IVR phone script examples

Perform the procedure in this section to build a simple IVR script that:

• Checks a schedule for the contact center's current hours of operation.
• Plays a greeting message to the caller.
• Routes the call to a queue if the contact center is open.
• Offers the caller the chance to leave a voicemail message if the contact center is closed.

To select a schedule, play a greeting, and route a call to a queue:

1. From the Configuration Menu, open Scripts.
2. Go to the Phone tab.
3. Find the desired script, and click .
4. Open the Script tab.
5. Click an object to see [add].
6. In the object add list, select Schedule.
7. In the object configuration area:
   1. For the Label text entry area, type <BusHours>.
   2. For the Select Schedule list, choose a previously defined schedule.
   3. Click Save.
      8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Schedule object below the MainIVR label.
      
8. If a call arrives when the contact center is open, play a greeting message:
   1. In the Schedule object, select the open exit point.
   2. In the object Add list, choose Play.
   3. In the Name text entry area, type <PlayWait01>.
   4. In the Played Message list, choose Wait for next agent.
      The procedure refers to audio files from the 8x8 Contact Center default set of audio files. Your IVR scripts may reference one or more default audio files, or reference the customized audio files you uploaded to 8x8 Configuration Manager.
   5. Click OK.
      8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Play object below the open exit point.
9. Choose the queue that the caller is routed to.
   1. Select the Play object under schedule.
   2. Click add.
   3. Select Forward to Queue.
   4. In the Label text entry area, type <PhoneQ01>.
   5. In the Queue name list, choose a phone queue.
   6. Click OK.
      8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Forward to Queue object below the Play object.
10. If the call arrives when the contact center is closed, route the call to a voicemail queue.
    1. In the Schedule object, select the closed exit point, then in the object selection list, choose Forward to Voice Mail Queue.
    2. In the Label text entry area, type <Vmail01>.
    3. In the Invite Message list, choose Voice mail invite.
    4. In the Queue name list, choose a voicemail queue.
    5. Select Access to voice mail is mandatory.
    6. Click OK.
       8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Forward to Voice Mail Queue object below the Close label.
       

The procedure in this section illustrates how to implement menus of options, and builds on the IVR script example in Build a Simple Greeting and Routing Script.

To script a set of menu options:

1. In the script you created in the procedure in Build a Simple Greeting and Routing Script, delete the current open hours script logic. In the script:
   1. Select the Forward to queue object <PhoneQ01>, then click Remove.
   2. Select the Play object <PlayWait01>, then click Remove.
2. When the contact center is open, play a menu of options.
   1. In the schedules object, select the open exit point.
   2. In the object add list, choose Menu.
   3. In the Label text entry area, type <OpenMenu01>.
   4. In the Invite Message list, choose Optional queue Selection.
      When a caller first connects to the contact center, the Menu object's Invite message audio file orients them to the set of menu choices. In most cases, this implies the need for an invite message that has been customized for your contact center.
   5. In the Invalid message list, choose Invalid selection.
      If a caller provides an invalid response to the invite message, the Invalid message audio file informs them that 8x8 Contact Center cannot interpret their response.
   6. In the Empty message list, choose Wait for next agent.
      If a caller does not respond to the prompt within ten seconds, the Empty message audio file informs them to respond.
   7. Click OK.
      8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Menu object below the Open label.
      
3. Configure the message played when the caller responds to the initial menu by pressing 1:
   1. In the Menu object, select the 1 exit point.
   2. In the object selection list, choose Play.
   3. In the Label text entry area, type <CallRecordWarn>.
   4. In the Played message list choose the Call monitoring warning audio file.
   5. Click Save.
      8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Play object below exit point labeled 1.
4. Configure the queue the caller is routed to if they respond to the initial menu by pressing 1:
   1. In the Menu object and under the 1 exit point, select the Play object.
   2. In the object add list, choose Forward to queue.
   3. In the Name text entry area, type <PhoneQ02>.
   4. In the Queue name list, select a phone queue.
   5. Click OK.
      8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Forward to Queue object below exit point labeled 1.
      
5. Continue to the next example, Use Caller Information to Process Interactions, to build on this script.

Use the procedure in this section to prompt a caller for information that is used to find a caller's record in the Local CRM database, then use information contained in that record to determine how to route the call. The following procedure builds on the IVR script example in Create Menus of Options.

To create an IVR script that prompts a caller, tests for the caller's Local CRM record, and routes the call:

1. Prompt the caller for information, such as an account number. In the Menu script object, select the exit point labeled 2, then in the object selection list, choose Get Value.
   8x8 Contact Center displays the parameters for the GetValue object in the object configuration area:
   1. In the Label text entry area, type <GetAccountNumber>.
   2. In the Invite Message list, choose Enter mandatory account number.
   3. In the Invalid message list, choose Invalid selection.
   4. In the Empty message list, choose Invalid selection.
   5. In the Data to collect list, choose Customers: Account Number.
   6. Select Entry is mandatory.
   7. Click OK.
      8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Get Value object below the exit point labeled 2.
      
   You can also use the GetANI script object to look in the Local CRM for existing customers.
2. Add a Label object to the portion of the script that processes customer accounts.
   1. In the GetValue object, select the Contact found exit point.
   2. In the object add list, choose Label.
   3. In the Label text entry area, type <AcctFound>.
   4. Click OK.
      Labeling the portion of the script that processes customer account interactions enables other script objects to use the Goto script object to transfer control jump to that portion of the IVR script.
3. Check the customer's status. Select the Label object, then in the object selection list choose Picklist.
   8x8 Contact Center displays the parameters for the Picklist object. In the object configuration area:
   1. In the Label text entry area, type <ChkCustID>.
   2. In the Data to test list, choose Record Type.
   3. In the Select operator list, choose Is equal to.
   4. In the Select values list, choose Customer.
   5. Click OK.

   The 8x8 Configuration Manager inserts the Picklist object below the found label.

   • The configuration of your Local CRM determines the types of data the Picklist script object can test for.
   • Use the Picklist script object's matched and unmatched labels to use the result of the Picklist's comparison operation to route the call.
   • The Label script object enables other objects to use a Goto script object to transfer control to the Picklist script sequence.
   • You can also use the GetANI function to use the caller's Automatic Number Identification (ANI) to look for existing Local CRM data.

Perform the following procedure to enable a phone channel and the channel's IVR script.

To enable the Phone channel:

1. From the Configuration Menu, open Channels.
2. Go to the Phone tab.
3. Find the desired channel, and click .
4. In the Properties tab, select This channel is enabled.
   For details, refer to Configure Phone Channel Properties.
5. Click Save.
   8x8 Contact Center puts the IVR channel and associated script into service.

You can now make test phone calls to the phone channel to validate the operation of the IVR script.