The document proposes an interactive voice response (IVR) system for Kanar Tel. It recommends (1) separating menus for home users, business users, and offers/promotions, (2) including billing, technical, and general information submenus, and (3) limiting callers to three menu levels before reaching an agent. The proposed IVR aims to inform and support customers while improving service and marketing Kanar Tel's products.

1. Urmil Gohil
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Kanar Tel Support Line
Date: 16th August 2005
Reviewed and Revised 3rd September 2005-09-03
[Pick the date]

2. Kanar Tel IVR Project
1. Introduction
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an important element that is required in any
Telecom operator. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) support line happens to be one of
the key factors in improving customer service and support. Other companies even utilize
the IVR as a powerful tool in marketing and advertising for their products and services.
Therefore, management has requested us to come with an IVR that is supportive,
informative, and user friendly.
2. Objectives
To develop a new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system with clear structure, scripts,
loops, and functionalities. Such objectives have to be defined, designed , and
implemented in different phases to suit the current and future market needs
How should we develop our IVR?
To achieve the objectives put for developing the IVR, the system should be both
informative and supportive.
How Informative? The IVR should provide all the information customers may need.
Information related to billing, support, and general sales inquires should be available in a
brief and handy way.
How Supportive? Despite the technical limitations we may encounter, the system should
be able to solve/answer whatever technical and support issues customers may face
without the need to talk to a Customer Service Representative(CSR).
3. Standard IVR
In other Telecom operators , the numbers to call for support should help customers in the
following issues:
• Billing
• Technical Support
• General Inquires & Sales
• Customers’ suggestions and feedback
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3. Kanar Tel IVR Project
Some Telecom operators have a different number for each one of the above. However, in
Kanar Tel we are going to cover all the aspects above under one umbrella of our Voice
and Data Services.
4. IVR Proposed Structure for Phase 1 (Launch Phase)
To serve our short and long term plans, the IVR should shed the light on all the services
and products provided by Kanar Tel. Our IVR should be a great representative of the new
comer to the Sudan Telecom industry.
For phase 1 of the launch, IVR should be in both Arabic and English and should be brief,
simple, and straightforward to customers’ needs and requests. Customers should not go
more than three levels down to speak to a customer service executive.
Customers should have easy mobility in mapping through the IVR hearing their choices
of services’ information, benefits, etc. Customers should be able to go back to the
previous menus as well as the main menus.
Therefore, we are proposing to separate the menus according to the caller type and need.
The main menus proposed are as follow:
• Home users
• Business Users
• Offers & Promotions
Under each of the menus above, customers should be served in all aspects mentioned
above (billing, technical information on the products and services). Also it will help in
having them more focused, and shall eliminate unnecessary calls landing on the CSEs.
Submenus of “General information”, “Billing”, and “Technical Support” should be under
both “Home users” & “Business Users” menus.
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4. Kanar Tel IVR Project
Welcome to Kanar Tel
Choose
Press 1 for Arabic Language Press 2 for English
Home Users Offers & Business Users
Promotions
The proposed IVR should include information and support to all Kanar Tel services
which cover Voice & Data Services.
Services maybe be categorized under “Home Services” and “Business Services”
5. Recommendations/Actions
• It’s suggested to standardize the areas of announcements/ messages on the IVR.
Messages shall be put in designated areas according to the nature of caller/option.
For example, if a customers clicks 1 being a Home User, before he goes further
down on the menu, he/she may hear an announcement that is related to him/her
being a home customer like an outage, an offer that he/she can avail of, etc. Also,
we may fix some messages areas after pressing a specific option. For example, if
he/she presses 1 for a Narrowband service like the Dial Up menu, we may put a
message advertising about our broadband promotion which can work so well as a
marketing tool. Also, for example, if he/she presses 2 for a broadband service
menu, we may add a message announcing a failure in the network or we can add a
message encouraging our customers to upgrade to higher packages.
Basically, with the proposed look of the IVR and the separations in its menus, we
can customize the messages and put them in their right areas according to their
nature and needs.
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5. Kanar Tel IVR Project
Action: Once the IVR structure proposal is approved and ready to be
implemented, we need to determine the areas of messages. Once the IVR is
implemented and ready for service, the exercise of adding
messages/announcements should be controlled and moderated by a specific party
in a call centre.
• It’s also recommended to add a Call back option for callers who stay in queue for
X minutes. The callers will have the option to either continue holding or to be
called back after punching his/her phone number. The system will later initiate a
callback within X minutes.
Action: IT to confirm the possibility and all requirements of implementation.
• Sending technical and sales documents by FAX maybe considered.
Action: If approved, text for the documents will be made available to feed the
structure with.
• Navigation loops will be available, so callers will always have the option of
navigating through main menu, submenus or to disconnect the calls. Therefore,
repeated keys have to be assigned and agreed upon to serve the options of
navigating through the IVR. E.g. press * to repeat the option, press # to go back to
previous menu...etc
Action: Once the IVR structure proposal is approved, we should work on
assigning those keys and standardize them among the IVR menus and sub menus.
• It’s suggested that when an existing customer calls for support by a CSE, he/she
should enter the account number to reach the CSR. This is to facilitate the support
for the CSE once the call is landed to him/her and encourage customers to use
their account numbers. If customer fails to enter his/her account No., or exceeds
maximum number of tries, CSR will always be available to assist.
Action: As we feel that we should not make this option an obligation as some
customers may not carry their accounts with them, we should look at a way to
encourage customers to use their accounts all the time when calling for support.
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6. Kanar Tel IVR Project
• For billing inquires, it’s recommended to rout a customer to an IVR where a
customer should enter his/her account and access his/her billing information. This
service can be chargeable.
Action: IT may explore the feasibility of implementing this service.
• Upon selecting of some services sub menus like business and corporate services,
calls should be prompted directly to a CSE since those types of subscribers are
sensitive and cannot hear IVR messages.
Action: CS and marketing to review and decide on those services
6. Conclusion:
The proposed IVR structure is made to serve customers needs in an efficient and
friendly manner. It should work easily with Itisaluna short and long-term plans.
The proposed IVR shall increase customers’ awareness in using the IVR to
effectively address their needs.
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