1. A system for providing help within an interactive voice response application comprising: means for determining an interactive voice response event; means for classifying said event as a default help request if said event is one of a no-match event and a time-out event, wherein the no-match event occurs when said event does not correspond to a user option provided by the application, and wherein the time-out event occurs if a user fails to respond to an application prompt within a predetermined duration of time, and for classifying said event as a user initiated help request if said event is a user request for help and not a non-help request; means for setting a time for receiving user input to a default value if said event is classified as said default help request; means for setting said time for receiving user input to a value less than said default value if said event is classified as said user initiated help request, wherein said interactive voice response application takes programmatic action upon expiration of said time for receiving user input means for repeating a previous presentment of a menu or other prompt if a first time-out event occurs subsequent to a no-match event; means for presenting a predetermined help message if a second time-out event occurs after repeating the previous presentment of the menu or other prompt; and, means for presenting the predetermined help message such that the previous presentment of the menu or other prompt is not repeated if the first time-out event occurs subsequent to a no-response event.