The Effect of Automated Telephone Menu Structure on User Frustration and Performance

Abstract

Two experiments examined the effect of a wide, deep, or balanced telephone menu on task accuracy, task completion time, and user attitude. The wide menu had 8 choices at 2 levels, the deep menu had 2 choices at 6 levels, and the balanced menu had 4 choices at 3 levels. Experiment 1 results indicated no effect of menu structure on task accuracy. Experiment 2 results indicated longer task completion time for the deep menu as compared to the wide and balanced menus. Variability among task completion time for the wide menu, however, indicated an advantage for the balanced menu. User attitude did not vary with the menu structure, but was related to the number of calls needed to complete the tasks, such that the more calls that were needed, the more negatively the telephone menu was viewed.

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