IVR
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Telecom
| Stands for | Interactive voice response |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
IVR stands for Interactive voice response, a telecom abbreviation.
Automated phone system that greets callers, offers menus and collects input by keypad or speech, routing calls or completing tasks such as balance checks and payments without a human agent.
Example: The IVR asked me to say "billing" or press 2 before connecting me to an agent.
Usage notes
Early IVRs relied on touch-tone input; modern ones use speech recognition and increasingly AI-based conversational agents. Poorly designed menus frustrate customers, which led to websites listing shortcuts to reach a human. IVRs also power automated appointment reminders and outbound surveys. Contact centers measure "containment", the share of calls resolved without an agent.
Related abbreviations
More telecom abbreviations
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- ICCID – Integrated Circuit Card Identifier
- IMEI – International Mobile Equipment Identity
- IMS – IP Multimedia Subsystem
- IMSI – International Mobile Subscriber Identity
- ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network
- LEO – Low Earth orbit
- LTE – Long Term Evolution
- LTE-A – LTE-Advanced
- LTE-M – LTE for machines (LTE Cat-M1)
- MCC – Mobile country code
- MIMO – Multiple-input multiple-output