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Compare 10 AI voice agents for real estate in 2026. Evaluate response time, CRM integration, multi-channel support, and scalability to find the right solution.

AI voice agents in real estate are all about response time, coverage and quick follow-through. If your system can't answer calls immediately, qualify intent, book tours and update your CRM without manual cleanup, it's not helping you win more deals; it's adding another layer for you to manage.

This guide isn't for browsing tools. It's for operators deciding whether to commit to AI voice agents in 2026 and ship something that actually helps you scale. We compare 10 platforms based on how they perform after signup, how fast you can go live, what breaks under real lead volume, and what it takes to keep them working week after week.

Top 10 AI Voice Agents for Real Estate (2026)

The goal here is simple: Helping you choose an option that you can launch confidently, not replace after the first integration headache.

1. Plivo

When aiming to build and scale AI voice agents for real estate, you care about two things: reaching prospects first and converting more inquiries into confirmed showings. Plivo excels here since it gives you production-ready AI voice agents that place instant callbacks, answer listing questions from your data, and book tours directly on your agents' calendars. They operate reliably across phone, SMS, WhatsApp and chat without stitching together telephony, AI models and messaging vendors.

Plivo is the AI agent builder platform for voice-first, omnichannel experiences—built on a carrier-grade telephony network trusted by Uber, Meta, Zomato, and thousands of businesses worldwide. Business teams can launch agents without writing code using Vibe agent. Engineering teams can orchestrate custom voice agents in code with full control. The foundation is Plivo's global communications infrastructure spanning 190+ countries: 15+ years of proven reliable infrastructure, low latency, and the call quality enterprises demand.

Core Capabilities:

Inbound & Outbound AI Voice Agents: Handle live calls end-to-end, qualify intent, route intelligently and escalate to human agents when needed.
Multi-Channel Agent Coverage: Run the same AI agent across phone, SMS, WhatsApp and chat with shared context across channels.
No-Code AI Agent Builder (Vibe): Build and deploy voice agents using plain-English instructions, no prompt engineering or coding required.
Build your way: Business teams launch with no-code tools; engineering teams build custom voice agents with full-code control. You're never forced into a single way of working.
Vertically Integrated Telephony (CPaaS): Voice runs on Plivo's own global telephony infrastructure, avoiding third-party carrier dependencies.
Low-Latency Voice AI Stack: Integrated TTS, STT and LLM orchestration enables sub-500ms response latency, critical for natural voice conversations.
Enterprise-Grade Reliability: Built on Plivo's proven CPaaS platform with 99.99% uptime, 15+ years of reliable infrastructure, and global carrier connectivity across 190+ countries.
CRM & Workflow Integrations: Pull customer context in real time and write call outcomes back to CRMs and support tools automatically. Connect Follow Up Boss, kvCORE, BoomTown, Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Calendar, Outlook, and your MLS/IDX feed.
You own the stack: You get to choose your speech-to-text (STT), text-to-speech (TTS), and LLM while keeping prompts and data portable and avoiding lock-in.

Best fit if you:

Need real-time voice agents that can operate continuously at scale.
Want to avoid stitching telephony, AI and messaging vendors together.
Plan to deploy across multiple channels, not voice alone.
Have defined workflows for lead qualification, routing or follow-ups.

Not a fit if you:

Only need a lightweight voice demo, basic IVR or short-term experiment.
Want a fully turnkey, real estate-specific tool with no configuration or workflow control.
Don't plan to integrate voice agents into your CRM, data stack or operations.

2. Luron AI

Luron AI is best suited for teams that need 24/7 AI voice agents that never miss calls and qualify leads automatically. It supports multilingual conversations and keeps pacing tight across accents and speaking styles. The system handles inbound and outbound voice conversations in dozens of languages and automates bookings and follow-ups without human staffing.

Core Capabilities:

Instant call answer & qualification: AI answers every call, gathers intent, and qualifies leads without hold times.
Multilingual support: Handles AI conversations in 45+ languages to cover diverse lead sources.
Inbound & outbound support: Manages both types of calls and can also run outbound follow-ups.
SMS, chat & email automation: Extends voice agents to text and messaging channels for a unified engagement approach.
CRM & integration options: Connects to existing phone systems via SIP trunking and can integrate with CRMs and ticket systems.

Best fit if you:

Want 24/7 lead capture and qualification without adding staff.
Need multilingual voice conversations for global or diverse markets.
Expect to automate bookings, follow-ups and reminders on voice and messaging channels.
Have a CRM or existing phone system you must integrate with.

Not a fit if you:

Only need a simple inbound answering or IVR replacement without automation.
Want a solution focused on voice only, with limited channel reach.
Prefer fixed, transparent pricing tiers publicly listed.

3. Callers AI

Callers AI is a platform for automating customer conversations with human-like voice agents that handle both inbound & outbound calls and messaging channels, powered by your brand's data and tone. It's focused on scaling high-volume voice interactions while maintaining contextual continuity across channels in a single branded voice experience.

Core Capabilities:

Omni-channel AI interactions: Voice agents run across phone, SMS, WhatsApp and chat from a central AI brain.
Human-like voice calls: Agents answer and place calls in a natural conversational style.
Lead workflows & use cases: Supports lead qualification, cold call automation, appointment confirmation, retention flows and more.
24/7 availability & language breadth: Designed to handle calls and messaging around the clock, in multiple languages.
Context remembering: Conversations carry context across voice and messaging so follow-ups feel continuous.
Integrations & automation: Connects to CRMs and tools (300+ integrations) so call outcomes can update your systems.

Best fit if you:

Want both inbound and outbound AI calling with consistent, natural-tone responses across channels.
Need an AI system that can qualify leads, confirm appointments and manage follow-ups automatically.
Are scaling high call volumes 24/7.
Prefer a central "brain" that keeps context across channels and workflows.

Not a fit if you:

Only want a basic voice or outbound dialer with limited cross-channel logic.
Need a tool focused exclusively on simple IVR or basic routing without AI conversation layers.
Prefer a product you can set up and forget in minutes without upfront configuration or workflow definition.

4. SquadStack AI

SquadStack AI is best suited for teams that want AI-assisted sales and voice engagement workflows supported by configurable human-in-the-loop automation. It blends automated outreach and qualification with options to escalate to human agents where needed, helpful for revenue teams that are focused on pipeline speed.

Core Capabilities:

Automated Lead Engagement: AI enabled workflows proactively contact prospects and qualify them using data-driven sequencing.
Voice & Messaging Channels: Supports outbound dialing, ringless voicemail, SMS and multi-touch sequences.
Human-in-the-Loop Escalation: Configurable handoffs to live agents when conversations need human judgment.
Sales Workflow Automation: Built-in logic for lead routing, prioritization and follow-ups across channels.
CRM Integration + Data Sync: Sync outcomes and engagement data back to CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.

Best fit if you:

Want inbound and outbound automated voice interactions with natural conversation flows and multilingual capability.
Need AI that handles lead qualification, follow-ups and reminders as part of sales or customer engagement sequences.
Are automating sales outreach and conversational workflows alongside voice calls.

Not a fit if you:

Need an AI platform focused on low-latency, bespoke voice agent infrastructure tied tightly to your own telephony stack.
Are building a multi-channel bot with CRM/telephony hooks and developer control from the ground up at scale.

5. Telgent

Telgent leans into MLS and portal context. It is best for businesses that want always-on voice AI calling with automated scheduling, intelligent call handling and quick setup. Its platform emphasizes immediate activation, seamless integration with existing phone systems and natural AI responses that handle calls, schedule meetings and engage customers day and night.

Core Capabilities:

24/7 AI voice calling agents: Always-on call automation that answers and routes customer calls at any hour.
Lead engagement & scheduling: Automatically books appointments, meetings and showings based on natural language conversations.
Inbound call handling: AI answers incoming inquiries, qualifies intent and routes prospects with minimal human intervention.
Automated inquiry responses: Provides instant answers to property questions and responds to rental or sales leads.
Integration with real estate systems: Works with Zillow, Realtor.com, MLS platforms, Follow Up Boss, kvCORE, BoomTown, Salesforce and HubSpot for CRM continuity.

Best fit if you:

Need round-the-clock call handling that captures leads and books appointments without missing inquiries.
Want your voice AI to integrate with core real estate tools and CRM systems so client details are synced automatically.
Are focused on lead conversion and showing scheduling as part of your customer engagement workflows.

Not a fit if you:

Only require basic outbound calling with simple scripts rather than inbound + scheduling automation.
Expect a no-config, plug-and-play voice bot that requires zero setup or customization.
Want a platform that handles only one channel (voice only) without extending into SMS/WhatsApp/chat automation.

6. AIOnCalls

AIOnCalls is positioned as a virtual receptionist that never misses calls or opportunities. Best for teams that want an always-on voice AI assistant that handles inbound and outbound calls around the clock, engages callers in natural language, qualifies leads, books appointments and updates CRM data.

