Auto attendant definition
Auto attendant refers to a feature in a telephony system that automates the initial stage of a call through an interactive voice response (IVR) system. It’s also known as automated attendant, digital receptionist, or virtual receptionist. While auto attendants offer many benefits, they are most effective when they are thoughtfully designed to provide a positive and efficient experience for callers.
See also: internet telephony
Auto attendant use cases
- Greeting callers. It is often used to greet the caller and provide basic information such as the company’s office hours.
- Routing calls. Caller’s responses to auto attendant’s questions may help direct the person to the appropriate department without the company having to route the call manually.
- Handling off-hours calls. They can be programmed to provide different information outside of office hours. For example, a vet clinic can use the auto attendant to route the call to the on-call clinic.
- Pre-recorded troubleshooting. Software companies can use them to give answers to the most common problems. For example, the auto attendant can remind users to check the connections and restart the device before they talk with the support agent.
- Multilingual support. They can help the caller to choose the language they prefer to use and route the call to the appropriate person.
