IVR Service in Nepal

IVR technology was introduced to Nepal Telecom in 2004 for SLC Result Enquiry purchased from Alliance Info Tech India, with the unexpected huge popularity further expansion was urgently needed, and in successive year under the contract with M/S Pulse Software & Consulting Inc., Canada addition of IVR system was done.

Short for interactive voice response, a telephony technology in which someone uses a touch-tone telephone to interact with a database to acquire information from or enter data into the database not requiring human interaction over the telephone as the user's interaction with the database is predetermined by what the IVR system will allow the user access to. The Telephone user activates IVR System by dialing in a pre-assigned number; the call is routed to the computer system, which plays pre-recorded voice menu to the user. The user responses by selecting menu option using DTMF dial pad or answering with a simple voice response (Yes or No) or more detail response e.g name, city etc. if voice recognition system is supported. Upon the user response the computer analyzes and plays appropriate message to the user. Lastly the system may prompt for more response from the user or provide the requested information.

For example, call centers and maintenance control centers use IVR systems so that their customers can complain and query instantly and easily with interacting with the operators, similarly banks and credit card companies use IVR systems for their customers to receive up-to-date account information instantly and easily without having to speak directly to a person. IVR technology is also used to gather information, as in the case of telephone surveys in which the user is prompted to answer questions by pushing the numbers on a touch-tone telephone.

Nepal Telecom has implemented Automatic Telephone Complaint Handling Service (198) and Automatic Fault Retrieve and Down Handling Service (192), connecting to the existing SD database system by which a customer directly books his/her fault complains through IVR 198 service; Outside Technicians and Lineman can retrieve these fault complain and fault down the complained numbers through IVR 192 service. In other words IVR 192 Service will dispatch such complains booked by the customer to their corresponding Outside Team members. Both of these services do not require any human operator giving 7days, 24hours service.

Along with SLC Result Enquiry service from last year Class 11 and 12 Result Enquiry has also been put up, which is once a year but has been an attractive service with high potentiality.

Company has implemented PSTN Bill Enquiry Service (1606) using CLI Base (Calling Line identification) service through IVR connecting to CBS database system. By this service customer can find out details of Monthly Bill Amount and Pending Dues along with due date for payments. Recently introduced VOIP call Complain Service (188) so that our good will customers can complain for telephone numbers giving illegal services to incoming International calls.