What is IVR customisation ?
Normally, an IVR application is designed and developed as per requirement of the customer by IVR companies. But they have ready-made modules tested and readily available for quick development. Normally, the modules like, telephone interface, ring detection, caller ID detection, database connectivity etc. are always readily available. Also many people use RAD tools for IVR customization where they simply implement call flow required by the customer. So IVR customising can be described as implementing call flow of the IVR application as desired by customer using existing IVR related software modules.

In fact, after RAD (Rapid Application Development) tools have been introduced, IVR development have become just IVR customisation. Many IVR functionality, modules are available in RAD tools ready-to-be-used. It is not easy to develop an IVR application from scratch, as it involves auxiliary knowledge and experience about telecommunication switches, telecommunication standards and protocols, speech recognition, TTS.

While RAD tools are easy and quickest way to developed customised IVR application, but it may not suitable for IVR customisation which needs to interact with existing business processes or existing software which generate various data to be provided by the IVR. For example weather update, complaint ticket generation, complaint status update etc. Apart from these kind of complex and very sophisticated IVR systems, RAD tools are excellent development or customisation tools for IVR solutions.

One important aspect which many people overlook is writing script of voice prompts and recording of voice prompts professionally. IVR systems are to be deployed to be used by normal people for availing services, solutions from it. IVR system interacts with its user ( caller to the IVR) through voice prompts. Any mistake in voice prompts may render the IVR useless. For example, if the voice prompts announces, “to know your complaint status, press 1, or press any key to end the call.” Now imagine if IVR is coded to recognize 1 for disconnecting the call and any other key for asking further information to retrieve complaint status!

So, while customising IVR application, one must write script for voice prompts and record them with professional voice artists. Without this, IVR system may have the best of the hardware and most well coded software, still IVR system will not be useful to its intended users.

While customising an IVR application, one should think about future enhancements. Many times, one finds out that existing codes can not be used for enhanced services, features and everything needs to be done from scratch. This not only delays the process of upgrading IVR systems, also it become costlier.

While integrating with third party application or software, direct interaction with their database should be avoided. If you do so, any changes made by them would require you to make changes in your code too. So I think HTTP URL is a very good approach where you send few parameters for exchanging data from third party application. This will ensure that your IVR code need not be changed even if third party database is changed.

VUI ( Voice User Interface) is the call flow of IVR system. Usability of IVR is dependent on the VUI. So it is desirable that considerable amount of time be devoted in designing, testing and documenting VUI of IVR system before actually developing IVR system.

Here are few simple VUI design guidelines of tips I have thought of :

1. Identify specific purpose of IVR system
First step towards designing VUI should be the question, why would a caller call the IVR system and how quickly efficiently IVR should reply to his “why”. If the purpose of an IVR system is to record customer complaint, allow customer to lodge their complaint in the first menu itself. IVR should not try to act very smart or human by asking intelligent questions and get the caller answer before it actually is able to lodge the complaint. The other way is to allow the caller lodge the complaint, provide him complaint ticket and then ask few polite questions about details of the his complaint an which is completely optional. IVR system should stick to its specific purpose in its operation.

2. Maximum 3 Levels of menu
Stick to maximum 3 levels of menus before caller gets his desired information after calling a IVR system. A caller should not be “interviewed” or put through “set of question answer session” till he gets the desired information. In many IVR system, it is observed that, trying to be smart, caller is put through set of questions, many irrelevant options before actually providing the information required by the caller. So, golden rule should be, provide maximum 3 levels of menu, before a caller is answered or provided the final information.

3. Provide Shortcuts as per usage
IVR system should have in-built MIS (Management Information System) to enable finding out the most used menus and information. Depending on the usage, shortcut should be provided to access the widely used menus quickly. Many repeat caller will not like to go through the same menu and having to choose same options before his desired menu options. Even a first time caller may like to use the shortcut once the shortcut is explained.

4. Top Level Menu options
By top Level Menu options, I mean the menu options provided to caller as soon as his call is answered. This is the menu which is to be designed very carefully and success of IVR system may depend on this menu to a large extent. This menu should not be long list of options, but few main specific purposes of the IVR system. And this menu should be changed as per usage statistics. For example, if the 4th option here has less usage than 3rd option of the second level option of 1st top level option, than most probably, it is time to bring the second level option to top level menu. If the IVR system is a call center and human agent is available, then I strongly suggest that option should be given to caller in Top Level menu to speak to a human agent.

5. Voice prompts
Voice scripts should be simple English or the language the IVR is using. The language should be really simple and easy to understand, without any grammatical errors. It should be spoken as if you are speaking in daily conversation with regular pauses. A good menu design may look totally ridiculous if proper scripting and voice prompts are not used.

There are five VUI design tips I have been using in all my IVR works. VUI is a must for IVR usability.

The menus that IVRS can provide are either voice enabled or DTMF enabled. Now what does that mean?

• In a voice enabled IVRS, caller will have to choose his required menu option by speaking out a word or a phrase as if he is talking to a human! IVR is supposed to recognize his speech and provide him required information as per his choice!
• In a DTMF enabled IVRS, caller has to press a button on the keypad of his telephone instrument or mobile phone( Dude, where is my button on my iPhone 3G phone ?). DTMF stands Dual Tone Multiple Frequencies! It is in-band signaling ( meaning it’s a signaling that works in voice band, 300Hz to 3400Hz). So when you press a button or a key on your telephone instrument, you produce a DTMF, remember you get to hear a sound whenever you press a key? You are producing a DTMF corresponding to the number of the key. This number is detected by IVRS and provides you with your desired information.

Well, you can definitely have a hybrid menu using both the methods!

Now that you know availability of two kinds of menus, are you in fix to decide which one to choose for your IVRS ? Here I am, I am listing out the advantage and disadvantage of both the menu system. And I will also give you thumbs rule for choosing menu.

Here are the advantages of having voice or speech enabled menu

• Big advantage for Mobile users. Its much easier just to speak out the menu since mobile phones are small to press buttons! You need to listen the menu, bring it in front to look the screen, press the button, then again put the phone in your ear!
• Unlimited and user-friendly menu options.
• Easy menu browsing. One can jump from one menu to the other easily.
• Simple speech, no jargon of learning tone dialing, pulse dialing or DTMF key.

Here are disadvantages

• ASR ( Automatic Speech recognition) does not work successfully in every condition. It may not work in noisy conditions, weak signal, disturbance on lines.
• It might irritate many people for making them to talk to a machine. And then its not easy to talk some phrases or words like a conversation.

Advantages of DTMF based menu

• Ease of use in case of landline and while people using a hands-free for mobile.
• Widely known and trained standard. Almost everyone now a days know about tone dialing or using IVRS by pressing keys.
• Very reliable as the DTMF signals does not get distorted even while speaking simultaneously.
• Easy to develop and commission. Faster response by IVRS.

Disadvantage

• Finding keys may be difficult as per menu prompts, specially for new mobile phones with touch pad only keys.
• Many people does not understand pulse dialing, tone dialing, hash buttons, star button etc.

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So, over all, having DTMF is better where your target user of the IVRS is more and come from diverse background. If you are expecting educated, tech-savvy clients to dial your IVRS, give the ‘xing’ thing, Voice based menu!

Over all its recommended that DTMF be used and Voice based menu should be used as alternative of DTMF based menu. So, hybrid menu options can be chosen. For IVRS using as VAS(Value Added Service) or Voice Portal, having Hybrid Menu has become essential.