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Important
Some of the functionality described in this release plan has not been released. Delivery timelines may change and projected functionality may not be released (see Microsoft policy). Learn more: What's new and planned
| Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|
| Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically | - | Sep 2025 |
Business value
Voice agents should use selective hold periods when callers need time to retrieve information, similar to human agents. By playing music or promotional prompts during these pauses, the system prevents awkward silences that might suggest disconnection or audio problems caused by background noise. This involves gracefully pausing the conversation while playing music or promotional prompts. This approach ensures a smooth and professional caller experience, reduces escalations, and increases containment.
Feature details
The Voice Hold and Resume feature introduces a dynamic interaction model within IVR systems, enabling bots to resume from a hold state upon detecting a predefined resume word—for example, the phrase “Got it.” This enhancement is designed to improve user experience by allowing seamless transitions from passive to active states without requiring DTMF input or full utterances.
The feature is available for all users who have the Optimize for Voice setting enabled for their agent. This setting unlocks voice capabilities like this one, which you will find under Hold and Resume in the question node properties.
For example, you could set up an agent to follow this interaction scenario:
- Chose to either place the caller in an automatic hold following a prompt or allow the user to initiate a hold state by request. a. If the caller initiates the hold state, include the hold cue in the settings.
- Include a cue message to inform the caller how to resume the call when ready
- Create a list of resume cue words for the agent to listen to in order to resume the conversation.
- Include an audio file that will play for the caller during the hold state.
- Set the number of times you want the agent to prompt the caller if no resume cue words have been detected, as well as the amount of time to wait in between the prompts and the message you want the agent to use during each attempt.
- Include a prompt message that will initiate when the call is being resumed
Geographic areas
Visit the Explore Feature Geography report for Microsoft Azure areas where this feature is planned or available.
Language availability
Visit the Explore Feature Language report for information on this feature's availability.