IVR deflection is a technique that aims to improve the IVR customer experience by allowing customers to have a multichannel experience, enabling them to interact with the company through various channels such as phone, online form, chatbot, text, or email based on their preferred communication channels. This approach helps reduce the number of subsequent support calls and empowers customers to find answers for themselves, ultimately bringing down costs associated with staffing a customer service team by leveraging digital resources and content. IVR deflection provides customers with choices in how they prefer to interact, leading to more pleasant interactions for both customers and employees. While it shares similarities with call center automation, IVR deflection typically involves an automated phone system that deflects calls based on verbal responses or dialpad input, differing from automation technology which may engage customers through natural conversation before referring them to the appropriate tier of service.