- IVR is the phone menu callers hear and choose from with their keypad, so they reach the right department without a receptionist.
- A professional menu is short: a quick greeting, 3 to 5 options and a clear way to reach a person.
- Below are ready scripts you can adapt.
The IVR is the first thing customers hear when they call. Clear and fast, it tells them they are in the right place; long and confusing, it makes them hang up.
What is IVR?
Interactive Voice Response plays a recorded message, asks the caller to press a number and routes the call to a queue, an extension, an information message, voicemail or a sub-menu.
How it works in a cloud PBX
In the Klamna cloud PBX you build it in the dashboard: a time condition (business hours, holidays), a greeting, the main menu, optional sub-menus (multi-level IVR) and destinations such as a call center queue, an extension, voicemail to email or an AI voice agent. You also set what happens on no input or a wrong key. The call-journey view shows what each caller heard and pressed.
Designing an IVR from scratch
- Collect the top 10 call reasons from your agents or wrap-up codes.
- Group them into 3 to 5 main options.
- Draw the flow on paper: where each option goes and what happens if nobody answers.
- Write short, simple scripts and read them aloud before recording.
- Record and upload them in the dashboard.
- Test every option from an outside mobile, in and out of hours.
- Review reports after two weeks and reorder options based on real use.
Why a professional IVR matters
It sends callers to the right person the first time, makes even a small company sound established, answers repeated questions (hours, location) with a recording, serves callers after hours and shows you demand per department.
Best practices
- Keep the greeting to one sentence.
- Offer 3 to 5 options; group the rest into sub-menus.
- Put the most requested option first, based on reports.
- Say the need, then the key: "To track your order, press 1."
- Always offer a way to reach a person (for example, 0).
- No more than two levels in most cases.
- Let callers repeat the menu with *.
- One friendly voice and clean recordings.
- A dedicated after-hours and holiday message, including Ramadan and Eid.
- Offer WhatsApp as an option and connect it to the WhatsApp API.
Ready scripts
Position announcements, hold music and call-back are available in Klamna queues. A clinic can link option 1 to appointments.
Recording tips
Use a clear, smiling voice, record in a quiet room without echo, leave a short pause between options, never read long numbers or URLs (send them on WhatsApp instead) and choose calm hold music that fits your brand.
Common mistakes
- Long promotional greetings.
- Eight or more options in one menu.
- No way to reach a person.
- The same message in and out of hours.
- Mixed voices, poor audio, outdated information.
- Dropping the call when the caller presses nothing.
Measuring success
Track abandonment inside the menu, option distribution, how often callers press 0, sample call journeys and post-call survey results.
Does IVR replace a receptionist?
It removes manual transfers but not the need for people. For the next step, an AI voice agent understands spoken Saudi dialect instead of key presses, books appointments, opens tickets and hands over to a human when needed.
FAQ
How many options are ideal?
Three to five in the main menu, plus a way to reach a person.
Can I change recordings myself?
Yes, upload recordings and edit the flow in the Klamna dashboard.
How much does IVR cost?
It is part of Klamna call center at SAR 90 per user per month. Prices in SAR, excluding VAT. See pricing.
Want help designing your menu? Contact us or call 920031338.