Engage Voice | Building a basic IVR (part 2)

Dan Clay owns a propane and propane accessories company in Dallas, Texas. Due to an increase in customer service calls, Dan builds an IVR that can determine if calls are placed during business hours. 
 
If the office is closed, the IVR plays a message and then hangs up. If the office is open, the IVR asks callers for input to determine if they want to discuss billing or something else. The IVR then transfers calls to one of two queues.
 
Now Dan wants to use more nodes to add useful features to his existing IVR.
 
Dan decides to edit his existing IVR and add two important features. First, he wants to allow callers who call outside of business hours to leave a voicemail before the IVR hangs up. Second, he wants to collect 5-digit account numbers from callers with billing questions and then repeat the account numbers back to them for confirmation. 

Goals

Edit an existing IVR so that it can:
1. Collect voicemails from calls made outside of business hours 
2. Collect account numbers from callers with questions about billing

Plan

Edit an existing IVR by adding the following:
1. A Rec Audio node that allows callers who call outside of business hours to leave a voicemail
2. A Get Input node that collects 5-digit account numbers
3. A Say Var node that repeats back account numbers to callers
4. A Get Input node that asks callers to confirm that the account numbers entered are correct

Lessons

1. Using and configuring the Rec Audio node
2. Using and configuring the Say Var node

Recommended reading

Preconditions

Remember that Dan is editing his existing IVR. In order to achieve his goals, he will need to upload additional audio files. For example, Dan should select an audio file for his Rec Audio node that prompts callers to leave a voicemail. He should also upload audio files for the Get Input nodes he is adding. These would include prompts for callers to enter their account numbers and prompts for callers to confirm their account numbers.  
 
Dan also wants to access these account numbers via Scheduled Reports. To do that, he needs to configure IVR reports. Fields or columns that Dan needs in the report will appear in the Report Configuration page after the IVR nodes are added in the IVR Studio. Included in this report are links to voicemails and account numbers. He can then download the Ivr Detail report or schedule it so that he gets a report, say, every start of the workday. 
 
In the future, Dan may consider revising his IVR by adding a Scripting node to send account numbers to agent scripts. He could also add an Email node to receive voicemails via email.
 
After uploading audio files, Dan is now ready to navigate to IVR Studio and begin the steps below. Note that the instructions below might seem similar to each other since there are repetitive steps, but there are important differences between them, especially between the new Get Input nodes.

Actions

1. Using and configuring the Rec Audio node
2. Using and configuring the Say Var node
1. Disassembling the IVR skeleton and adding new nodes
2. Reconfiguring the nodes and connection of the IVR branches for calls within business hours
3. Reconfiguring the nodes and connection of the IVR branch for calls outside of business hours

Step 1: Disassembling the IVR skeleton and adding new nodes

1. Disconnect the Play Audio node from the Hangup node, and move the Hangup node farther to the right to leave enough space for another node

a. Drag a Rec Audio node onto the canvas and place in between the Play Audio node and the Hangup node

b. Connect the Play Audio node to the Rec Audio

c. Connect the Rec Audio node to the Hangup node

2. Disconnect the original Get Input node from the Route node with the 1 connection

a. Drag that Route node farther to the right to leave enough space for three nodes

b. Drag a second Get Input node onto the canvas to the upper right of the first Get Input node 

c. Drag a Say Var node onto the canvas and place it to the right of the second Get Input node 

d. Drag a third Get Input node onto the canvas and place it between the Say Var node and the Route node

e. Connect the first Get Input node to the second Get Input node, the second Get Input node to the Say Var node, the Say Var node to the third Get Input node, and the third Get Input node to the Route node

f. Connect the third Get Input node to the second Get Input node

g. Connect the second Get Input node to itself to create a looping arrow

h. Connect the third Get Input node to itself to create a looping arrow

Disassembling the IVR skeleton and adding new nodes

Step 2: Reconfiguring the nodes and connection of the IVR branches for calls within business hours

