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IVR — Interactive Voice Response
An automated phone system that routes calls using voice menus and keypad inputs.
IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is the legacy technology that AI voice agents are replacing. Traditional IVR works with fixed menus: "Press 1 for service, 2 for sales, 3 for support." The problem: 61% of customers report a negative experience with IVR (Source: Vonage, 2024). A Voice AI agent replaces menus with natural conversation — the customer simply says what they need, and the agent understands and handles it.