Core Capabilities:

24/7 Inbound & Outbound Voice Handling: AI answers and places calls around the clock across all hours and holidays.
Lead Qualification & Follow-Up Automation: Qualifies callers in real time and automates follow-ups via voice, SMS and email.
Appointment Scheduling & Calendar Invites: Books appointments and sends confirmations during calls.
CRM & Workflow Integrations: Integrates with CRMs like Zoho, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Google Calendar for real-time lead syncing and activity logging.
Multilingual Conversations: Supports multiple languages and can handle simultaneous call sessions.
Live Agent Escalation: Transfers complex calls to human agents when needed.
Real-Time Analytics & Transcriptions: Provides live call monitoring, transcripts, sentiment analysis and dashboards.

Best fit if you:

Need an AI voice agent that never misses inbound calls and engages leads immediately, 24/7.
Want automated lead qualification, booking and follow-ups in voice, SMS, and email without human staffing.
Are integrating call outcomes and engagement data into CRM or calendar workflows.
Operate in industries where speed-to-lead matters and missed calls are costly.

Not a fit if you:

Only need simple IVR or on-premise call routing without conversational automation.
Prefer a pure telephony or developer API platform without built-in AI conversational layers.
Are looking for a voice agent with deep, specialized industry templates.

7. Brilo AI

Brilo AI is a business-focused AI phone and voice call agent platform that enables teams to automate real-time voice interactions across industries like real estate. It promises fast setup, natural human-like voice responses, 24/7 coverage, integration with business tools and built-in analytics, all without needing a technical team to get started.

Core Capabilities:

24/7 AI voice call agents: Always-on AI phone agents handle inbound calls and customer engagements at any hour.
Human-like voice interactions: Conversational voice responses built to sound natural and engaging.
Appointment booking & scheduling: Voice agents can book appointments with synced calendars and handle reminders.
CRM and business integrations: Integrates with a broad range of business apps (6,000+ app connections claimed) to sync customer context and outcomes.
Real-time analytics & insights: Live call transcripts, sentiment analysis, intent tracking and topic detection support actionable insights post-call.
Lead qualification automation: Agents engage prospects, capture intent and route high-value leads in real time.

Best fit if you:

Need 24/7 automated voice engagement that never misses inbound or high-volume calls for lead capture, scheduling or support.
Need a platform that books appointments, manages follow-ups and drives customer engagement without manual management.
Plan to integrate the voice agent with CRM, calendar tools and analytics pipelines to maintain context across systems.

Not a fit if you:

Simply need a basic phone tree, IVR or traditional call routing system.
Are focused solely on developer-centric API telephony without AI built in.
Require industry-specific compliance guarantees (HIPAA, PCI, etc.) documented publicly.

8. VocalDesk

VocalDesk is an AI-enabled voice and contact automation platform that helps teams automate calling, lead follow-up, support interactions and scheduling. Its focus is on automated voice conversations and multi-channel engagement with CRM integration and configurable workflows that replace manual outreach tasks.

Core Capabilities:

Automated Voice Conversations: Handles inbound and outbound calls using AI to engage, qualify, and route callers.
AI-Driven Lead Qualification: Automated conversation flows that marks lead intent and priority.
Appointment Booking & Reminders: Schedules meetings and sends reminders as part of automated flows.
Multichannel Messaging: Engages customers across voice, text and messaging platforms.
CRM & Workflow Sync: Connects with CRM systems and business tools to log interactions and maintain records.

Best fit if you:

Want to automate call handling and lead follow-up without manual dialing.
Need a solution that combines voice and messaging outreach with CRM context.
Are focused on lead qualification and scheduling as part of broader sales engagement.

Not a fit if you:

Only need basic call routing or IVR without AI handling.
Require explicit developer control over telephony APIs.
Rely on hard metrics like latency, concurrency limits or multi-region telephony SLAs.

9. Calldock

Calldock is an AI voice agent platform intended for instant lead engagement, automatic qualification and scheduling. Its system calls leads within seconds of form submission, conducts natural conversations and integrates with calendars and workflows to automate follow-ups and booking.

Core Capabilities:

Instant lead callbacks: Calls website leads within ~60 seconds of a submission, boosting early engagement.
Calendar booking: Agents can book appointments directly to your calendar during live calls.
Multi-channel follow-up: Agents send SMS and email follow-ups as part of the call workflow.
Seamless handoff & callbacks: You can trigger human handoffs in natural language and schedule intelligent callbacks.
API, webhooks, & integration ecosystem: Support for APIs and pre-call webhooks lets you fetch context before calls and connect with Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack, Zapier and thousands more.
Developer playground & documentation: Provides API documentation and code examples for triggered calls and automated workflows.

Best fit if you:

Want immediate lead engagement that happens in seconds.
Need voice agents that qualify, book and follow up automatically across voice, SMS and email.
Plan to integrate voice engagements with calendar and business workflows.
Need a voice agent that works with easy templates for common industries with minimal setup.
Want a low-code or no-code setup that goes live with simple configuration.

Not a fit if you:

Need proper inbound/outbound calling with API integration.
Require deep telephony infrastructure control or enterprise telephony SLAs.
Are building highly custom dialogue systems that need proprietary LLM tuning beyond the existing templates.

10. Ylopo

Ylopo is a digital marketing and lead gen platform built for the real estate industry. It combines lead capture, nurturing, AI voice calling, AI texting, branded websites and marketing automation into one system that integrates with CRMs and helps real estate teams generate and convert leads.

Core Capabilities:

AI Voice Follow-Up: Automatically calls new and existing leads to qualify interest and connect them to agents.
AI Text Conversations: Runs two-way SMS conversations to nurture leads until they're ready to talk.
AI² Voice + Text System: Combines calling and texting into one coordinated follow-up engine.
Automated Appointment Transfers: Delivers live transfers or booked appointments when leads are qualified.
Lead Generation & Nurture: Includes PPC ads, remarketing and IDX websites to capture and feed leads into AI follow-up.
CRM & Website Integration: Syncs AI conversations and lead activity with CRMs and branded real estate websites.

Best fit if you:

Want lead capture with nurturing as a unified system rather than isolated voice interaction tools.
Are a realtor or team that wants AI to automatically engage leads by text and phone, not just manage manual contacts.
Need branded websites with IDX search and integrated lead capture feeding into automated follow-up.
Plan to keep leads engaged over longer time horizons (e.g., 90-day voice follow-up).
Value combined marketing + AI follow-up rather than a single channel (voice only).

Not a fit if you:

Are looking for pure AI voice agent infrastructure like a telephony-first CPaaS platform.
Need tools focused on enterprise-grade telephony performance, low-latency voice systems or custom telephony workflows.

What Matters Most in AI Voice Agents (Beyond the Basics)

1. Telephony Ownership vs. Vendor Stitching

Many AI voice tools rely on third-party telephony stitched together with AI layers. This often introduces latency, call drops and limited routing control at scale.

What to prioritize:

Built-in telephony with direct carrier connectivity
End-to-end control over call routing and quality
Fewer external dependencies

Plivo runs on its own global CPaaS and carrier-grade telephony stack, removing third-party voice dependencies.

2. Real-Time Performance (Latency & Uptime)

Voice conversations break down quickly when responses lag or calls fail. Sub-second latency and high uptime aren't "nice to have"—they're mandatory.

What to validate:

Sub-500ms voice response latency
99.99% uptime or better
Real-time STT, TTS, and LLM orchestration

Plivo's vertically integrated Voice AI stack is designed for low-latency, real-time conversations on proven infrastructure.

3. Multi-Channel Context, Not Disconnected Bots

Leads move between calls, SMS, WhatsApp and chat. Treating each channel as a separate bot creates broken experiences and duplicate work.

What to look for:

Shared context across voice and messaging
Unified conversation history
Seamless handoffs between channels

Plivo supports multi-channel agents that share context across phone, SMS, WhatsApp and chat from a single system.

4. Integration Depth (CRM, Calendars, Workflows)

Voice agents don't operate in isolation. Without deep integrations, they become another silo your team has to manage.

Prioritize platforms that:

Read from and write to CRMs in real time
Trigger workflows during live calls
Integrate cleanly with calendars and support tools

Plivo integrates directly with CRMs and business systems, allowing agents to act on live data and update records automatically.

5. Built for Scale, Not Just Launch

Many tools work well for pilots but struggle under sustained call volume or multi-region deployment.

Ask:

Can this run continuously without degradation?
Are pricing and performance predictable as usage grows?
Will this still work when channels or regions expand?

Plivo's AI agents are built on infrastructure that already powers enterprise-grade voice and messaging at global scale.

FAQs

What's the fastest way to go live without breaking existing operations?

