What is interactive voice response?

Interactive voice response, or IVR, is a telephone technology that makes it possible to automate the handling of phone calls. Most of us have experienced interactive voice response when calling the bank to check our balance, the movie theater to check show times or any customer service line.

How does interactive voice response work?

Interactive voice response and related applications use a programming language called voicexml. Voicexml makes it possible for IVR applications to perform the advanced task of distinguishing between a human voice, prerecorded message and a touch-tone. Voicexml also makes it possible for interactive voice response applications to analyze the request of a caller and automate the appropriate action based on a caller's voice or touchtone prompts. Automated actions may include the playing of a prerecorded message to provide information to the caller or the transfer of a call to a customer service representative.

How is interactive voice response used?

Interactive voice response is often used by call centers to organize callers based on their needs and route them to the appropriate party who can handle their request, or offer them a menu of automated services, oftentimes eliminating the need for a live customer service representative to answer the call. Interactive voice response is also used by large businesses, such as banks and hospitals, to automate basic tasks like transferring to a certain party or extension thus reducing the wait time for callers. Likewise, interactive voice response is the cornerstone of automated voting lines such as those used in variety-type TV shows that are centered upon the viewer calling in to vote for their favorite "act" or "contestant." Finally, interactive voice response also makes it possible for callers to retrieve sensitive information stored on computers without sharing that info with anyone else.

Additional Resources

Ifbyphone Glossary

Ifbyphone Blog

Ifbyphone Services