IVR Deconstructed

From exotic Senegalese spread to French haute cuisine, restaurant week in Boston is upon us again.  For two glorious weeks, all of Boston’s culinary treasures are available at a reduced fixed rate and menu, giving epicureans the city over the opportunity to try some of the best restaurants in Boston at a reasonable price.  The concept is fairly straightforward; restaurants are offering two-course lunches for $15.10 per person, three-course lunches for $20.10, and three-course dinners for $33.10.  At restaurants like L’Espalier and Taranta, this is a steal, as meals could easily set a party of two back a hundred dollars or more.  With close to 250 restaurants participating, this is every gourmand’s dream.  The city is their oyster, so to speak, and it is most certainly a case of so many restaurants, so little time.  So what is a gastronome to do?  How does one even wrap their head around getting to all the places they want to hit?  Here is where an Interactive Voice Response system could come in quite handy.

An IVR could be set up to interface with restaurant-goers in various ways.  First and most importantly, the IVR could be set up to interact directly with restaurants.  A restaurant database would be constructed that had the ability to interface with restaurants the city over.  With one quick phone call, foodies could be in touch with their favorite eateries, make reservations, and be well on their way to a culinary feast.  While OpenTable and other sites like it are great resources for Internet users, sometimes individuals on the go simply don’t have access.  The IVR could also be set up to interface with online reservation companies by adding telephonic options to their Internet-centric sites.  Users could telephonically dial in from anywhere and request reservations.  Additionally, an IVR system could provide reviews of menus, user recommendations, and information about drink and appetizer specials.  In the event that a reservation needed to be shifted or changed, the restaurant could also make an outbound call informing restaurant-goers of any change to their dining agenda.  This IVR system would be a one-stop shop of sorts, where food connoisseurs could get information on everything they needed to fully immerse themselves in the Restaurant Week experience!