Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is used by call centers to identify and prioritize incoming calls.
Unlike automatic call distribution (ACD), IVR interacts with the customer by inviting them to select the reason for their call via a voice menu. It then uses the information provided by the caller to route each call to the appropriate queue. For example, the call is routed to the sales department if the customer presses 1, or to the customer service department if he presses 2.
An automatic call distribution (ACD) system doesn’t integrate the caller’s choices. It uses predefined rules to distribute and route calls according to call volume, available agents and their skills.
By combining ACD and IVR, you can build call paths that minimize your customers’ waiting times, while taking into account your strategic priorities. For example, you can set up differentiated greeting scenarios with queue-cutting rules for your VIP customers, or automatically route part of your incoming traffic to an overflow call center during peak periods.