Start with a single, contained flow like after-hours inbound calls or instant lead callbacks. Connect your phone numbers, CRM and calendar, define escalation rules and launch! You can expand coverage once live data validates the flow.

How do I ensure voice quality doesn't feel robotic or laggy?

Voice quality depends on latency and telephony control. Platforms with integrated telephony and real-time STT/TTS orchestration keep responses sub-second, which is critical for natural conversations that callers don't hang up on.

How does the agent stay accurate and compliant with real estate data?

The agent should pull from a restricted, curated knowledge source (MLS, IDX, listings) and operate within defined guardrails. When questions exceed scope like pricing nuance, legal terms, fair-housing-sensitive topics, it escalates to a human automatically.

What happens when call volume spikes or multiple leads call at once?

Calls don't fail—they should queue. High-intent conversations can be routed to live agents, while others are qualified, scheduled or followed up asynchronously. Every outcome is logged so nothing gets lost.

How does this fit into my CRM and follow-up workflows?

The agent reads live CRM data during calls and writes outcomes back automatically in the form of notes, disposition, next steps and booked appointments. Your team picks up conversations with full context instead of starting from scratch.

Try Plivo Free

Curious how an AI voice platform performs in your workflows, not just in theory? Plivo offers a free trial account with credits so you can experiment with voice, SMS, WhatsApp and chat services before committing. When you sign up, you get trial credits, can add a phone number and start testing features like real-time voice interactions and multi-channel engagement using APIs or visual tools like PHLO. This lets you validate performance, integrations, and call flows with your actual data—all without upfront cost.

Plivo's trial lets you test core capabilities immediately, making it easy to see how quickly you can build, launch, and refine agents that handle calls, qualify leads and update systems in real time.

Get started with your free trial now and begin building your first agent today.

Jan 20, 2026

5 mins

Best AI Voice Agents for Customer Support and Service (2026): What to Deploy Now

Compare 10 AI voice agent platforms for customer support. Get a practical 30-day pilot framework, implementation workflow, and outcome-driven selection guide.

1) Plivo — The fastest path to production-grade AI voice agents for customer support

A recent Gartner survey found that most customer service leaders plan to explore or pilot conversational GenAI in 2025—making a clear, near-term mandate to deliver something that works on the phone channel, not just in chat. That's your cue to build a reliable voice front door with an AI agent builder platform designed for voice-first, omnichannel experiences.

Why Plivo is #1

Plivo is the AI agent builder platform that lets you build your way. Whether you're a business leader who needs to launch fast or an engineering team building custom workflows, Plivo meets you where you are. Start with no-code tools that let non-technical teams deploy agents in hours. Go deeper with low-code orchestration for more control. Or build from scratch with full-code frameworks that integrate into your existing stack. You're never forced into a single way of working.

What it does for you

Plivo's Voice AI stack is modular by design. Want speed? Use the fully integrated platform—STT, LLM, TTS, and telephony—pre-configured and ready to go. Want control? Orchestrate your agents using code with Plivo's Agentic STT models and Telephony, alongside your preferred LLM providers. Want just the connectivity layer? Use audio streaming or SIP trunking and bring everything else yourself. You decide where Plivo ends and your stack begins.

Underlying it all is a reliable, carrier-grade telephony platform that scales for enterprises—global PSTN/SIP connectivity, number provisioning and porting, call routing with failover, recording with consent, and clean human handoff with full context into your CRM or help desk.

Segment-by-segment fit

If you're SMB, launch fast with no-code tools that let you deploy agents in hours, plus a simple dashboard and connectors for Shopify and Calendly. If you're mid-market, use low-code orchestration for more control, with a modular stack that lets you use what you need—swap in your preferred LLM, STT, or TTS. If you're enterprise, build with full-code frameworks that integrate into your existing stack, plus a modular Voice AI stack to pick-and-choose what you need, governance features (RBAC, audit transcripts, data residency), and contact center integration for high availability and reporting.

Start with Voice, go everywhere

Voice is the hardest channel to get right—and it's where Plivo leads. But the same flexible building experience extends to WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, and Chat. Build once, deploy across channels, and meet customers wherever they are.

Suitable for

Fintech customer service: consent-first flows, secure keypad capture, dispute status, and callbacks.
Healthcare scheduling: multilingual intake, appointment changes, escalations with a summarized handoff.
Retail and logistics: order status, returns, delivery windows, and SMS/WhatsApp follow-ups.

No more choosing between a locked-in platform that's easy but limiting, or a DIY approach that's flexible but painful. Plivo gives you both—simplicity when you want it, depth when you need it.

Explore the Voice API, check pricing, review compliance, handle numbers & porting, browse case studies, or jump into the quickstart.

2) Google Dialogflow CX — Complex, branching flows without spaghetti

Key features

Dialogflow CX uses a flow-and-page model to capture state and branching, so you can manage multi-step intents like returns, warranty claims, and multi-factor verification without dozens of brittle intents. It supports voice and text and includes versioning, experiments, and test tools. For telephony, you can use partner gateways or SIP; for global reach, put Plivo at the edge and connect to CX.

Why it matters

Complicated support journeys need explicit state. CX gives you that structure. If your "Where's my order?" workflow forks based on identity checks, fulfillment method, and policy windows, you can keep logic readable and testable. CX also plays well with multilingual experiences and mixed initiative, so callers can change course mid-conversation.

Implementation steps

Start with a single high-volume journey and draw it as a CX flow. Add a fallback page with a short menu for noisy lines. Ground the bot in your knowledge base and order system, then add handoff rules. Put Plivo in front for numbers, routing, and recording consent, and pass summaries back to your ticketing system.

Suitable for

Teams with multiple brands or product lines, where branching grows quickly and consistency matters across regions.

3) Amazon Lex + Amazon Connect — AWS-first voice automation that ops can own

Key features

Lex handles the speech and NLU for voice and text. Connect adds the contact-center fabric: routing, IVR, call recording, and agent desktop. It's a natural fit if your data and apps live in AWS and security prefers IAM-managed access. For global numbers or bring-your-own carrier control, front with Plivo and route into Connect.

Why it matters

Staying inside AWS accelerates procurement, security reviews, and monitoring. You can call Lambdas for tool use, search knowledge with Kendra, and use Connect metrics and contact flows your ops team already knows. That shortens time to value and concentrates governance in one place.

Implementation steps

Define one call flow in Connect (ID&V → status lookup → handoff). Build Lex intents from your top FAQs. Add Plivo for number management, routing, and failover. Send summaries back to your CRM or help desk. Keep a barge-in plan for noisy environments and a keypad fallback for payment flows.

Suitable for

IT-led programs where AWS standardization, auditability, and a single pane of glass for monitoring are priorities.

4) IBM Watson Assistant — Governance-first deployments in regulated industries

Key features

Watson Assistant supports omnichannel conversations with documented security and governance options, including deployment paths designed for regulated workloads. If your risk office leads the decision, IBM provides clear guidance on audit logging, data handling, and architectural choices. Add Plivo to handle PSTN/SIP, call consent prompts, and compliant recording policies.

Why it matters

Financial services and healthcare teams often need auditability from day one. When you need clear data-handling boundaries and deployment models that align with internal controls, IBM's documentation and support track help you pass reviews without months of back-and-forth.

Implementation steps

Map your data-classification rules to Watson's deployment options. Keep contact recordings and transcriptions in your approved storage. Use Plivo's routing and consent prompts to standardize intake across regions. Summarize calls into your case system for full traceability.

Suitable for

Organizations with heavy compliance needs, strict data residency, or formal audit trails for every customer interaction.

5) Cognigy.AI — IVR modernization with fine-grained voice control

Key features

Cognigy combines a visual designer with a voice gateway that supports streaming ASR, interruptibility, and transfer control. It integrates with multiple speech providers and enterprise systems like SAP and Salesforce. This lets you tune barge-in sensitivity, error handling, and handoff cues rather than living with a one-size-fits-all IVR.

Why it matters

If callers still hear a menu tree, you're wasting time and goodwill. Cognigy helps you replace rigid menus with natural conversations and graceful escalation. You keep the levers you need—timing, sensitivity, fallback prompts—so the agent feels human, not scripted.

Implementation steps

Start with the two intents that create the most queue time. Set barge-in thresholds conservatively and widen them after you test in live traffic. Put Plivo at the edge to manage numbers, recording policies, and failover. Send summaries with disposition tags to your CRM.

Suitable for

Enterprises with legacy IVRs, high call volumes, and a clear need to reduce effort without ripping out the contact-center core.

6) Salesforce Agentforce — CRM-native service automation where your team works

Key features

Agentforce brings AI agents into the Salesforce console and data model. Your service team stays in the view they know, while the agent handles common intents, drafts summaries, and routes cases. Add Plivo for calling so every phone interaction lands in Salesforce with the right context.

