Most callers do not mind using an IVR. They mind wasting time. A good phone menu gets people to the right place quickly, using plain language, predictable key presses, and a clear escape route when self-service is not the right fit. A bad one creates “menu fatigue”, repeats itself, and leaves callers guessing which option might work. IVR menu design is not really about your internal structure. It is about the caller’s reason for ringing, and how fast you can help them act on it. Why IVRs frustrate callers (and what that means for your business) When someone calls, they

If your business phone system plays music while callers wait, you are “performing” that music to the public. That simple fact catches many Irish organisations off guard, because the same song that feels harmless on a personal playlist can bring real licensing obligations once it’s piped into a queue or IVR. Choosing between royalty-free music and licensed, chart music is not just a taste question. It affects cost, admin time, legal risk, and even how clear your spoken messages sound over the line. Why phone system music is treated differently Music on hold is not private listening. Your callers are

The words your caller hears in the first two seconds can set the tone for everything that follows. A clear, friendly telephone greeting reduces confusion, lowers call transfers, and makes it easier for staff to take control of the call without sounding abrupt. It is also one of the few customer service moments you can standardise across the whole business, whether you are answering live, routing through an auto attendant, or relying on voicemail when things get busy. The building blocks of a strong telephone greeting A good greeting is short, but it still does a few jobs at once:

The moment a caller is put on hold, you either keep their trust or spend it. People are busy, they are often calling because something has already gone wrong, and silence can feel like neglect. Even a short stretch of dead air sends a clear message: “No one is minding you.” Well planned on-hold audio does a simple job: it reassures callers that they are still connected, gives them something useful to listen to, and keeps the wait from feeling longer than it is. Research regularly shows that “occupied” waiting feels shorter than “idle” waiting, and an Irish Times report

Most Irish businesses already use IVR, even if they do not call it that. If you have ever rung a company and heard “Press 1 for Sales, press 2 for Support”, you have used an IVR. IVR can be as simple as a short menu that routes calls to the right person, or as advanced as a self-service phone experience that checks details, answers common questions, and only passes the call to a team member when it needs to. IVR in plain English IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response. It is the automated part of a phone system that answers