Short answer: get a number, write the script, build the flow, record the prompts, place a real test call, then publish and assign the flow to the number. Plans start at ₹999/month. The step people leave until last — the test call — is the one that catches every mistake worth catching.
Step 1: Decide What the Menu Is For
Before touching any tool, answer one question: what are the three or four things callers most often want?
If you already have a business line, your call logs answer this. If you do not, ask whoever currently answers the phone — they will tell you in about thirty seconds, and they will be right.
Do not design the menu around your org chart. Design it around call volume.
Step 2: Get a Number
An IVR needs a number to answer on. If you already have a business number, it can be pointed at the flow. If not, you will need one — see how to get a virtual phone number in India, including the KYC verification Indian telecom rules require before activation.
Plan for verification to take a little time. It is done once per account, not per number, but it gates your launch date.
Step 3: Write the Script
Write the wording before you build anything. It is much easier to fix a sentence in a document than to rebuild a flow and re-record audio.
The IVR script generator gives you industry templates to start from. The rules that matter — option before key, four options maximum, always an exit — are in how to write an IVR script.
Step 4: Build the Flow
Lay out the menu structure: the greeting, the options, where each one goes, and what happens if the caller presses nothing.
Sketch it first if it helps — the IVR flow builder lets you design the structure visually before you commit to configuration.
Decide explicitly what happens on no input and on invalid input. Left undefined, these are where callers get stuck. Repeat once, then route to a human or voicemail.
Step 5: Record the Prompts
Three options, in rough order of cost:
| Approach | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Generate the audio | Free | Most businesses, and any menu you will edit often |
| Record it yourself | Free | Small teams wanting a familiar voice |
| Hire a voice artist | Paid | Brands where voice is part of the identity |
The IVR voice generator covers 13+ languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Bengali. Whichever you choose, keep every prompt consistent — one voice, one recording level. A menu that changes voice between options sounds broken even when it works.
Step 6: Place a Real Test Call
This is the step that separates a working menu from an embarrassing one.
Do not test by reading the flow on screen. Place an actual call and listen the way a caller does. Check every branch, including the ones you think nobody uses:
- Does each option reach the right destination?
- What happens if you press nothing?
- What happens if you press 7 when there is no 7?
- Is the audio the same volume on every prompt?
- Does the exit to a human actually work?
Publishing is a separate step from editing, so you can test before anything goes live.
Step 7: Publish and Assign
Publish the flow, then assign it to your number. Calls to that number now answer with the menu.
Numbers and flows are assigned independently, so a flow can be moved between numbers — useful when you want a temporary campaign menu on an existing line.
Step 8: Watch the First Week
Call logs show which options callers actually choose, and where they drop out. The pattern is almost always different from the design assumption. Common findings in week one:
- One option takes most of the traffic and should be first.
- One option takes almost none and should be removed.
- A meaningful share press 0 immediately — which tells you the menu is not answering their need.
Adjust. A menu is not a one-time setup.
What It Costs
| Plan | Price | For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | ₹999/month | Small businesses, single menu |
| Professional | ₹2,999/month | Multiple flows and higher volume |
| Enterprise | Custom | High volume and custom requirements |
See IVR pricing for the current detail.