Draft: a touchtone telephone call-flow

Read it aloud!

(Or better, have an assistant read it aloud while you don't look at the screen.)



This is the Medicare service line in Alaska.

We can help you with claims, billing questions,

benefits, and more.

(pause)

If you're already in a Medicare plan, press 1 to continue.

If you're a health care provider, press 2.

To learn more about our benefits and services, press 3.

Or, if you're not sure, you can press 4 and we'll try to find out more.

(pause)

Again, if you're already enrolled in a Medicare plan,

or you have questions about your account, please press 1.

If you're a health care provider, press 2 to continue.

To hear details about our benefits and services,

or the eligibility requirements, press 3.

(pause)

Otherwise, just press 4 now.

(pause)

We have some service agents for general questions.

If you want to transfer this call, press 0.

Otherwise, please press 4.

(Note: there are several different ways to get to each deliverable option.

The caller is not forced to visualize any frustratingly invisible "menu" structure.

The caller simply hears selections offered within a reasonable context,

and with the presumed most likely choice offered first.

Every sequence can be interrupted at any time when the caller presses a key.

There is always a way for the caller to get back out, after an unwanted selection.



[Outside business hours]

[Restart] [Bradley Lehman Resume] Part of this example will also be drafted as a speech recognition interface, for comparison.

[My automated phone manifesto (and IVR/VUI design principles)!]


© 2008 Bradley Lehman