Why it matters

When everything you need to resolve an issue already lives in Salesforce, keeping the agent there shortens integration time and improves analytics. Supervisors can coach on the same dashboard and review case summaries, while admins maintain clear governance over data and automations.

Implementation steps

Pick one queue with repetitive calls. Tie identity checks to account data and warranties. Keep a "press 0 for a human" fallback and make sure the agent passes a clean summary with next steps. Use Plivo for the phone edge so call recordings and consent are consistent across regions.

Suitable for

Service teams that treat Salesforce as the system of record and want automation to feel native—not bolted on.

7) Zoom Virtual Agent for Phone — A 24/7 receptionist and concierge

Key features

Zoom's Virtual Agent for Phone handles greetings, routing, and the most common requests. You train it from existing docs and site content, then turn it on for after-hours or full-time reception. It's built for quick wins like appointment scheduling, store hours, and simple status checks with transfers when needed.

Why it matters

If reception lines clog your switchboard, a front-door voice agent can deflect simple questions without new headcount. As you add skills, you can expand from triage to completing tasks. For broader reach, connect Plivo to add global numbers and transactional notifications via SMS or WhatsApp.

Implementation steps

Start with greeting, business hours, and routing. Add appointment booking next. Keep live-agent transfers one click away. If you outgrow the PBX perimeter, bring Plivo in to manage numbers and cross-channel follow-ups.

Suitable for

Single-number switchboards, high-volume reception desks, and teams that need a quick, always-on front door.

8) Sierra — Enterprise "autonomous" agents with category momentum

Key features

Sierra focuses on enterprise-grade AI agents for customer service with an emphasis on agentic workflows. The leadership and market traction give executives confidence to back bigger bets. If you're evaluating multi-channel automation with rigorous SLAs, Sierra is a credible short-list option. Plug it into Plivo for reliable telephony, recording consent, and global routing.

Why it matters

Momentum reduces perceived risk. When you need cross-functional buy-in, a vendor that's already in enterprise production helps. You still need the phone edge right: numbers, routing, and failover that won't buckle under peaks.

Implementation steps

Define two end-to-end journeys (e.g., ID&V + order update; returns approval). Keep human handoff one step away and capture every call summary in your case system. Instrument containment and transfers, then iterate weekly.

Suitable for

Large teams planning multi-channel agents and looking for vendor accountability with clear deliverables and timelines.

9) Tidio (Lyro) — SMB eCommerce chat that pairs well with voice

Key features

Tidio blends live chat, an AI agent, and eCommerce integrations. It's a practical way to resolve repetitive questions, free up your team, and capture intent while buyers are on your site. Add Plivo for a simple order-status line and SMS/WhatsApp updates so customers get answers by phone as well as chat.

Why it matters

eCommerce teams need fast coverage more than complex architectures. You can start with FAQs, then add checkout and account questions. When phone calls spike—promos, holidays—route a basic voice flow through Plivo and keep your agent consistent across channels.

Implementation steps

Load your top FAQs and shipping policies, add a returns flow, and set clear handoff rules. For voice, route a single Plivo number to a lightweight agent that authenticates by order ID and ZIP code, then offers a callback option during peaks.

Suitable for

Lean teams that want to reduce repetitive chat volume now and add phone coverage without standing up a full contact center.

10) Robylon — Multi-channel AI agents focused on support teams

Key features

Robylon specializes in AI-driven customer support across voice, chat, email, and messaging. It integrates with help desks like Zendesk and Freshdesk, supports multiple languages, and offers analytics dashboards designed for service leaders. It's a pragmatic fit if your help desk is the hub of your operation.

Why it matters

You want human-like conversations that escalate cleanly. Robylon's positioning around support workflows means your ticketing, SLAs, and dispositions stay intact. For reliable calling, use Plivo for numbers, routing, and recording consent so your phone channel matches the quality of your chat channel.

Implementation steps

Start with account updates and appointment scheduling. Ground the agent in your help-desk knowledge base and macros. Track resolution time and transfer reasons; refine weekly.

Suitable for

Mid-market support teams who want a focused system that plugs into existing help-desk processes and expands to voice without heavy lifting.

How to run a safe, high-signal pilot in 30 days

Define success first

Pick three metrics: containment, transfer rate, and average resolution time. Write a one-line target for each and a go/no-go threshold. Everyone should know what "good" looks like before you take your first call.

Start with narrow, high-volume intents

"Where's my order?", appointment changes, returns, account updates. These are predictable, frequent, and measurable. Script your handoff sentence so agents never start from zero.

Build the right guardrails

Add a consent prompt, a keypad fallback for sensitive inputs, and a short backup menu for noisy environments. Keep the escalations simple: one route for billing, one for everything else.

Ground every answer

Connect the agent to your CRM/help desk and knowledge base. If the answer doesn't exist in your source of truth, escalate. Summarize every call into the ticket with disposition and next steps.

Iterate weekly

Review 20 call transcripts together. Fix the top three friction points. Update prompts and knowledge. Ship changes. Repeat.

FAQ

What's the fastest way to launch a voice agent without changing my stack?

Keep your telephony and routing on Plivo, connect your preferred conversation engine, and ground it in your CRM/help desk and knowledge base. Start with one number, one intent, and a simple fallback.

How should I measure success in the first 30 days?

Track containment, transfer rate, and resolution time. Listen for barge-in moments and interruptions—they reveal prompt and timing issues that you can fix quickly.

How do I implement consent, recording, and PCI/PHI safely?

Play a clear consent prompt before any recording. Use keypad input for payments or sensitive data. Store recordings and transcripts in approved systems and keep audit logs.

When is Dialogflow CX better than Lex, IBM, or Cognigy?

Choose CX for complex branching flows and multilingual journeys; Lex when your team standardizes on AWS; IBM when governance and deployment control are paramount; Cognigy when you're modernizing IVR with fine-grained voice settings.

How do I handle accents, noise, and barge-in in production?

Use a robust ASR, tune your barge-in sensitivity, and keep a keypad fallback. Test in noisy environments and shorten prompts. Summaries help human agents pick up without asking callers to repeat themselves.

Conclusion: Build the voice edge once, then scale what works

A measured result to anchor ROI. McKinsey reported that, at one company with thousands of agents, applying generative AI raised issue resolution and lowered handling time—small percentage gains that compound into real savings at scale. That's the kind of lift your leadership expects—and the reason to start with a focused pilot that moves one metric.

Bring your "brain" of choice, but keep the phone edge on Plivo so every call connects, every consent is captured, and every handoff carries context. Define three KPIs, pick one journey, and go live with a human fallback. Review transcripts weekly, then scale to the next two intents.

Ready to hear what real-time voice feels like? Build your agent or talk to an expert today.

Jun 19, 2025

5 mins

RCS Marketing 101: Your Complete Guide

Discover how RCS marketing delivers rich, branded messages that drive engagement for your business.

SMS marketing works, but let’s be honest: it feels a bit outdated compared to modern apps.

But what if you could send rich, interactive messages with branded content, images, buttons, and carousels straight to your customers’ native messaging apps?

Rich communication services (RCS) makes that possible.

If you’re ready to explore how RCS marketing can transform your engagement strategy, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know. Let’s get started.

What is RCS marketing?

RCS marketing uses rich communication services to send interactive, branded messages through a customer’s default messaging app. It’s a modern upgrade to SMS that lets businesses share images, buttons, carousels, and more — all without needing third-party apps.

A user on Reddit summed up this perfectly:

Screenshot of a Reddit comment explaining what RCS is — *RCS explained by a Reddit user*

RCS lets you send messages that are visually branded with logos and colors while remaining interactive. This turns static updates into an app-like experience inside a message.

This shift is part of a broader industry move, led by Google and backed by major mobile carriers, to upgrade messaging infrastructure and make RCS the default standard on Android devices.

As support continues to grow, businesses are adopting RCS as part of their customer engagement strategy. Platforms like Plivo make that adoption easier with a reliable, enterprise-grade gateway to deliver rich, reliable RCS campaigns at scale.

RCS vs. SMS marketing: A quick comparison

Marketers today are looking for ways to deliver more interactive and visual communication, and RCS is clearly leading the way.

While SMS still works well for simple alerts, it lacks the creativity and engagement that RCS marketing offers.

Let’s take a quick look at RCS vs. SMS marketing.

