There's no argument to defend the reality that complex IVR menus can frustrate callers. Where IVR menus are structured to organize customer requests and put customer service back in the hands of the customers, the complex hierarchy of menus can make someone regret using your company. In the initial days of IVR, there was an accepted assumption that the faster a caller is able to speak with a live agent, the higher their satisfaction level with the overall experience will be. However, recent surveys and studies have shown that regardless of whether the customer is serviced by a live agent, a speech recognition engine based virtual agent, or through self service; what is important is that actual delivery of the service request is fast and efficient.
