Interactive Voice Response is probably the most common technology deployed in the voice world. Its implementation is offered by almost every single phone service or technology provider including Wazo. So what could we have more to say about it?
Well, even if the fundamentals are the same, Wazo Enterprise Programmable Communication approach to IVR might open your IVR use-cases broadly.
What is an IVR again ?
But first thing first, you may have never heard about IVR at all. An inbound IVR, in its basic form, consists of a robot that answers the phone. It plays you a greeting message and keeps you on-hold while you wait for your turn to speak with someone.
In a little bit more evolved form, it could let you choose with which department you wish to speak. Or which internal extension.
Add many choice level to grow an infinite number of possibilities and a lot of waiting time and you will achieve the delightful experience of calling a public administration.
But IVR can be better, isn’t it ?
Of course, through times IVR have evolved, they are now capable of natural language understanding, to call you back when somebody is available or even to recognize you as a customer.
The major problem in this is : you are way too often dependent of what your providers will allows you to do with it.
So, you are using a not well known CRM solution ? Well, they do not have a connector for it. You want to integrate Natural Language Understanding ? They are not ready for such edge cutting technology. Include basic transactions like paying a bill ? They are afraid of it or provide their own solution (with heavy fees …)
Oh, you have the chance to have in-house developers who could do the integration ? Perfect ! but, they do not provide any way to connect with their system.
Another approach is available
Going the programmable way with Wazo Enterprise Unified Communication would allow you to be limited only by your own use-cases imagination.
Open by design, our solution allows you to connect your voice channel to any software on the market or your own custom applications using API’s or SDK.
Now let’s see how to build our first basic IVR in the programmable way.
Here is the workflow :
This is an inbound IVR that will play a greeting message, and choice menu to let you chose, using your keypad, to reach either the sales department or the support.
Let’s give it a try to programmable IVR!
To go through this small Proof Of Concept, I recommend you to use Node-RED for which we provide building blocks for free.
The final Node-RED workflow will look like this :
Our first line is here to trigger the workflow each time a call is reaching us, we just answer it.
The second line says : when the call is answered we play a first message (our greeting message, remember ?) then wait 3 seconds and play another message (our choice menu this time) and wait 4 seconds again.
Finally, the third line is trigger when we receive the keypress signal. If “1” has been dialed, we route the call to Claude. If it is “2”, then the call is routed to Demo Wazo.
And that’s it, you build your first programmable IVR!
You can now develop this workflow to fulfill your business needs.
In Node-RED, many software editors provide their building block, it’s all free. If you want to go a more professional way, use Wazo JavaScript SDK inside your code-application to easily add programmable communication capabilities.