Key feature	SMS marketing	RCS marketing
Message length	Limited to 160 characters; with longer messages split	Up to 8,000 characters in a single message
Multimedia	Supports only plain text and links; needs MMS for multimedia	Natively supports high-resolution photos, videos, audio, and GIFs
Security and verification	No built-in sender verification	Includes verified sender profiles with business name, logo, and custom colors
Read receipts	No standardized way to know if a message was delivered or read	Provides delivery and read receipts for real-time engagement tracking
Typing indicators	Doesn't show when the other party is typing	Displays typing indicators, creating a more conversational feel
Interactive buttons	Not supported; calls to action (CTAs) are limited to plain text links	Allows interactive buttons with predefined replies and actions
User experience	Static, text-heavy, and transactional	Dynamic, visually rich, and conversational — feels more like a mobile app
Analytics and reporting	Basic delivery tracking (if supported by carrier)	Advanced analytics: opens, clicks, conversions, and user behavior tracking

4 key benefits of RCS marketing

RCS marketing makes messaging feel more natural for both you and your customers. And since you can see what’s working and what’s not, it’s easier to pivot your strategy and get better results.

Here are its four key benefits.

1. Improved user interaction

One of the biggest advantages of RCS marketing is how seamless it makes the experience for your customers. Instead of typing out replies or clicking a link to open a website, users can just tap a button right inside the message.

Want them to book a demo, check order status, or browse products? It’s all possible with just a tap.

Fewer steps mean less effort, and that leads to more people following through. In fact, individuals spend up to 37 seconds engaging with RCS messages, which is a lot longer than most other types of mobile messaging.

Image showing the engagement results of RCS messaging — *People engage more with RCS than any other platform*

That extra time and interaction can make all the difference when you’re trying to convert interest into action.

2. Consistent brand experience

RCS marketing doesn’t just tell people who you are — it shows them.

Verified business profiles help people know they’re getting messages from the real brand. Every message shows your brand’s logo, name, colors, and a checkmark. These small details make it clear that the message is coming from a genuine source.

Image showing that MAYI - HOMES sends a verified RCS message with branding — *Verified RCS message from MAYI - HOMES*

This consistency matters because 88% of people are more likely to buy from a brand they trust.

3. In-depth analytics

With RCS marketing, you can track open rates, button clicks, and how people interact with each part of your message.

You get clear visibility into what’s working and where users are dropping off.

This makes it much easier to measure the return on investment (ROI) and fine-tune your campaigns. The more you understand how people engage, the better you can shape your messaging for results.

4. Higher conversion potential

RCS marketing makes it easier for customers to take action — whether that’s browsing products, booking a service, or making a purchase — all within the message itself.

With fewer clicks and no need to switch apps, the path to conversion feels effortless. And when it’s that easy, more people follow through.

For example, EaseMyTrip used RCS to run a post-COVID travel survey. They added quick-tap answer options and followed up with a thank-you coupon. The campaign saw a 4x higher click-through rate than email, 10x more survey completions, and a 2.7% increase in conversion rate.

5 major use cases of RCS marketing

Here are five major use cases showing how brands are using RCS marketing effectively.

1. Product promotions

RCS makes product promotions feel more like browsing a store than reading a message. Brands can send image carousels that customers can swipe through to explore new arrivals, check product details, and see what’s available without leaving their messaging app.

Verified RCS message highlights a 25% off promotion on all items — Verified RCS message from Daily-donuts

Example: A fashion retailer promoting its spring collection could send an RCS message featuring a carousel of outfits with styled images, prices, and buttons like “View Lookbook” or “Shop Now.”

Tapping a button could open a mini product page inside the chat, letting customers browse and buy without switching apps.

2. Abandoned cart reminders

The average cart abandonment rate is over 70%, which means most shoppers never make it to the finish line. RCS marketing can help bring them back by making the reminder more engaging and easier to act on.

You can send a message that shows exactly what they left behind, along with a clear button to complete the purchase. It’s visual, straightforward, and the entire experience stays within their messaging app.

Example: A home electronics store could follow up with customers who left a pair of wireless earbuds in their cart. The RCS message might include a product photo, the price, and a “Buy Now” button that takes them straight to checkout.

3. Appointment confirmations and reminders

A PhD thesis from Manchester Metropolitan University found that forgetfulness is the most common reason people skip their appointments.

RCS makes it easier for both businesses and customers to stay on the same page. You can send a message that shows the appointment details along with a simple calendar view. Add buttons to confirm, reschedule, or cancel — all within the chat.

Image depicting an interactive RCS booking confirmation message — Booking confirmation via RCS with quick action buttons

Example: A dental clinic could use RCS to remind patients of upcoming cleanings. The message might show the date, time, and location of the appointment, plus a “Confirm” button and options to “Reschedule” or “Cancel.”

Patients can respond instantly, helping the clinic manage its schedule more efficiently.

4. Customer surveys and feedback

Getting feedback is important, but most customers lack the time or patience to complete lengthy forms. RCS marketing makes it easier by allowing brands to ask short, targeted questions and receive quick responses.

Plus, the rich features of RCS let you include images, ratings, or multiple-choice options, making feedback feel more like a conversation.

Example: A restaurant could send an RCS message after a meal asking customers to rate their experience with simple buttons like “Excellent,” “Good,” or “Needs Improvement.”

The message might also include a photo of the dish they ordered and a quick question like, “What did you like most?” This quick interaction makes it easy for customers to respond and gives the restaurant valuable insights.

5. Customer support follow-ups

After a support request is resolved, following up shows customers you care and helps close the loop on their experience. But if the follow-up message gets buried in an email inbox or goes unnoticed, that opportunity to connect is lost.

With RCS marketing, you can send a quick message to check if everything’s working fine. You can include helpful buttons like “Change Password,” “Manage Account,” or “Talk to Support.”

Support bot provides instant replies and follow-ups for customer queries — AI-powered support for account management

RCS marketing myths and realities

Despite RCS marketing’s growing adoption and proven results, some common misconceptions still hold businesses back from trying it. Let’s look at a few of the biggest myths and what’s actually true.

Myth 1: RCS marketing is too expensive

At first glance, RCS business messaging can seem like a pricey upgrade. Rich visuals, tap-to-action buttons, and branded layouts look premium, so it’s easy to assume they come with a hefty cost.

But cost alone doesn’t tell the full story.

What you get in return matters more. RCS drives significantly stronger engagement with higher click-through rates, increased interactions, and better overall outcomes.

Take Club Comex, the loyalty program of North American paint brand Comex. They sent two rich and interactive RCS campaigns to their members and saw a 10x higher click-through rate, which helped increase revenue by 115%.

That’s the value side of the equation. Better targeting and richer content mean more people click, engage, and convert.

Myth 2: RCS marketing doesn’t reach enough users to be worth it

This concern made sense in the early days of RCS, when adoption was still catching up. But the landscape looks very different now.

In June 2024, the 12-month growth of RCS users reached 36.3%, showing faster uptake than other messaging channels. More Android devices support RCS by default, and it’s being rolled out across more networks globally. Even Apple has announced support, which means RCS is on track to reach a massive number of smartphone users worldwide.

With that kind of growth and widespread support, the hesitation around RCS is starting to fade. Brands can confidently invest in RCS marketing knowing it will connect with more customers than ever before.

Myth 3: RCS gets treated like spam and ends up ignored just like emails

Unlike email, RCS messages appear directly in the user’s primary messaging app alongside personal conversations. They include rich media and interactive elements, making them more engaging and less likely to be ignored.

This creates a more natural, conversational experience that drives higher open and response rates than traditional marketing channels.

Why choose Plivo for your RCS marketing needs

With RCS, you can turn simple messages into rich, branded conversations that feel more like chatting than broadcasting.

Plivo gives you the tools to make that shift without the hassle. From verified messaging to smart automation, everything works together to help you connect better and respond faster.

When combined with AI Agents and a unified customer data platform, RCS becomes more than just messaging. You can deliver personalized experiences at scale, automate everyday interactions, and keep conversations flowing without lifting a finger.

Here’s what you get with Plivo’s RCS API:

Real-time personalization: AI Agents tailor conversations using customer profiles and behavior triggers to improve engagement and conversions.
Multi-channel fallback: If RCS isn’t supported, messages automatically switch to SMS to ensure delivery and maintain consistent communication.
Conversational automation: AI Agents handle FAQs, process orders, schedule deliveries, and route complex queries within RCS.
All-in-one messaging platform: Manage RCS, SMS, WhatsApp, Voice, and more from a single dashboard.
Reliable performance: 99.99% uptime and global infrastructure keep your campaigns running smoothly.

With Plivo’s no-code tools, you can quickly launch AI-powered RCS messaging across channels and deliver a consistent customer experience from day one.

See how you can launch your first RCS marketing campaign with Plivo by requesting a demo today!

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May 2, 2023

5 mins

Plivo Wins 2023 Stevie Award

Plivo Wins 2023 Stevie Award in the Platform as a Service Category | Plivo

Company

Plivo has won a Bronze Stevie Award in the Platform as a Service category.

