IVR and auto attendant: how phone menus work
What an IVR does
IVR stands for interactive voice response. When someone calls, the system plays a greeting and a menu ("press 1 for sales, press 2 for support") and sends the caller on according to their choice, either by keypad tones or by speech. A simple version is often called an auto attendant.
What a call flow can include
- Opening hours and holidays. Different menus or voicemail when you are closed.
- Language selection at the start of the call.
- Routing to queues, ring groups or people based on the option chosen.
- Self-service. Looking up an order, checking a balance or taking a payment, by connecting the IVR to your systems through an API.
- Callbacks. Offering a callback instead of waiting in a queue.
Menu design tips
- Put the most common request first.
- Keep each menu to four or five options, and avoid more than two levels.
- Always offer a way to reach a person.
- Use short, recorded prompts, and test them with someone who has never called you.
- Review the options callers actually pick, and reorder the menu to match.
What to look for
- Multilevel menus and time-of-day routing, not only a single menu.
- Text-to-speech or recorded prompts, and speech recognition if you want it.
- An API or webhook if you need self-service.
- Reports showing how many callers hang up inside the menu.
A menu that is too long adds to the time callers wait before reaching anyone, which hurts service level even if the queue itself is fast.
Which apps list ivr and auto attendant
From each provider's own pricing page. “Check” means the page doesn't say, or we haven't verified that app yet.
| App | Status | What the provider says |
|---|---|---|
| CallHippo | Some plans | Multilingual IVR on Professional; multilevel IVR on Ultimate. |
| CloudTalk | Included | Call flows and IVR on every plan. |
| JustCall | Included | IVR call menus on the main plans. |
| KrispCall | Check | Not verified yet. |
| PhoneBurner | Check | Not listed on the pricing page. |
| Quo | Some plans | Phone menus from the Business plan. |
| Readymode | Check | Not listed on the pricing page. |
FAQ
What is the difference between an IVR and an auto attendant?
An auto attendant is a simple menu that routes callers to people or departments. IVR usually means the same menu plus self-service, such as looking up an account, often with speech recognition or system integration. Vendors use the terms loosely.
How many options should an IVR menu have?
Keep it short. Common guidance is no more than four or five options per menu, with the most common request first and an easy way to reach a person.