Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a mechanized innovation that enables human-to-human communication via DTMF input (Dual-tone multi-recurrence).
In today’s business world, virtually all businesses and their associated applications, such as banking, insurance, utilities, telecommunications, travel, and retail, use IVR frameworks to handle client calls rather than interfacing with a real human specialist. The end client makes reasonable selections via an assortment of pre-recorded menus and sub-menus, following a painstakingly created and streamlined call stream. If the client is unable to locate an appropriate objective, there is an arrangement to transfer the call to a live specialist.
IVR has been around for approximately thirty years, but even twenty years ago, the technology was cumbersome, and discourse recognition was largely ‘big wins or big losses. Numerous large organizations investigated various avenues for discourse-based IVR in the hope of providing a consistent client experience while avoiding the recruitment of additional client support staff. It did not work with the previous innovation if there was foundation commotion or if the IVR framework did not recognize the guest’s language or complement.
The Critical Role of IVR Testing
Your IVR is cutting-edge in terms of client experience. A client calling with a straightforward inquiry can easily become disappointed if the call is disconnected incorrectly by the IVR or if “squeezing two” does not prompt the consistent subsequent stage. Essentially, if your framework does not perform as expected, you risk unnecessarily alienating your clients.
IVR mapping and testing acts as a safeguard against such errors. An IVR test ensures that your call routing and steering options perform exactly as intended, every time – as well as gauging and screening the maximum call volume at which they can continue to operate.Â
Apart from identifying errors, IVR testing enables you to view the IVR venture through the client’s eyes and ensure it is as helpful and simple to follow as could reasonably be expected. While you may believe you’ve planned an intuitive framework, without adequate testing, you risk leaving clients befuddled and unable to find the solutions they require.
What is Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Load Testing?
IVR frameworks operate within a complex environment that includes PSTN connectivity, refined call steering and handling calculations, database collaborations, and an organization’s network. Load testing is a process that utilizes genuine PSTN calls to access and exercise the IVR application and its current state at expected traffic volumes. The best practice is to gradually increase call volumes to anticipated levels. For example, you could begin with twelve or so synchronous calls to gauge the framework’s response, gradually increasing to at least hundreds while maintaining predefined levels of load. 
What is Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Stress Testing?
Stress testing is similar in that it connects to IVR call streams as well. Frequently referred to as peak traffic testing, IVR stress testing verifies that IVR frameworks have been built to withstand abnormal traffic levels as measured by the greatest number of simultaneous calls and the most extreme call appearance and teardown rate. The distinction is that the test here is to determine whether the frameworks are capable of dealing with times of appeal that exceed normal levels. 
What is In-Vehicle Recording (IVR) Soak Testing?
Splash testing verifies a framework’s stability and execution characteristics over an extended period of time. A typical splash test, for example, may involve the convergence of numerous brings each hour for a period of up to 24 hours. This type of IVR testing stresses the framework to the maximum extent possible, at the rate at which you anticipate it should operate prior to “going live.” Douse tests are critical in light of the fact that frequently fundamental issues, such as memory holes, will most likely not manifest immediately.
What is Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Feature Testing?
IVR highlight testing verifies that the IVR framework performs as advertised and is compatible with the design, which is typically a Voice User Interface (VUI) or Visio flowchart. For example, when a client calls for assistance with a specific issue, they are directed to an IVR framework that instructs them, via menu choices, to dial a specific number related to their request. When a complete “discourse crossing” is performed, the IVR is traversed through every possible scenario or path. Assuming an IVR menu contains only options 1, 2, and 3, an exhaustive test confirms that the IVR responds appropriately if the guest enters numbers 4 through 9, zero, *, or #, or even no contribution at all.
What is Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Experience Testing?
The term “experience testing” refers to the routine testing of the Customer Experience delivered by IVR frameworks. It’s essentially a mechanized mystery customer. At regular intervals, test calls are made to ensure that everything is operating correctly and consistently. Continuous observation of the accessibility, usefulness, and execution of the IVR framework and its supporting foundation is performed by testing devices such as HeartBeatTM experience testing. The basic client-facing IVR framework application’s usefulness should be tested every 5 or 10 minutes, with alerts generated immediately when issues are identified.
What is Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Spike Testing?
Spike testing is similar to pressure testing but is much more severe. Spike testing is the process by which an explosion of traffic is sent to the contact point that is far greater than what the contact point is designed to handle. This demonstrates how the framework handles a significant spike in rush hour gridlock, as might occur in the event of an organization experiencing issues or in the event of a server going down. Organizations continue to be curious as to whether their framework will collapse, degrade nimbly, or continue to murmur. It frequently distinguishes far-reaching influences and is critical in intellectual property situations.
What is Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Regression Testing?
IVR relapse testing is a type of investigation that verifies that IVR frameworks continue to operate normally following the addition of an external application or combination. Quite frequently, updates and combinations can cause an issue with an IVR framework, causing it to behave inconsistently and thereby impacting the client experience. Relapse testing provides organizations with essential information about the current state of their IVR framework engineering, ensuring that end-users continue to have the best possible experience.