For those not familiar with them, the Stevie Awards were created in 2002 “to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working professionals worldwide.” The American Business Awards, the type of Stevie that Plivo won, are open to US organizations and feature a variety of categories, including startup of the year, executive of the year, and best new product or service of the year. This year the Stevies received more than 3,700 nominations for the awards.

What made Plivo stand out from the pack? Stevie judges cited improvements over the last year in Plivo’s 10DLC features. 10DLC numbers, as you know if you send text messages in the US, are standard US local phone numbers that carriers approve for application-to-person (A2P) text messaging. To use them, organizations must register their brands, declare their use cases, and link phone numbers. This registration process lets carriers know who’s sending what kinds of messages and ultimately protects message recipients from unwanted spam texts.

Continuous improvement for the win

A year ago, to register for 10DLC, Plivo customers had to provide our support team with relevant information and wait for results. Since then, Plivo has added 10DLC registration features to the console, allowing customers to register their companies (brands) and use cases (campaigns) themselves and link their long code numbers to campaigns. Through the console they can also get transparency into the 10DLC process; they can

View 10DLC registration status of a number
Check what campaign is associated with a number
See what throughput is allocated for a number by carrier

In addition, Plivo created a 10DLC API that lets reseller customers automate registration for multiple 10DLC brands and campaigns.

What the judges said

Stevie judges were impressed with the simplicity of the console interface — “impressed with the enhancements to automate workflows and the details on 10DLC,” were one judge’s exact words. “Customer experience is indeed the key.”

Another judge commented, “Easy to use and cost-effective service with great customer support and comprehensive documentation.”

And a third said simply, “This is a great connectivity product for enterprises.”

We appreciate the kind words. We think we’ve earned them. If you’re a Plivo customer and you agree, please share that with the Stevie Award team and help us earn their People’s Choice Award for Favorite New Product. At the top of the form enter the short code I706L or click on Platform as a Service and then tap us.

Apr 28, 2023

5 mins

What is Call Quality? How to Monitor it in Your Contact Center

Call quality helps businesses measure the effectiveness of support conversations between customer service agents and customers. Learn about call quality and how to monitor it in this blog.

Customer Service

Customer Experience

What is Call Quality? How to Monitor it in Your Contact Center

These days, contact center managers can find answers to questions about call strategy with a much more analytically rigorous approach than a reflection on their personal experience.

Thanks to the proliferation of cloud contact center solutions, collecting and analyzing conversational data from calls between customers and agents has never been easier.

With call recordings and call metrics, contact center managers can routinely identify low-quality calls, listen to them, spot weaknesses, and help the agent and team address these shortcomings through personalized training plans and alterations to call processes and scripts.

In this article, we’ll explain what call quality is, why monitoring it is so essential for contact centers, and how busy managers can do it efficiently and intelligently with the help of technology.

What is Call Quality?

Call quality is a measure of the effectiveness of phone call conversations between a business’s contact center agents and its customers.

Each contact center has its own set of standards that determine call quality. But, in general, high-quality conversations are those in which the contact center agent is polite and helpful and leaves the customer satisfied with a clear solution to their problem.

Call quality monitoring, on the other hand, is the ongoing process of gathering data about customer service phone calls and analyzing that data to find ways to improve a contact center’s performance.

Importance of Call Quality Monitoring in a Contact Center

When customer service has such a large effect on customer experience, sales, and customer retention, contact center managers have to work towards optimizing their team’s performance on the phones, and call quality monitoring is the most effective way to do that. The following analogy will explain why.

A top-tier sports coach adjusts their training regiment based on the weaknesses they perceive through closely observing players in action. They know that assigning dribbling practice to a forward with already dizzying foot skills is a failure to use training time as efficiently as possible.

The contact center manager must follow the same coaching strategy in order to consistently improve agent performance. They have to uncover the various weaknesses of each agent, as well as the overall team, through effective call quality monitoring.

By identifying shortcomings in how agents handle calls, the manager can give personalized training assignments or reference material to agents, such as a specific technical white paper or objection handling script.

Managers can also change their contact center processes to eliminate the shortcoming across the entire team.

For example, after diving into contact center analytics, you might find that calls tend to fail when customers ask about “technical issue X”. You could then educate their agents on that product problem and update the call script with language they can easily reference mid-call.

How Contact/Call Center Teams can Monitor Call Quality

The ultimate aim of call quality monitoring is to increase agent performance by identifying weaknesses in call handling and then implementing corrective action.

To monitor call quality, contact center managers set up systems to collect and analyze information about customer interactions to uncover insights about how to improve customer service.

They may use the following to collect information about customer calls:

Call recordings
Customer surveys
Social media mentions
Data from other channels — live chat, email, etc.

To visualize this in practice, imagine that you record all of the agents’ phone calls, along with the customer survey results about those conversations, in a contact center platform.

Whenever a customer leaves a poor review, you listen to the phone call with the agent, pinpoint the reasons why the call failed, and then instruct the agent on how to improve next time around.

If the issue is common enough, you may also update your team’s standard operating procedures or script to prevent it from happening again. You might also share the advice you gave the individual agent to the entire team in a team meeting.

As you can imagine, call quality monitoring gets tricky when there is a large number of calls to track. It’s impossible to listen to all of them, and difficult to tease out the most common flaws in agent call handling. With that in mind, here are some best practices to follow to ensure you monitor call quality efficiently:

Automate Call Data Collection & Analysis

Call data consists of call recordings, live metrics, historical reporting, and other call-related metrics like average handle time (AHT).

Many companies use a cloud contact center solution to capture this data automatically during conversations. The software also helps them analyze that data, making it easier to identify calls that failed, as well as why they failed.

In sum, automating data collection and analysis with the right software is an essential step in creating a systematic approach to call quality monitoring.

Listen Critically to the Recordings

On their own, the metrics you collect through automation won’t give you the entire picture of how the agent, or your process, is falling short.

To truly understand the nature of the problem, you need to listen to call recordings, asking questions like the following:

Is the agent following the script?
What causes customer friction? Are there certain talking points that come before it?
What types of questions is the agent asking?
When does the call seem to fall apart?
Were there any missed opportunities to provide clarity?
Is it evident that the agent is lacking some fundamental knowledge about the product?

A close, critical listen to an agent’s conversation with a customer can uncover subtle issues with the agent’s technique that you can help them overcome to unlock their true potential.

Track the Impact of New Processes

Whenever you implement a new call handling process or make changes to your script, it’s crucial that you track the impact of that shift. That way, you’ll come to know if your plan is actually paying off, or if you need to go back to the drawing board.

To track the impact, compare team-wide metrics like average handle time or average CSAT from before and after the implementation. Ask yourself whether there is a significant bump in these numbers. If it’s succeeding, great job. If not, you may have misdiagnosed the issue.

Conclusion

Monitoring call quality with an eye toward improvement in agent performance is an essential practice for leaders in contact centers. Only through ongoing call quality measurement and analysis can true progress occur.

If you’re looking for a tool that will help you monitor call quality and bolster agent performance with features like call whispering and agent dashboards, check out how PlivoCX can help.

Apr 28, 2023

5 mins

Contending with Consent for Marketing Messaging and Calls

Before you send marketing text messages or voice calls, you must gain consent from recipients. Here’s an overview of regulations, guidelines, and best practices.

Voice

SMS

Best Practices

If you plan to send bulk text messages or make marketing voice calls — two common uses for Plivo’s SMS API and Voice API — you must gain consent from recipients before you launch your campaigns.

The requirement for consent has been in place for a long time, starting on the voice side. In the US, the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) put restrictions on telemarketing and set out consent rules. Without explicit consent from consumers, companies must adhere to strict solicitation rules and honor the National Do Not Call Registry. TCPA also sets forth consent rules for SMS. Telemarketing in the US is also subject to the 1995 Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Meanwhile, the European Union has its own laws. The EU’s 2002 ePrivacy Directive states, in part, “The use of automated calling and communication systems without human intervention (automatic calling machines) … for the purposes of direct marketing may be allowed only in respect of subscribers or users who have given their prior consent.” The GDPR further codifies regulations around consent.

Other countries have other regulations. And in addition to country-specific laws, industry groups such as the CTIA also provide consent guidelines.

Many countries also maintain “do not disturb” databases of people who register their numbers to deny permission for businesses to send them unsolicited commercial communications. For instance, the US has a National Do Not Call Registry, while India has a National Customer Preference Register (NCPR), informally known as the Do Not Disturb registry. However, businesses are allowed to call consumers who have given express agreement to receive calls, even if their numbers are in the national do not call registry.

The key takeaway from all of these laws and guidelines is that businesses should send messages to customers only after receiving opt-in permission.

We don’t need to explain why these rules are in place, do we? People don’t want just anyone reaching out and giving them an electronic tap on the shoulder. They don’t want to have to waste time fighting off unsolicited attention. People want to maintain control of the communications they receive via electronic channels, no matter how well-intentioned those communications are.

