Best IVR Software to Efficiently Resolve Customer Queries

33% of consumers claim waiting on hold is the most frustrating aspect of getting customer service help*.
But thanks to Interactive Voice Response, waiting on hold for the right agent is a thing of the past.
Thanks to the advent of reliable cloud-based tools, it’s also easier than ever for small and medium-sized companies to implement IVR in their call flow.
In this article, we’re going to explore the main benefits of using an IVR system and key features to look out for when choosing one for your business. Then, we’ll wrap up with a handy list of some of the top IVR providers operating in the market today.
Key takeaways:
- IVR systems enable you to streamline your workflows and deliver a better customer experience by directing callers to the right agents faster.
- Modern IVR tools that leverage the capabilities of AI are much more sophisticated than traditional systems and can introduce extra self-service elements.
- You can integrate an IVR with your CRM to create seamless interactions throughout the customer journey.
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What is IVR?
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a technology companies use to help manage customer calls. It presents customers with a menu of options which they choose by using voice responses or the keypad on their phones.
IVR uses pre-recorded messages and speech recognition to route calls, provide information, and facilitate self-service functions. All of this improves the customer experience and key contact center metrics like customer retention.
IVR menus continue to lead the customer through an option tree until one of two things happens:
Otherwise, the IVR connects the customer with an appropriate agent and routes the call to them.
If the query is relatively straightforward, the customer may be able to resolve it themselves via a pre-recorded self-service option.

What Are the Benefits of Using IVR Software?
Implementing a dedicated IVR solution can completely transform your customer service offering. Here are just some of the benefits IVR software unlocks:
- Streamlines the customer experience: IVR ensures only high-priority calls get through, and when they do it’s to the right agent.
- Round-the-clock self-service: Customers can get the advice they need for frequently asked questions even when you’re closed.
- Empowers agents with more information: IVR ensures agents get comprehensive information on the nature of the call before answering.
- Improves satisfaction and cuts wait times: For example, CloudTalk client DiscoverCars reports wait times dropped by 80%, while satisfaction metrics grew by 15%, and handling times were cut by 25%.
- Staffing cost savings: Efficient call routing, self-service options, and faster handling times help your team increase their output.
Key IVR Features to Look For
Here are a few of the most important elements every good IVR system should have:
Call Flow Designer

CFD is a tool for designing the journey the IVR provides for callers. You should be able to select different routing options (according to agent availability or skill set) and customize the settings to fit your needs.
Designing an efficient options tree to optimize your service offering is key. That means you need your IVR system to have a Call Flow Designer (CFD) that’s easy to operate.
Skill-Based Routing
In many call centers, customer service agents’ skill sets vary. For instance, they may have differing amounts of experience or specialize in specific areas.
A good IVR system will let you adjust the settings to make sure calls are always routed to an agent with the appropriate skills to help the customer. This is known as Skill-Based Routing and it’s a terrific way of making your service more efficient.
Caller-Based Routing
Skill-based routing isn’t the only option though. There are all kinds of ways to arrange your call routing settings and another effective one is Caller-Based Routing.
As we’ve already noted, modern IVR systems often feature integrations with popular CRM platforms. That means you can get the IVR to route calls using the customer data stored in your CRM.
VIP Queues
Do you offer a premium service? You could also choose to prioritize calls according to any specific status you define.
When a premium customer calls with an issue, the IVR system will establish this call as a higher priority and switch it into a VIP queue. This way, you can make sure it’s answered quickly.
Callback
It’s pretty much inevitable that your agents won’t answer every call straight away, especially when call volumes are unusually high. That means callers may have to queue, but not all of them will have the time (or patience).
Top-quality IVR systems should, therefore, have a callback feature. This gives callers the option to ask for a callback when an agent becomes available or at a time most convenient for them.
What IVR Software is Right For Your Business?
Let’s take a look at the leading IVR solutions on the market today. We’ll cover the features they offer, the benefits those features provide, and the type of company each is designed for.
#1 CloudTalk
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CloudTalk is a cloud-based calling platform built to boost the efficiency of customer support and sales teams. It does this by leveraging advanced IVR and AI tools to streamline the customer journey. In fact, it reduces call duration by up to 40% to ensure quicker resolution times, more satisfied customers, and lower staffing costs.
Not only does CloudTalk direct customers to the right agent based on customer input, but it also routes calls based on customer data, agent skill set, geographic location, and more. This reduces wait times and improves satisfaction rates.
CloudTalk also integrates with over 35 industry-leading tools including HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zendesk. Centralizing this data with information screened through the IVR process ensures agents are as informed as possible before they even say hello.
Key Features & Strengths
- Reduced wait times with intelligent call routing: Up to 20 customizable Call Queuing options allow calls to be forwarded to the right person based on customer data, geographic location, Skill-Based Routing, and more.
- AI-driven tools and smart automation: AI-powered features automatically queue callbacks and enable drag-and-drop Call Flow Design without specialist IT skills.
- Highly customizable integrations: Integration with leading CRM platforms lets you centralize customer data while providing agents with key Customer Details to improve personalization and first-call resolution rates.
- User-friendly and adaptable: A super intuitive interface reduces the training time for agents while flexible Workflow Automation can be tailored for any workflow.
- Prioritize the calls that matter: Assign tags to high-value callers with VIP Queues, ensuring valuable clients get priority.
What Type of Business Is It Best For?
CloudTalk is built for businesses of all sizes looking for a feature-rich, but user-friendly cloud-based communication solution.
Customer support teams can leverage IVR and AI-powered intelligent routing to improve the efficiency of inbound call handling and dramatically improve response times. Meanwhile, features like automatic Callback queuing ensure no inquiries go unresolved.
For outbound teams, powerful CRM integrations and call management features streamline lead outreach while allowing managers to track performance and optimize sales workflows.
CloudTalk is also highly scalable and offers multiple feature tiers. This lets you choose the most important features for your business size, with scope to upgrade as your communication needs evolve.
Pricing