1. Configure the connector arrow properties for the arrow connecting the first Get Input node to the second Get Input node by double clicking on the question mark on the arrow  

a. Select 1 under Selection(s)

b. Click OK to close the modal window

2. Configure the second Get Input node by double clicking the node or by clicking on Edit in the popup menu when you hover your cursor over it

a. Enter a new name in the Node Id field. Name this node AccountNumbers

b. Select Min & Max under the Type dropdown menu 

c. Check the Enable Speech Recognition box (optional)

d. Ensure the Save Input for Reporting box is checked if you want to save information for reporting

e. If you checked the Enable Speech Recognition box, use the Language field to choose a language 

f. Select audio files via the audio file fields as desired  

g. If you checked the Enable Speech Recognition box, then select Numeric Only from the Speech Rec. Type field (assuming the account numbers are exclusively numeric digits)

h. Enter 5 in the Min Length field

i. Enter 5 in the Max Length field

j. Enter a number in the Response Timeout field

k. Enter a number in the Total Attempts field

l. Click OK to close the modal window

3. Configure the connector properties for the arrow connecting the AccountNumbers node to the Say Var node by double clicking on the question mark on the arrow 

a. Select Any

b. Click OK to close the modal window 

4. Configure the Say Var node by double clicking the node or by clicking on Edit in the popup menu when you hover your cursor over it

a. Enter a name in the Node Id field (optional)

b. Select sayDigits under the Type dropdown menu

c. Select audio files via the audio file fields as desired

d. Enter ‘$AccountNumbers’ in the Say Value field (Please note: If you named the second Get Input node something other than ‘AccountNumbers,’ enter a ‘$’ followed by whatever you named it) 

e. Click OK to close the modal window

5. Configure the third Get Input node by double clicking the node or by clicking on Edit in the popup menu when you hover your cursor over it

a. Enter a new name in the Node Id field (optional)

b. Select Exact Input under the Type dropdown menu

c. Check the Enable Speech Recognition checkbox (optional)

d. Ensure the Save Input for Reporting box is checked if you want to save information for reporting

e. If you checked the Enable Speech Recognition box, use the Language field to choose a language 

f. Select audio files via the audio file fields as desired 

g. Under DTMF Input, enter a “1” and a “2” to represent the two choices callers can make. You must click Add Input to generate the field for the second digit (Please note: This field will be called Speech Input if you checked the Enable Speech Recognition box)

h. Enter a number in the Response Timeout field

i. Enter a number in the Total Attempts field

j. Click OK to close the modal window

6. Configure the connector properties for the arrow connecting the third Get Input node to the Route node by double clicking on the question mark on the arrow 

a. Select under Selection(s)

b. Click OK to close the modal window 

7. Configure the connector properties for the arrow connecting the third Get Input node to the second Get Input node — that is, the AccountNumbers node — by double clicking on the question mark on the arrow 

a. Select under Selection(s)

b. Click OK to close the modal window

8. Configure the connection properties for the arrow connecting the second Get Input node to itself by double clicking on the question mark on the arrow 

a. Select error

b. Click OK to close the modal window

9. Configure the connection properties for the arrow connecting the third Get Input node to itself by double clicking on the question mark on the arrow 

a. Select error

b. Click OK to close the modal window

Reconfiguring business hours calls

Step 3: Reconfiguring the nodes and connection of the IVR branch for calls outside of business hours

1. Configure the Rec Audio node by double clicking the node or by clicking on Edit in the popup menu when you hover your cursor over it

a. Enter a new name in the Node Id field (optional)

b. Select an audio file via the Record Prompt field

c. Type a name in the File Name field 

d. Click the Append Audio box if you want to uncheck this box and turn off this setting

e. Click the Play Beep box if you want to uncheck this box and turn off this setting

f. Enter a number in the Max Duration field

g. Enter a number in the Silence Duration field

h. Click OK to close the modal window

Reconfiguring outside business hours calls
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