How to manage consent

So if we’re all agreed that consent is A Good Thing as well as the law, how should we follow consent best practices?

First, collect consumer consent yourself. Don’t use consent acquired from a third party — that’s prohibited in the US, and in some other countries as well.
Make it easy for people to opt in. You can use keyword opt-in via text message (“text START to 75486 to subscribe to our notification services”), web opt-in via a form (perhaps displayed when consumers register for an account, or, old-school as it is, paper opt-in, by filling out a paper form at a store or kiosk. Notice that in all of these cases, the consumer explicitly contacts you before you contact them.

If you use a web form, make sure that consumers give their consent with a clear affirmative action. In other words, people must take a deliberate action to opt in — pre-ticked boxes don’t count as consent. And you can’t make opting in to messaging a prerequisite for purchasing goods and services — that’s prohibited.

Consent for voice calls must be expressed and informed. Under the TSR, consent is express if it’s affirmatively and unambiguously articulated by the consumer. Consent is informed when a consumer receives appropriate and relevant required disclosures prior to giving consent.

When people opt in, send them (or, on a web page, display for them) a confirmation message that includes details about what they’ve opted in for. Mention the use case, possible charges, and whether they’ll get recurring messages. You should also tell them how to withdraw their consent — opt out, in other words.

Here’s an example of a good confirmation message to be sent via SMS:

Welcome to Plivo developer outreach. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel. Message and data rates may apply.

Carriers, mobile network operators (MNO), and cloud communications platforms like Plivo bear part of the responsibility of delivering potential spam to consumers, so they (we) are likely to suspend or terminate messaging services of any organization that fails to comply with opt-in guidelines.

How consumers can withdraw consent

So you’ve obtained consent — that’s great, but consent lasts only as long as your recipients want it to. You must allow users to opt out of your messages easily. To do that for SMS, provide opt-out instructions in your messages, particularly for informational, marketing, and promotional messages. Plivo recommends adding “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” or “reply STOP to cancel” to the end of your message.

Your systems must not send messages to contacts who have opted out. A general best practice is to send recipients a confirmation that they have been opted out and add instructions on how to opt back in; for example:

You replied with STOP, which blocks all the texts from this number. Text UNSTOP to receive messages again.

Not providing an opt-out option or sending people messages after they have opted out is another kind of violation that could result in the termination of your messaging campaigns.

Consent for recording

So far we’ve talked only about consent for marketing outreach, but there’s one more common case where consent is a concern: call recording. Some jurisdictions have strict consent laws that require you to obtain consent from all participants before recording calls; others require consent of at least one of the participants. Since you may not know where all parties are calling from, it’s good practice to follow the rules for the strictest cases.

If you plan to record phone calls, disclose that fact to your users and obtain consent from all participants beforehand, and keep a record of how you obtained consent. If a participant revokes consent, you must no longer record their calls.

Another consideration is where call recordings are stored. Plivo, for instance, stores call recordings in a cloud instance hosted in the US. Some countries prohibit data from leaving the country. Check your local requirements.

Determining what laws apply to call recording can be complicated when participants are in multiple states or countries. In today’s world, you can’t be 100% sure where a participant is calling from. Nevertheless, you must familiarize yourself with the laws and standards that apply to your business and use case so that you record calls in a legally compliant manner. Ultimately, you are responsible for ensuring that your business complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

We are not a lawyer

If you follow all of these guidelines, you’re on the right track for managing consent for both messaging and voice marketing. However, please don’t take this post as legal advice, and don’t imagine we’ve comprehensively covered the topic.

We’ve talked here only about US and EU policies here; plenty of Plivo customers live elsewhere in the world. It’s Plivo’s business to know the consent and opt-in requirements for each country and each carrier we work with so that we can serve our customers, but it’s your responsibility to know the guidelines that apply to your business so that you don’t accidentally violate them and get yourselves cut off from your campaigns and your customers.

We’ll let Sharita Passariello, Senior CRM Manager at Fluent and a guest in a recent Plivo webinar, have the last word: “It is extremely vital to me that we have expressed consent for these SMS messages. [so] the user knows exactly what they’re going to receive, what kind of updates they’re going to get, and who the updates are coming from. That’s so critical because it helps with overall long-term sustainability and performance. At the end of the day we’re using SMS to provide a service to our consumers. We’d like to help them.” In other words, consent isn’t just the law — it’s also good business practice.

Apr 25, 2023

5 mins

Do You Need a Toll-Free Number?

Read to know if your business needs a toll-free number, its advantages and tips on how to procure a new number. Learn more about the benefits of toll-free numbers for business communication at Plivo.

Phone Numbers

In today’s world, does it still make sense for companies to provide a toll-free number for voice callers?

According to Pew Research, as of 2021 97% of Americans owned a cellphone; 85% own a smartphone. Most mobile phone plans come with unlimited minutes for calling any number in the same country. So where’s the value in toll-free numbers nowadays?

Of course toll-free numbers are still useful for people who make calls from landlines, but that demographic is becoming an endangered species. According to the CDC, only about 1.6% of adults lived in households that had only a landline in the first half of 2022.

What is a toll-free number?
With a toll-free number, incoming calls are billed to the called party and are free of charge for the calling party. In North America, area codes 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833 indicate toll-free numbers. In India, the prefix is 1800. Most countries reserve their own set of dialing prefixes to denote toll-free services. Callers call for free as long as they’re dialing in from within the same country; toll-free numbers don’t accept calls from other countries. Most companies that use toll-free numbers do so for voice calls, but in many cases toll-free numbers can also be used for two-way messaging.

If consumers can text or email you, do you even need a phone number? You do. An Invoca survey found voice calls to be the most preferred communication channel (68%) when consumers are having a problem and need help. Have you ever tried to contact a business and failed to find a phone number on their website? It’s frustrating and a poor customer experience.

Voice calls are also useful for other reasons. Consumers still call retailers to find out if an item is in stock, call pharmacies to find out if prescriptions are ready, and call take-out restaurants to place orders, even though they might use digital channels too.

So you need a phone number, but do you need a toll-free one? Well, we know for sure that some businesses don’t. Toll calling is only a factor for geographically dispersed businesses, so it’s fair to say that local businesses never need toll-free numbers. In fact toll-free numbers can be detrimental if you want your customers to feel that you’re part of the same community, as they’re more likely to do if your company’s phone number shares your customers’ area code and maybe a local exchange.

But before we consign toll-free numbers to the same dustbin as printed phone number directories, let’s consider some of the arguments in favor of toll-free numbers.

Why you might want a toll-free number

We see three reasons why you might want a toll-free number, and the first two are hard to quantify.

One argument in favor of toll-free numbers is brand image. A toll-free number lets consumers recognize a brand nationwide, and fosters feelings of familiarity and trustworthiness. Having a toll-free number makes a business seem more established and authoritative. A vanity toll-free number in particular — such as 1-800-TMOBILE — enhances your brand identity. And if someone remembers your number, they’re more likely to call you than to look for an alternative.

Another argument has to do with perception as well. Most businesses, if they use toll-free numbers, do so for general business. By establishing a separate toll-free number for a specific use case, you can elevate that use in consumers’ minds. For instance, if you set up a toll-free number for customer service, your customers can judge that you’re serious about providing good support.

The final argument in favor of toll-free numbers is cost. Though you do pay more per call for inbound calls on toll-free numbers, at least on a cloud communications platform like Plivo, you actually pay less for outbound calls in countries where outbound calling on toll-free numbers is available. If you run the numbers for your expected use case, a toll-free number might be more cost-effective than one or more local numbers.

How to rent a toll-free number

Fortunately, it’s as easy to procure a toll-free number as it is a local one. A cloud communications platform like Plivo keeps a large number of unassigned ones in inventory.

Monthly number rental fees for toll-free numbers are much lower than you might think. In the US, Canada, and the UK, you can rent one for $1 a month. We have similar low rates in other countries — check our Voice API pricing page.

You also incur charges for outbound and inbound calls, but per-call charges are low and you pay for only as much time as you use — Plivo doesn’t require a monthly usage contract. (However, if you’re spending more than $1,000 a month on voice calling, you should talk to our sales team about the possibility of a volume discount for a committed level of usage.)

Using a cloud communications platform for voice calling offers more advantages than just price. Voice quality is a key metric for any calling platform, and Plivo’s Premium Communications Network provides the best possible voice quality. Reliability is also huge — you want to be reachable at all times. Plivo promises 99.95% uptime, and a 99.99% service level agreement is available.

You can get started exploring Plivo’s Voice API services by signing up for free. If you already have a toll-free number from another provider that you want to keep, you can easily port it in to Plivo at no charge. If not, visit our Phone Numbers > Buy Number on the Plivo console. Under Type, tick Toll-Free, and under Capability, tick voice, then click Search.

