Four decisions, in this order
Hours answer before the menu does
No point offering a choice at 10 pm. A time condition sends the call to the menu during the day, and to an announcement the rest of the time.
The announcement is typed, not recorded
You write the text, a text-to-speech voice reads it, you listen and correct it. Nobody likes recording themselves, and it shows.
Every key leads where you want
An extension, a group, a queue, voicemail, an external number. One key per destination, connected with the mouse.
What isn't planned for is planned for anyway
The caller who presses nothing, the one who presses the wrong key: every case has its own output, and you decide where it leads.
Short, and one that traps nobody
Menus that annoy people all share the same flaws: too many choices, vague labels, and no way to reach a human.
- Three or four choices at most, stated in order
- The most requested choice first, not the most logical one for you
- Always an exit to a human, or to a checked mailbox
- The emergency number before the menu, never after
On the same subject
Virtual phone system
A hosted business phone system, no cabinet in a closet: extensions, greeting, queues and numbers are set from a browser.
Dial plans
Build the path of your calls like a flowchart: 26 modules for the greeting, hours, queues and IVR. No line of code.
AI voice agent
The VoIP trunk that links your telephony to voice AI platforms, and an agent that greets, qualifies and transfers with context.
A voice menu that helps, instead of getting people lost
Press 1, press 2, press 3... The voice menu has a bad reputation, and it's often deserved. Here's how to turn it into a shortcut instead of a maze.
Your greeting, built with you
Describe a typical day and how you want calls spread out. We'll show you the setup before you decide on anything.