#2 Aircall
Aircall is a business phone system used by over 17,000 companies worldwide. It focuses on speeding up voice-based customer support and sales operations to optimize the customer experience.
Key Features & Strengths
- Specialist in voice-call technology
- IVRs can be embedded in other IVRs to expand customer options with multi-level menus
- Good selection of integrations including Shopify and Salesforce
What Type of Business Is It Best For?
Aircall is a good choice for small businesses that rely heavily on phone-based communication, as that’s what it’s designed for.
If you need additional video-related features like webinar hosting, you might be better off exploring some alternative options as these are fairly restricted on Aircall. While Aircall does advertise international numbers in 100+ countries, too, that’s significantly fewer than the 160+ offered by CloudTalk. So, make sure to check all the nations you need to serve are covered.
Pricing

#3 Zendesk Suite
The Zendesk support suite is a cloud-based customer support platform. It offers a wide range of customer service-focused features including IVR and ticketing software.
Key Features & Strengths
- Multiple channels for customer support such as phone and chat tools
- Real-time dashboards give visibility into the call queue
- Automatic call distribution for intelligent routing
What Type of Business Is It Best For?
Zendesk is designed for use by any kind of business. That said, it’s a multichannel solution at its core.
So, it could be a good fit if your business connects with customers across multiple channels, but it also means it’s fairly complex to run and a little more expensive than some of the other options on this list. CloudTalk, on the other hand, is designed to be intuitive, so that your teams can start calling in just minutes.
Pricing

#4 Talkdesk
Another multichannel solution is the one offered by Talkdesk. It provides support for customer service by phone, chat, email, and via social media accounts. Its phone offering includes IVR software features.
Key Features & Strengths
- Skills-based call routing matches customers with the right agent
- Real-time monitoring of calls to track agent performance
- Screen recording feature for video calls
What Type of Business Is It Best For?
Talkdesk works well for businesses of all sizes looking for a multichannel contact center solution. It doesn’t provide conference calling support, however, so it’s not ideal if that’s a crucial feature for you.
Pricing is also a key consideration, as even Talkdesk’s most affordable plan is considerably more expensive than some alternatives on our list.
Pricing

#5 Genesys Cloud CX
Then there’s Genesys Cloud CX. This is an open-source cloud-based contact center platform that provides support for voice calls, chat, SMS, and email. Aimed primarily at larger companies, it offers quite a few advanced features including predictive routing and real-time analytics.
Key Features & Strengths
- Good range of integrations available
- Predictive routing feature speeds up service delivery
- Real-time analytics help generate actionable strategic insights
What Type of Business Is It Best For?
At its heart, Genesys Cloud CX is an enterprise solution. The upside is the range of advanced features it offers, but this does mean it’s quite a complicated piece of tech to use. The pricing structure is a little opaque as well, so unless your business has very complex customer service requirements, a simpler and easier to use solution—like CloudTalk—may be more your line.
Pricing

