
| such as an e-mail, news report or weather
| |
| | upon proprietary programming or scripting
|
| information using Text-To-Speech (TTS).
| |
| | languages, modern systems are structured
|
| TTS is computer generated synthesised
| |
| | similar to WWW pages, using the VoiceXML
|
| speech and is no longer the robotic voice
| |
| | or SALT languages. This allows any Web
|
| people associate with computers. Real
| |
| | server to act as an application server,
|
| voices are used to create the speech in
| |
| | freeing the developer to focus on the
|
| tiny fragments that are glued together
| |
| | call flow. Developers then also no longer
|
| before being played to the caller.
| |
| | require specialized programming skills,
|
| IVR systems can be used to create and
| |
| | as any Web developer already has all the
|
| manage many services including telephone
| |
| | tools needed to create an IVR call flow.
|
| banking, order placement, caller
| |
| | IVR as a technology can be utilized in
|
| identification and routing, balance
| |
| | several different ways:
|
| inquiry, and airline ticket booking.
| |
| |
|
| Voicemail systems are different from IVR
| |
| | 1. Equipment installed and setup on
|
| systems in that they are a one-way
| |
| | the customer premise
|
| communication tool (the caller leaves a
| |
| | 2. As an Outsourced Solution Provider
|
| message), whereas IVR systems attempt
| |
| | (OSP)
|