Phone Tree (IVR System)

Modified on Thu, 25 Jun at 10:26 AM

Build an Interactive Voice Response system to route callers to the right department or staff.

What this covers

An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system improves call management by directing incoming calls to the appropriate department or staff member. This guide walks you through building an IVR phone tree in your TheraSaaS account.

Common use cases

Example 1A simple phone tree that routes callers to a few core options.

Example 2Adding your whole clinical team to the TheraSaaS phone tree.

Step-by-step setup

1Access Automations and create a workflow
Navigate to the Automations section and create a new Workflowfor the IVR. You have two options:
- Select a pre-built IVR Recipe.
- Start from scratch to fully customize your IVR system.
2Configure the IVR system
Set up the IVR trigger
Add the IVR Triggerand choose the phone number that will receive incoming calls.
Note
Each IVR system must have a unique phone number assigned.
Configure greeting and input options
Add the Gather Input on Callaction and enter a greeting:
Hello and thank you for calling [Practice Name]. Please choose from the following options:
Then define the keypress options:
1Reach a staff member
2New client inquiries
3Billing concerns
You can also choose to use a robotic voice or upload a pre-recorded message, and set the message to loop.
Define call routing based on input
Use Match Conditionsto specify each keypress and create a branch for it — for example, one branch for new clients, another for existing clients, another for billing.
Advanced input settings
- Set a time limit for keypress input (e.g., 5 seconds).
- Configure whether the system stops gathering input after a keypress.
3Add additional options
Sub-menu for new clients
If new clients press 1, classify the call further:
1Individual therapy
2Children's therapy
3Couples counseling
0Return to the main menu
Handle call forwarding
Connect calls to the right department or staff — select a user within TheraSaaS or enter a custom phone number. Enable voicemail detection and call recording if needed.
Play a message before forwarding
Add a Play Messageaction before connecting the call:
We will now connect you to our staff handling children's therapy inquiries. Please stay on the line.
Handle unavailable services
If a service isn't offered, play a message and send the caller back to the main menu:
Unfortunately, we do not offer couples counseling at this time.
4Finalize and test
Review your setup to confirm all conditions and branches are correct, then test the IVR to verify:
- Messages play correctly.
- Calls route to the appropriate numbers.
- The main menu functions as expected.
When everything works, save and activate the workflow.

Best practice

Always include a "return to main menu" option (press 0) in sub-menus, and a fallback message for services you don't offer, so callers never hit a dead end.

Watch out for

Each IVR needs its own unique phone number. Test every branch end to end before activating — an unmapped keypress or wrong forwarding number drops the caller.