Interactive voice response (IVR) with cell phones allows you to transform your company calls into something more. IVR allows computer programs to identify voices and touch tones from a telephone. This technology enables you to set up automated attendants or other systems that ensure your customers and clients always get to the right department.

There are many ways that IVR with mobile phones can help your business. If you experience high call volumes, IVR allows your customers to choose from menu options or to listen to pre-recorded messages so they get a better customer experience. You can also use an IVR with cell phones provider for telephone voting, payment transactions and to extend your business hours. If you want to find IVR with mobile phones, consider:

1. Looking for an IVR with cell phones provider for 1-800 numbers.

2. Searching for IVR solutions from companies with marketing expertise to enhance your business's campaign.

3. Hiring programmers to develop a customized IVR solution that allows you to create just the right application.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find IVR with cell phones services offering toll free numbers for your customers

The number your customers call to get to your IVR or automated attendant is crucial. If you want to encourage customers to call you, you need a toll free, or 800, number that allows customers to call without running up their cell phone bill. While 900 numbers let you turn your IVR system into a form of income, North American customers cannot call 900 numbers from their cell phones.

I recommend: Advanced Telecom Services provides IVR services for mobile phones and for 800 numbers. Spark Network Services has provided interactive IVR solutions for 800 numbers since 1989.

Look for a marketing savvy IVR with mobile phones provider

Some IVR solution providers have experience handling IVR services for marketing-specific applications such as telephone polls, surveys, phone-in contests and other applications. IVR service providers with this sort of experience can often help you more effectively mount your marketing campaign. They may understand more fully how many calls you can expect and can often provide you with voice talent and other incidentals as you set up your phone system.

I recommend: CommerceTel’s C4 (CallFor) technology allows companies to easily add IVR to cell phones. They specialize in marketing solutions, so they're a great match if your company needs IVR for branding or advertising. Prosodie Interactive's Direct Response Solution is designed specifically for marketing campaigns. The company offers touch-tone and automated speech recognition (ASR) services and has a long IVR with cell phones list of successes.

Hire a programmer for custom IVR with cell phones solutions

Many companies establish IVR services for land lines. While these services also work for mobile phones, there can be some headaches and some glitches along the way. If you want to make your marketing program available to mobile users only or if you have special requirements, a custom solution is the answer.

I recommend: Database Systems Corp specializes in IVR technology and their team of programmers can help your business develop custom IVR solutions. Datatel Communications has a team of 12 programmers working on each custom IVR solution. The company offers 24/7 dedicated support and has a team of experts who have successfully completed thousands of custom IVR projects.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  IVR with cell phones is a new technology, but it does come with many useful options. For example, your company can opt for IVR solutions with CTI (computer telephone integration) technology, which enables the system to find a caller's CLI, or calling line ID. This technology allows your business to keep track of call frequency and to offer customers customized solutions.