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 usually want one of two things: to sort something in under a minute, or to speak to a person who can take ownership. An IVR that blocks either goal will feel like a barrier, not a service.
The most common failure pattern is simple: too many options, too many levels, and too much talking before the caller is allowed to do anything.
Here are the issues that tend to trigger hang-ups and repeat calls:
- Long greetings
- Vague option labels
- Too many choices
- Deep sub-menus
- No obvious way to reach a person
Even if the caller does get through, a frustrating IVR can push up call time, increase misrouted calls, and create the sort of first impression that is hard to undo.
Start with the caller’s “job to be done”, not your org chart
Menu structure works best when each option matches a real, common reason people ring. That sounds obvious, yet many IVRs are arranged around departments, internal team names, or systems the caller has never heard of.
A practical target is to keep the main menu to around 4 to 5 options. If you need more than that, it is usually a sign the first level is trying to do too much, or the wording is not grouping requests the way callers think about them.
Keep the flow “top heavy”. Put the most used options first. Group similar tasks together. If one option accounts for a large share of calls, do not bury it.
Prompt length matters as much as menu length. People listen on mobiles, in cars, in noisy workplaces, or while juggling other tasks. Short prompts reduce mistakes.
| IVR element | A sensible target | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Initial greeting | Under ~8 seconds | Callers know they rang the right place, then can act |
| Option descriptions | Around ~4 seconds each | Keeps the menu moving and reduces drop-off |
| Main menu options | 4 to 5 | Fewer choices means faster decisions |
| Menu depth | 2 to 3 levels | Reduces “looping” and callers feeling trapped |
If you are unsure what belongs on the first menu, pull a short report from your phone system or helpdesk: top call reasons, top transfer destinations, and the points where callers abandon. That usually tells you what the IVR should say.
Build a simple menu tree and keep it shallow
Think of your IVR like a signpost, not a questionnaire. The job is to send callers down the right path with the smallest number of steps.
Two design habits make a big difference:
First, use a “pyramid” structure. The top level gives broad routes that cover most needs. The next level (if needed) becomes more specific. Past two or three layers, callers stop feeling progress and start feeling delay.
Second, keep the categories clean. If two options overlap, callers will guess, press the wrong key, and either back out or end up with the wrong team.
A useful way to pressure-test your tree is to ask: “Could a new customer pick the right option without knowing how we’re organised?” If the answer is no, change the wording until the intent is obvious.
When you are scripting, these best practices hold up across most industries:
- Lead with the action: “To pay an invoice, press 2” beats “Accounts, press 2”
- Group by task: billing tasks together, technical tasks together, delivery tasks together
- Keep keys consistent: if “0” means operator, keep it that way across every level
- Avoid dead ends: every sub-menu should offer a next step or a clean route back
- Design for the common case: if 60% of callers want the same thing, it should not be option 5
A single confusing menu option can create a knock-on effect: more transfers, longer calls, higher queue times, and more callers abandoning and ringing again.
Give callers control: repeats, backtracking, and a clear route to a person
Callers feel calmer when they know they are not stuck.
At a minimum, provide a one-key route to a live person (often “press 0”) early in the call flow, and do it in a consistent way across the system. Many organisations also offer a key to repeat options and a key to go back.
Another control feature that experienced callers appreciate is “barge-in”, which allows them to press their choice before the recording finishes. It makes the IVR feel quicker without changing the script at all.
If your system supports it, consider offering both speech and keypad entry. Speech can be faster, yet keypad entry can be more reliable in noisy environments or for callers who simply prefer pressing keys.
A simple checklist for control features:
- Offer “press 0” for a person at every level.
- Provide “repeat these options” in clear language.
- Provide “go back” or “return to the main menu”.
- Allow barge-in, so callers can interrupt prompts.
- If queues get long, offer a callback option.
One warning: do not hide the escape route in the name of “driving self-service”. When callers feel blocked, satisfaction drops fast and complaints rise. Self-service works best when it is chosen, not forced.
Write prompts that sound human, move quickly, and do not waste words
Many IVRs fail in the first sentence. They open with long, formal wording, then deliver options in a way that is hard to scan in your head.
A strong script is short, specific, and predictable. It uses everyday words and gives the caller the key press next to the outcome, not next to an internal label.
Small choices matter:
Say “To check opening hours, press 1” rather than “General enquiries, press 1”.
Say “To change or cancel a booking, press 2” rather than “Appointments, press 2”.
Also watch the order of information. Most people listen for the action, then the number. Keep that consistent across the menu so the caller does not need to re-learn the pattern on every option.
This is where professional recording earns its keep. Clear pacing, consistent volume, and a friendly tone reduce mis-hears and wrong key presses. OnHold.ie, an Irish audio service from Liam Quigley Audio, focuses on concise, clear telephone audio recorded by professional Irish voiceovers, delivered as telephony-optimised files.
That production detail is not cosmetic. It supports the goal of an IVR: fewer repeats, less confusion, and a more polished experience for callers from the first second.
If you are adding on-hold messages between IVR steps or while in queue, the same rule applies: keep it tight, keep it relevant, and keep it easy to understand.
Use personalisation carefully, and only when it saves time
Personalised or context-aware IVR can reduce effort when it is done with restraint. If the system already knows who is calling and why they usually ring, it can surface the most relevant options first, or skip menus entirely.
Examples include recognising an existing customer and offering account-related choices first, or automatically selecting language based on prior selections.
It can also backfire if it becomes unpredictable. Callers build muscle memory. If the keys move around every time, or yesterday’s “press 1” becomes today’s “press 3”, people lose trust and start pressing zero out of frustration.
A sensible middle ground is to keep the core menu stable while using personalisation to shorten the path. Keep the same keys for the same outcomes, but present fewer choices when you can do so confidently.
Also be careful with how you phrase personalised prompts. A simple “We can see you recently called about X” may help, yet it may also feel intrusive if the caller is not expecting it. If in doubt, offer the fast path without over-explaining how you know.
Accessibility: design for real-life calling conditions
“Accessible IVR” is not only about disability support, though that is vital. It is also about line quality, accents, background noise, and callers who are stressed or in a hurry.
A few practical moves make IVRs easier for more people:
Keep options short and distinct. Avoid similar-sounding choices next to each other.
Do not rely on speech-only flows. If speech recognition is offered, keep keypad entry available.
Use a steady speaking pace and avoid jargon, acronyms, or internal product names. Even fluent English speakers can struggle with technical language when they are listening on speakerphone in a busy space.
If your customer base includes people more comfortable in Irish or other languages, consider multi-language prompts, but keep the language choice early and simple. If you offer “press 1 for English”, do it quickly and do not bury it behind a long welcome message.
Improve your IVR using evidence, not opinions
IVR design arguments tend to become subjective. The quickest way to settle them is to look at what callers actually do.
A few metrics tell you where the pain is:
- Abandonment rate by menu level
- Time spent in IVR before reaching an agent
- Misroutes and transfers by option
- Repeat callers within a short window
- Agent feedback on “wrong department” calls
Pair the numbers with short caller feedback. Even a simple optional post-call survey can reveal wording that people find unclear.
Then make changes in small steps. Update one menu level or rewrite a few prompts, then check what changed in the data. Seasonal messages, emergency announcements, and out-of-hours prompts should also be reviewed regularly, as they are often the bits that go out of date first.
When the structure is right and the audio is clear, the IVR stops being “the menu” and becomes a quick handover point: callers get to the right place, the right way, with less hassle.