#6 JustCall
Justcall is a cloud-based phone platform that offers a streamlined communications product. It includes an IVR system for inbound calls and an auto dialer for outbound sales to help streamline your workflows.
Key Features & Strengths
- IVR teams with Automatic Call Distribution technology to enable intelligent call routing
- Conference calling feature lets agents access help from supervisors easily
- Simple set up and straightforward configuration
What Type of Business Is It Best For?
JustCall is one of the more budget-friendly options, but that does mean it’s not quite as feature-rich as some of its competitors. Still, it’s a perfectly adequate solution for small and medium-sized companies that only need the basics done well.
Pricing

#7 Nextiva
Nextiva’s VoIP solution is generally considered one of the easiest to set up and use, which is one reason it currently services over 100,000 customers. Its contact center software lets you interact with customers over voice, email, chat, SMS, or social channels.
Key Features & Strengths
- Auto-transcription feature saves time during post-call analysis
- IVR’s Smart Attendant function creates more personalized customer experiences
- Customizable call flow builder for straightforward option tree design
What Type of Business Is It Best For?
Nextiva is a good option for any business that needs a reliable multichannel communications system. Be sure to check the integration suite, though, as the range of integrations Nextiva offers isn’t quite as broad as some other providers. CloudTalk, on the other hand, integrates seamlessly with more than 30 different business tools.
Pricing

#8 RingEX (From RingCentral)
RingCentral is one of the oldest business telecommunications providers on the market, having made its debut way back in 1999. Its RingEX phone system is designed to boost your company’s productivity by enabling you to build custom workflows and deliver seamless service.
Key Features & Strengths
- Wide range of integrations with popular CRM and workflow management tools
- Smart IVR system allows intelligent call routing
- Virtual Assistant feature takes notes during calls to support service delivery
What Type of Business is it Best For?
RingEX is a robust business phone system that will suit any kind of company. However, users do often complain that the company’s customer support isn’t ideal. Bear in mind, too, that if you want full contact center functionality, with workforce management tools and multichannel support, you’ll need to go for the RingCX product instead.
Pricing

IVR Software: Your Key to Improving Customer Satisfaction
Research by Gartner shows staffing accounts for up to 95% of call center costs. But by maximizing the output of each agent, you can improve efficiency and bring this figure down.
Interactive Voice Response software presents a compelling way to achieve this, matching customers to exactly the agents who can support them best. And, in addition to saving time and resources, AI-powered IVR solutions significantly improve the customer experience. Meanwhile, it empowers agents with access to customer data, so they can build better relationships.
CloudTalk is more than just an IVR solution. It integrates into your existing tech stack to unify call data while leveraging powerful AI tools to transform the customer experience.
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Frequently asked questions about IVR software
What Is IVR Software?
IVR software is automated technology used by businesses to manage high call volumes by intelligently routing callers to agents.
How Does IVR Software Work?
An IVR plays a prerecorded message to the caller, presenting them with a range of options. The caller then chooses their preferred option and depending on the response, the IVR might play another menu, route the call through to a customer service agent, or give the caller self-service options.
Which Businesses Can Benefit From Using IVR?
Any organization, large or small, that deals with inbound calls on a day-to-day basis can benefit from putting an IVR system in place. IVR solutions are generally customizable, so you can adapt them to suit your own business needs.
What Is an Example of an IVR System in Action?
When you call a company’s support line, you often hear an automated message, something like this:
“Welcome to the Classic Shoe Company. Please select from the following options:
To place an order, please press 1.
To ask about an existing order, please press 2.
For all other inquiries, please press 3.”
This is an IVR in action. It moves you through a decision tree until it can determine whether to offer you a self-service solution or route you to a live agent.
How Much Does an IVR Solution Cost?
IVR systems vary in cost because it depends on how feature-rich the system is. As a general rule, phone solutions with IVR systems cost somewhere in the region of $25-$70 per user, per month. However, top-end solutions can go as high as $220 per user per month, or even more.
What’s an example of open source IVR software?
Genesys Cloud CX. is a popular open-source IVR platform that allows businesses to create their own custom call flows and routing.
What are IVR solutions for small businesses?
IVR solutions for small businesses should be affordable, easy to use, and scalable as needs evolve. Comprehensive platforms like CloudTalk are ideal for small businesses, offering amazing features like custom call routing, AI-powered automation, and slick CRM integration. There are also multiple feature tiers so you only pay for what you need.