In most cases, the IVR is the first interaction callers have with a company. An IVR helps boost customer satisfaction allowing them to select a specific department they would like to address (e.g. Press 1 for Sales. Press 2 for Support) and more.

How to Create an IVR

IVRs can be added and configured in the VoipNow interface just like any other extension.

You will be redirected to an advanced settings page, where for starters it's recommended to leave everything on default. 

To learn how to customize these settings, please read the manual. Note that you can always come back to these settings in the IVR Setup section of the Quick Linksarea.

Press OK and your IVR will be created. 

How to Customize It

Add Contexts

Add as many contexts as you need for your IVR. For example, you can have an entry context and two additional contexts: one for working hours and one for non-working hours.

Click the Add Context icon to set up a new context and define its settings considering the explanations below:

When done with these preferences, click OK and save the new context.

Learn more about IVR actions from the user manual, or proceed by editing the Context Options, as described in the following section.

Add Actions

Several options are available for each context. 

Any of these options can have a sequence of actions. To edit either of the options above, follow the steps below: 

STEP 1: Click the option link to define a set of actions.

STEP 2: From the drop-down list, select the action you want to edit. Here you can find out what each action does. 

STEP 3: Select the position of the action in the sequence for the context. 

STEP 4: From Action Details, further set the way the action behaves.

For instance, for the Play sound action, you can select the sound file that should be played. 

STEP 5: Click OK  to save.

To create a fully working IVR, you need to link contexts together with the help of the Jump to action. 

Example:

If the caller presses 1, jump to option 1 in the Start context.

If the caller presses 0, jump to option 2 in the Start context.

Generate the IVR

Once you're done creating your contexts, each with an appropriate set of actions, you can test your IVR to see how it works. This can be done from the IVR menu in the upper side of the interface. 

If the IVR works as intended, you can then generate it and make it publicly available.

Tips & Tricks

If you want to replicate all the settings of an existing IVR and get your new IVR set up faster, you can use the Clone IVR Settings From option. Simply select the IVR you want to copy from the drop-down list.

Remember to check the IVR Report for structural errors after cloning another IVR.

If you clone an IVR extension that belongs to another service provider, some problems may arise.

If an option that transfers calls to an extension number is enabled, the system does not copy that extension number.

Also, for options that transfer calls to extensions in specific time intervals, the time intervals is not copied.