1. A method for performing an automatic response unit (ARU) service in response to a telephone call, comprising: (a) parsing the ARU service encoding for a service node, said service node having service node components, said service node component including a node variables component, a prefunction messaging component, an automated input component, a prefunction interactions component, a function component, a postfunction interactions component, and a postfunction messaging component; (b) processing said node variables component of said service node, said node variable component storing zero or more variable objects; (c) processing said prefunction messaging component of said service node, said prefunction messaging component storing zero or more message objects that are played to a caller prior to processing said service node; (d) processing said automated input component of said service node, said automated input component storing zero or more input data objects; (e) processing said prefunction interactions component of said service node, said prefunction interaction component storing one or more prefunction actions, wherein each prefunction action is executed upon a satisfaction of a condition; (f) processing said function component of said service node, said function component storing a function; (g) processing said postfunction interactions component of said service node, said postfunction interaction component storing one or more postfunction actions, wherein each postfunction action is executed upon a satisfaction of a condition; and (h) processing said postfunction messaging component of said service node, said postfunction messaging component storing zero or more message objects that are played to said caller after processing said service node.