IVR Settings

Description:

This is the IVR editor screen which is where you can create or edit your IVR sequence. IVR Editor in Offisky phone system provides you the ability to create custom execution sequence to your callers. Callers within your IVR can interact with your phone system based on your predefined options, and process to the sequence where you want them to be.



Panel Location:



Basic Concepts:

An IVR is a step-by-step execution sequence created by you to process by your callers. It operates completely based on what you have setup in the sequence. For example, when a call comes in, it will start by answering the call, then announce the office hour message, then ring Call Group A, and if call group A does not pick up, then process to a Customer Service Queue... etc..etc.. Offisky IVR is extremely flexible and can create pretty much any sequence you need. Here are some basic concepts you need to understand when create your own IVR.

• All IVR execution are executing one by one, starting from Sequence 1, based on its sequence number (ie. Sequence 1, Sequence 2, Sequence 3, etc).


• Sub-Options (or Option in the editor screen) are the options you allow user to enter, or a sub-sequence you want to execute in some events.


• Default (case insensitive) is always the default (main) sequence when enter into this IVR (before any sub-options or any user input).


• Whenever a user key in the Option number, he/she will then automatically enter into that Sub-Option sequence.


• You may create conditional branches and bridge it to a sub-option sequence.


• You may also trigger execution into most Execution Element, which already defined within your account.


• You may also bridge to another IVR to create multiple level IVR if necessary.


• For individual execution type and applicable parameters, please refer to the on-screen help for details.

Useful Tips:

• To create general office hour IVR, you may also use "Auto Attendant Wizard" to perform the job. This helps if you do not want to learn the logic of IVR but still need the Auto Attendant IVR for general office operations.


• Always "answer the call" first, before stream a voice into the call, otherwise, the call might become unstable.


• Sub-Option name can be number or letters, however, since users can only interact with the IVR by numbers (keypad only contain numbers), therefore, if you use name as sub-option name, it can be safe to only use by internal bridging purpose.


• "Hangup the call" if you wish to end the sequence. If you bridge a call into a sub-option sequence, after it finish its execution, it will return and continue back into the main sequence. In some case, you may not wish to do that. For example, if you create a sub sequence "OfficeHour" and when it is office hour, then go-to this "OfficeHour" sub-option sequence, otherwise, will enter into the "AfterHour" sub-option. In this case, you should place a "hangup the call" at the end of the "OfficeHour" sub-option, otherwise, after the IVR finish executed the "OfficeHour", it will then continue to the main execution to execute the "AfterHour" sub-option.


• Not all places within IVR will accept user input. Only execution type indicated with "Read" will accept user input. Example. Execution type: "Play and read custom greetings" will play a message and also expect user input at the same time, whereas "Playback custom greetings" will only play custom greetings and ignore user input. This also applies if you allow user enter extension number calling within your IVR.


• As a best practice, try to map the execution to "Execution Element" instead of "Numbers" to avoid number changes in the future.


• The time zone is your IVR is very important to determine time operations, especially if time condition exist (ie. execution type: "Go to if date-time matches"). When provide with time, always matches with your provided time zone within your local IVR.


• The "Announce Warning" option in the general section will only announce the warning when user enter the extension number. It will not announce warning on the calling because of the IVR sequence. This means you have to create the warning announcement sequence before your calling sequence. Example, if part of your sequence is to ring a Call Group A, even if you turn on "Announce Warning" in the general section, the IVR will not announce the warning before calling your Call Group A, you will need to create a "Play Monitor Warning" or "Playback Custom Greeting" sequence before your sequence of calling Call Group A.


• You may use the Phone System Configuration Dashboard if your IVR are not executing as expected. Under the "Active Calls" section in the "Dashboard" click on [] will provide you the brief information of the call (including the user input).

Screen Operations:

• Name: The name of this IVR.


• Time Zone: The local time zone where this IVR expected to run into.


• Allow / Disable Extension Calling: Allow / Decline user dial extension number within this IVR when expecting user input.


• No / Announce Warning: If the IVR allow extension calling, announce the "call maybe recorded or monitored..." warning message before connect to the extension number.


• Warning Message: To use the warning message instead of the build-in version, select the warning "Voice Greeting" here.


• To create a Sub-Option: Click on [] in the "Option List" section, then under the "Option" text-box at the top of the sequence list, enter the name you wish to use for this Sub-Option.


• To remove a Sub-Option: Select the Sub-Option (under Option List) you wish to remove, click on [] at the top of the sequence list will remove the complete Sub-Option.


• To create a sequence in main or sub-option: Select the Sub-Option (under Option List) you wish to add sequence into, click on [] at the top of the sequence list will create a new sequence (then use [ / ] to change the order of the sequence within this Sub-Option.


• To remove a sequence: Select the Sub-Option (under Option List) you wish to remove sequence from, then find the sequence you wish to remove and click on the [] for that sequence.


• To change the sequence order within the main or sub-option: Select the Sub-Option (under Option List) you wish to change sequence, then find the sequence you want to update and use [ / ] to change the order of the sequence.


• To remove a the complete IVR, use [] icon.


• Once your update is finished, make sure you click on "Save" to save your settings, or click on "OK" to Save and return to the previous screen.