Conversational interfaces are everywhere these days. Chatbots are said to be conversational. Virtual assistants are conversational. And now, interactive voice response systems, or IVRs, should also be conversational. But what does it mean? I have previously written a couple of posts regarding so-called conversational chatbots, and how misused the term \u201cconversational\u201d often is. I have also discussed how hard it is to build truly conversational interactions. Now, what does it mean in the context of an IVR?<\/p>\n
In this post, I will first revisit what I consider essential criteria for a conversational interface, regardless of the channel or application. Next, I will describe the specificities of an IVR that should be taken into account, and how they differ from other interfaces. Finally, I will explore what it means to design conversational interactions in the context of an IVR.<\/p>\n
Conversational Interface Requirements<\/strong>
One fundamental criterion that must be met for an interface to be called conversational is the possibility for the end user to be an active participant in the exchange; in other words, the user must be able to:<\/p>\n