Self-service, or DIY (do-it-yourself), is huge these days. From the checkout line at the grocery store to interactive voice response, or IVR, systems for service-oriented companies, self-service is blooming.

When customers call IVR systems today, they expect a lot more options for getting their banking or bills paid or whatever. They expect IVR software with a high level of functionality.

According to an article by Daniel Hong in SpeechTechMag.com, customer service has changed dramatically over the last five years—actually, it’s customer service expectations that have changed, for better web and phone experiences with much more self-service.

“The proliferation of mobile devices has created a mobile generation and introduced new touch points,” Hong wrote. “Customers have grown accustomed to a significantly improved web experience due to personalized web content and transactions.”

In his article—Pimp My IVR Through Personalization—web customer service has become personalized, and customers now expect that personalization everywhere, including from a company’s interactive voice response system.

In the past, IVR systems didn’t offer things like “personalized call flows, dynamic menus or recent customer history-based transactions,” but these days customers expect it. As a result, organizations are working to bring this kind of functionality to their IVR systems.

According to Hong, “successfully deploying a personalized IVR becomes easier with the right components and strategy. Businesses should, therefore, look to those components that enable personalization features, as well as those that help reduce complexity and simplify management of IVR systems.”