How to set up IVR flows in Zoom Contact Center

Setting up IVR flows (Interactive Voice Response) in Zoom Contact Center allows you to create automated phone systems that route callers to the appropriate agent or resource. Configure an auto receptionist, define call flows using menus and prompts, and then assign phone numbers to your auto receptionist to activate the IVR. This provides a customized and efficient call routing experience.

Prerequisites

• A Zoom Pro, Business, or Enterprise account with Zoom Contact Center enabled.
• Administrator privileges within your Zoom account to access Contact Center settings.
• Purchased Zoom Contact Center licenses for agents and supervisors.
• A clear understanding of your desired call flow, including menu options and agent routing rules.
• Available direct phone numbers in Zoom for assignment to the auto receptionist.

Create the Auto Receptionist

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Contact Center Management and then Auto Receptionist.
3. Click Add.
4. Enter a descriptive Name for the auto receptionist (e.g., “Main Company Line”).
5. Provide a Description (optional) to further clarify the purpose of this auto receptionist.
6. Select the Time Zone that applies to this auto receptionist.
7. Specify the Business Hours. You can choose from pre-defined business hour schedules or create a new custom schedule.
8. Configure the Holiday Hours. You can either select an existing holiday schedule or create a new one that overrides the standard business hours.
9. Click Save.

Configure the IVR Flow

1. After saving the auto receptionist, click on its name in the Auto Receptionist list to access its settings.
2. In the Greeting & Menu tab, configure the initial greeting.
   • Choose the Greeting Type:
     • Play Audio: Upload a pre-recorded audio file (MP3 or WAV format). Click Browse to upload the file.
     • Text to Speech: Enter the greeting text in the provided text box. Select the desired voice from the Voice dropdown menu and adjust the Speed if necessary. Click Play to preview the text-to-speech output.
   • Choose what happens if no input is received by the caller.
     • Go to Fallback Menu: Choose a menu to route the call to.
     • Disconnect the call.
     • Wait: Allows the call to stay on the current menu until an option is selected or the maximum retries is reached.
3. Create the IVR menu options.
   • Click Add Menu.
   • Enter a descriptive Menu Name (e.g., “Main Menu”).
   • Configure the Menu Greeting: Choose either Play Audio or Text to Speech as described above. This greeting will inform callers about their menu options.
   • Add menu options:
     • Click Add Option.
     • Enter the DTMF Key (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc.) that the caller will press to select this option.
     • Select the Action to perform when the caller presses this key:
       • Route to Queue: Route the call to a specific Zoom Contact Center queue. Select the desired queue from the Queue dropdown.
       • Route to User: Route the call to a specific Zoom Contact Center user. Select the desired user from the User dropdown.
       • Play Audio: Play a specific audio file. Upload the file by clicking Browse.
       • Text to Speech: Play a text-to-speech message. Enter the text and configure the voice settings as described above.
       • Disconnect: Disconnect the call.
       • Go to Menu: Route to a different menu, allowing for nested IVR structures. Select the target menu from the Menu dropdown.
     • Click Save.
   • Repeat the steps above to add all necessary menu options.
   • Choose what happens if an invalid input is received.
     • Play audio: Allows an audio message to be played and specify what to do after the message is played.
     • Text to Speech: Allows a text-to-speech message to be played and specify what to do after the message is played.
   • Choose what happens if an invalid input is received after the maximum amount of retries.
     • Go to Fallback Menu: Choose a menu to route the call to.
     • Disconnect the call.
     • Wait: Allows the call to stay on the current menu until an option is selected or the maximum retries is reached.
4. Return to the Greeting & Menu tab.
5. Under Initial Menu, select the menu you created (e.g., “Main Menu”) as the starting point for the IVR flow.

Assign Phone Numbers

1. In the auto receptionist settings, navigate to the Phone Numbers tab.
2. Click Add Phone Number.
3. Select the desired phone number from the dropdown list of available numbers.
4. Click Save.
5. Repeat to add multiple phone numbers. Calls to these numbers will now be routed through the configured IVR flow.

Configure Call Handling Outside Business Hours

1. In the auto receptionist settings, navigate to the Business Hours tab.
2. Under the section “When business hours are closed”, configure the flow:
   • Choose the Greeting Type:
     • Play Audio: Upload a pre-recorded audio file (MP3 or WAV format). Click Browse to upload the file.
     • Text to Speech: Enter the greeting text in the provided text box. Select the desired voice from the Voice dropdown menu and adjust the Speed if necessary. Click Play to preview the text-to-speech output.
   • Choose the Action to perform after the greeting:
     • Route to Queue: Route the call to a specific Zoom Contact Center queue (e.g., a voicemail queue).
     • Play Audio: Play a specific audio file (e.g., a voicemail message).
     • Text to Speech: Play a text-to-speech message.
     • Disconnect: Disconnect the call.

Configure Holiday Hours

1. In the auto receptionist settings, navigate to the Holiday Hours tab.
2. Select the holiday schedule that you want to customize.
3. Configure the flow:
   • Choose the Greeting Type:
     • Play Audio: Upload a pre-recorded audio file (MP3 or WAV format). Click Browse to upload the file.
     • Text to Speech: Enter the greeting text in the provided text box. Select the desired voice from the Voice dropdown menu and adjust the Speed if necessary. Click Play to preview the text-to-speech output.
   • Choose the Action to perform after the greeting:
     • Route to Queue: Route the call to a specific Zoom Contact Center queue (e.g., a voicemail queue).
     • Play Audio: Play a specific audio file (e.g., a voicemail message).
     • Text to Speech: Play a text-to-speech message.
     • Disconnect: Disconnect the call.

Common Issues

• Callers are getting stuck in a loop: Double-check the menu actions. Ensure that each menu option has a valid action and that no options inadvertently route back to the same menu.
• Uploaded audio files are not playing: Verify that the audio files are in a supported format (MP3 or WAV) and that the file size does not exceed the maximum limit. Test the audio file separately to ensure it plays correctly.
• Text-to-speech is not working correctly: Ensure that the entered text is clear and concise. Experiment with different voice options and speeds to find the optimal configuration.
• Calls are not routing to the correct queue: Verify the queue assignments in the menu options. Confirm that the selected queue is active and that agents are logged in and available in that queue.
• No phone numbers are available to assign: Make sure you have purchased available direct phone numbers from Zoom and that they are not already assigned to another auto receptionist or user.