Menu
The Menu activity allows you to build an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) experience in your flow. The activity plays a prompt that allows the caller to enter a DTMF digit. Based on the digit that the caller enters, the flow can take a different path.
A Menu can have 1–10 branches that are represented by digits 0–9.
You can use the Menu activity with or without text-to-speech enabled. The configuration options change accordingly.
The following sections enable you to configure the Menu activity:
General Settings
Parameter |
Description |
---|---|
Activity Label |
Enter a name for the activity. |
Activity Description |
(Optional) Enter a description for the activity. |
Prompt
Prompt settings without text-to-speech
By default, text-to-speech is not enabled. To use text-to-speech in your prompt, enable the Text-to-Speech toggle button. Choose the audio file from the drop-down list. You can configure up to a total of five audio prompts (audio files and audio prompt variables combined). The activity plays the full prompt to the caller in the configured order, alternating between the audio files, and audio prompt variables configured.
Note | If any of the ordered list inputs is empty, the system throws a Flow Error. Resolve these errors before publishing the flow. |
Parameter |
Description |
||
---|---|---|---|
Add Audio Files |
To configure the prompt without text-to-speech, add at least one pre‐recorded audio file. Choose the file from the drop‐down field labeled 1. To add more audio files, click Add New. To remove an audio file from the sequence, click the Delete icon that appears beside the drop‐down list. Because at least one audio file is required, the Delete icon is not visible if only one drop‐down field is visible.
|
||
Add Audio Prompt Variable |
Use this option to configure the audio prompt to be played dynamically to the customers. For example, you can configure this variable to play the audio prompt in multiple languages based on the customer's preference during the interaction. To configure the audio prompt variable, click Add Audio Prompt Variable. Enter the variable value in the form of a pebble expression. For more information, see Pebble Template Syntax.
|
||
Make Prompt Interruptible |
This option allows you to indicate if the configured prompt can be interrupted by the caller's input or event. By default, Make Prompt Interruptible is not checked for the Menu activity. If you want the caller to be able to interrupt the menu when they enter their DTMF input, consider making the message interruptible.
|
Prompt settings with text-to-speech
To use text-to-speech in your prompt, enable the Text-to-Speech toggle button. You can configure up to a total of five audio prompts (Text-to-Speech messages, audio files, and audio prompt variables combined). The activity plays the full prompt to the caller in the configured order, alternating between the Text-to-Speech messages, audio files, and audio prompt variables.
Parameter |
Description |
||
---|---|---|---|
Connector |
Choose a connector to authenticate the text-to-speech service. The drop‐down list displays the names of the Google connectors that are configured in the Control Hub.
|
||
Override Default Language & Voice Settings |
Use this toggle button to override the voice settings configured in the |
||
Output Voice |
Select the output voice name from the drop-down list.
|
||
Add Audio File(s) |
To alternate text-to-speech messages with prerecorded audio files, click Add Audio File. This adds a new row to the configuration where you can choose an audio file from a drop‐down list. To remove an item from the sequence, click the Delete icon near that item. Because at least one message or audio file is required, the Delete icon is not visible when only one field is configured. |
||
Add Text to Speech Message |
When you build your prompt, you can exclusively use text-to-speech or you can use a mix of prerecorded audio files and text-to-speech messages. Click Add Text-to-Speech Message to add a new text input field to the prompt creation section. You can type the message that should be read to the caller using the selected Language and Voice. The field accepts two types of input: raw text (plain text) or Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML)‐formatted data. You can also use variables as part of the message to read the dynamic content. If typing a variable, use this syntax: |
||
Add Audio Prompt Variable |
Use this option to configure the audio prompt to be played dynamically to the customers. For example, you can configure this variable to play the audio prompt in multiple languages based on the customer's preference during the interaction. To configure the audio prompt variable, click Add Audio Prompt Variable. Enter the variable value in the form of a pebble expression. For more information, see Pebble Template Syntax.
|
||
Make Prompt Interruptible |
This option allows you to indicate if the configured prompt can be interrupted by the caller's input or event. By default, Make Prompt Interruptible is not checked for the Menu activity. If you want the caller to be able to interrupt the menu when they enter their DTMF input, consider making the message interruptible.
|
Custom Menu Links
The Custom Menu Links option allows you to configure one or more menu links based on the organizational requirements.
This capability helps one or more users to select different branches in the flow based on the selected digit.
Note | You can configure up to ten Custom Menu Links. |
Parameter |
Description |
---|---|
DIGIT |
Choose a number from the drop‐down list. DIGIT corresponds to the DTMF input that the caller enters to indicate which path of the flow to follow. Digits 0‐9 are available for selection, and you can select each option only once. |
LINK DESCRIPTION |
Add a description to indicate what path of the flow the digit corresponds to. For example, if pressing 1 leads the caller to a queue that can help with a sales question, type Sales in the link description. LINK DESCRIPTION has no impact on the call itself, but can help with tracking how the Menu is constructed. |
Add New |
Click Add New to add more menu links. You can add a digit and link description for each row. You can add up to ten links. |
Note | You can configure menu links in both the Properties pane and in the activity itself. This allows for different configuration options that are based on the preference of the user. The system updates the content in real‐time in both locations when an edit is made. |
Text-to-Speech settings
Parameter |
Description |
---|---|
Speaking Rate |
Indicates the rate of speech. Increase or decrease the numeric input to maintain the ideal rate of speech and control the output speaking rate. Valid values for the numeric input are in the range of 0.25 to 4.0 words per minute (wpm). The default value is 1.0 wpm. |
Volume Gain |
Indicates the increase or decrease in volume output. Increase or decrease the numeric input to maintain the ideal volume of output speech. Valid entries for the numeric input are in the range of –96.0 decibels to 16.0 decibels (dB). The default value is 0.0 dB. |
Entry Timeout |
Specifies the maximum time that the activity waits for input before proceeding down the Entry Timeout path. The default value is 3 seconds. |
Error Handling
The Menu activity has two required error handling paths (Entry Timeout and Unmatched Entry). These paths appear by default on the activity and cannot be removed. Configure flow paths from these links to prevent validation fails.
Path |
Description |
---|---|
Entry Timeout |
Configure the path that the flow takes after the entry timeout duration has passed. This ensures that the caller doesn’t go idle for too long. Modify the entry timeout duration in the Advanced Settings section of the Properties pane. Consider playing a message to clarify what is expected from the caller, and then loop back to the start of the activity. |
Unmatched Entry |
Configure the path that the flow takes if the caller enters a DTMF input that is not configured in the Custom Menu Links section. This ensures that the caller is given an opportunity to restart the activity and try again. Consider playing a message to clarify what is expected from the caller, and then loop back to the start of the activity. |
Output Variable
The Menu activity employs the {{Menu.OptionEntered}}
output variable. When the system executes the flow, this variable stores the DTMF input that the caller entered during their interaction with the Menu.
You can use the {{Menu.OptionEntered}}
output variable in later activities to control the flow sequence. The variable name dynamically changes based on the label that is associated with the Menu activity. The system can capture multiple variable values when the flow uses more than one Menu activity. For more information about this variable type, see Activity Output Variables.