If you want a particular number — say one with an 800 prefix, or some numbers that match certain letters on a phone keypad as part of a vanity number — you can enter them in the number field, then pick one from among the returned numbers.

The bottom line

So to answer the question we started off with: If you already have a toll-free number, keep it, because surely you have customers who use it. If you’re deciding whether to procure a new one, first compare the monthly cost for your expected call volume, taking into account both outgoing and incoming calls. A large difference might make your decision for you. If the numbers are close, then factor in the intangible factors like brand image.

Apr 17, 2023

5 mins

Plivo’s Approach to 10DLC

Plivo’s approach to 10DLC and what our customers are saying about us. Plivo’s self-service approach makes 10DLC registration fast, easy and hassle free. Read to know more about Plivo’s approach to 10DLC and what customers are saying about us.

10DLC

Over the last few years everyone in the SMS messaging space has been coming to grips with 10DLC, the new standard in the US for application-to-person messaging using long codes. Mobile network operators (MNO), communications platforms as a service (CPaaS), and businesses that use SMS have all had a lot to learn. Plivo’s evolving approach has won praise from our users.

Plivo customer Fluent is one of many who’ve come on the journey. Fluent Senior Manager for CRM Sharita Passariello says, “I’ve gone through the 10DLC registration process with several vendors, and I see lots of advantages to Plivo’s approach. I love the self-service console and ease of use. With some other providers, I can’t sign on to their portal and register a brand or a campaign and have it approved within a couple of hours. It’s really nice that with Plivo I can go in and do it myself, and the turnaround time for approvals seems very quick. Most of the time I can get a campaign up and running within a day or two.”

Passariello also joined us for a webinar on the keys to SMS marketing success in 2023.

10DLC background

Where did 10DLC come from? To protect their customers, mobile carriers needed to make sure that businesses were registering their long codes for A2P use cases. When they register, companies have to provide details about their businesses and use cases (brands and campaigns) so the carriers can check them for legitimacy and appropriateness. Each carrier has come up with penalties for not registering 10DLC numbers, which include surcharges, fines, increased filtering, decreased throughput and deliverability, and the potential to be blocked from sending SMS messages.

If you’re using long codes for A2P texting, 10DLC registration is now mandatory.

Plivo lets you register brands and campaigns and link numbers to them through the Plivo console. The self-service approach makes 10DLC registration faster and easier than relying on a vendor’s support team.

10DLC is a win-win for both consumers and businesses. If you haven’t yet jumped on the bandwagon, register now to reap the benefits and avoid disruptions to your SMS business strategy.

Apr 10, 2023

5 mins

Why You Should Transcribe Your Calls

Phone call transcription is the process of converting recorded phone conversations into written words. Learn how to transcribe calls with Plivo.

Transcription

Voice API

Plivo’s Voice API includes a feature you may not be taking full advantage of: call transcription.

Call transcription is the process of converting recorded phone conversations into written words. It can help you in a number of ways. With a transcript, anyone can search or visually scan call conversations instead of listening to an entire recording — a process that’s more efficient than voice call monitoring. With phone call transcription you can:

Improve agent performance — Managers and agents can search and organize transcribed calls based on outcomes, and learn from them to create best practices documents or knowledge base articles. Transcripts can help you improve grading, quality monitoring, and agent and team performance. They can also help managers develop personalized training objectives for agents to improve their performance over time. Meanwhile, sales agents can learn from transcripts to improve their customer service, as well as identify cross- and upsell opportunities and identify effective ways to move leads further along the pipeline.
Reduce training time — You can share transcriptions among reps and during the new-hire onboarding process. They can serve as example scripts that illustrate what a rep should or shouldn’t say to a customer.
Do post-facto keyword analytics — Transcripts make it easy to analyze which keywords appear in call conversations and how frequently, so you can learn what your customers are saying and use that information to make better decisions. For instance, if you can understand what aspects and features of a product customers are happy or unhappy about, you can better prioritize efforts to improve the product.
Increase accessibility — For the hearing-impaired, transcripts make absorbing information easier. Inclusive practices such providing transcripts are not only good business, they may also be the law. For instance, in the US, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 says, “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance . . . .” The Office for Civil Rights enforces Section 504 in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Education Department, including public school districts and institutions of higher education. If your business has a presence in education, transcriptions may be required.
Enhance customer experience — For contact centers especially, customer satisfaction is crucial, and the best way to deliver on customer satisfaction is to have customer insights. Call transcripts unlock those insights, giving you an easy-to-review format and high-level perspective, which is especially useful when you have a lot of calls covering a number of subjects. Call transcription makes it simple to review information and discern trends, and identify instances where you should go back and listen to specific calls for more context.

The price is right

You might be willing to pay a lot to gain all of the benefits of speech-to-text, but with Plivo you don’t have to. Our speech transcription service is surprisingly inexpensive. Plivo charges less than a penny per minute of recorded speech — a fraction of what most cloud communication services charge — which makes it a trivial decision to say yes and gain all of the benefits.

However, before you transcribe any calls, make sure that doing so is legal in your locale. Some jurisdictions ban not only transcribing calls but even recording calls, or require informed consent by some or all parties in a conversation. Consult your friendly neighborhood lawyer.

How to transcribe calls

Now that you know why to use speech-to-text transcription, let’s talk about how: Simply provide an additional parameter to the Record Call API when you initiate a call. The transcription_url parameter defines the webhook URL to which the transcription should be posted. After the call completes, Plivo will post the transcribed text to the URL you specify, along with other parameters about the recording, as you can see on our API documentation page.

It’s really that simple and that inexpensive. If you’re already using Plivo’s Voice API but haven’t yet tried transcription, think about places where it might come in handy. If you’d like to get started, sign up for a free trial account and see all that Plivo can do.

Mar 28, 2023

5 mins

13 Best Practices For Using Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR Menu Best Practices: Tips on how to create IVR menus that satisfy callers’ needs. Learn about IVR and create IVR phone trees with Plivo. Sign up today!

Voice API

IVR

Few businesses nowadays have receptionists answering phone calls. Automation is king, and interactive voice response (IVR) is the rule.

Poorly written IVR menus can alienate callers, and once someone hangs up, chances are they won’t try again. IVR best practices help you ensure that your callers’ experience is as smooth as possible.

Best Practices for Designing IVR Systems

IVR systems can streamline customer service, but a poorly designed one can be frustrating for customers and call agents alike. Start by designing a structure and navigation that is simple and clear and prioritizes the most popular options in the menu. Keep the main menu to four to six options using concise language that's easy to understand. Put the most frequently used functions at the beginning of the menu to help callers get what they need quickly.

As for the prompts, the shorter, the better — keep greetings to eight seconds or less and four seconds for menu options. Allow callers to interrupt lengthy prompts with their selection to avoid frustration.

Finally, consider the customer experience. We’ve all been in positions where an IVR feels annoying rather than helpful. Always provide a clear path to connect with a live agent if callers can't resolve their issue through the IVR. Minimize repetition: don't make callers repeat information they've already entered, step after step. And, monitor calls for improvement to eliminate any obstacles preventing your IVR from performing well.

Here are some tips on how to create IVR menus that satisfy callers’ needs.

Map out the call flow

To get started, map out the call flow you want. Your menu will likely have multiple levels, starting with having callers choose the language they want to be prompted in. Some choices may send callers to a department, such as sales or support, while others send them to a recording or an automated system. You may want to offer different choices depending on time of day or day of week; for instance, you probably don’t want to offer the option to speak to someone in sales if someone is calling outside of working hours; instead, you can let them leave a message.
Record the spoken IVR menu

Get someone with a pleasant voice to record the spoken IVR menu. You want your message to sound like the person who reads the news on TV or radio — confident, to make them feel as if they’re in good hands. If you can’t find someone on staff to handle the recording, hire a voice actor — someone who’s an expert in speaking what they read without making it sound like they’re reading, and who can put a little pep into their voice but not so much as to sound phony. Another option is to use speech synthesis, a technique that has come a long way in the last few years. You can still tell a synthesized voice from a human, but technology like Amazon Polly is a useful option if you have more prompts that you can comfortably record, or constantly changing options, or you don’t want the hassle of hiring a voice actor and maintaining recordings. Ongoing advances in AI technology will soon make text-to-speech voices harder to distinguish from biologically generated speech.
Keep introductions short

Everyone knows what IVR is by now, so you don’t have to explain it. Don’t tell them “our menu has changed” — no one cares, they just need to hear the menu. You’ll do just fine with “Thanks for calling &Company” before launching into the menu choices.
Pay attention to word order

When relating menu choices, say the task or function first and the key to press second (“to speak to sales press or say 1”). That lets customers identify what’s the right choice to meet their needs before telling them how to get there. Provide choices to let callers return to the previous menu or to the top of the menu tree.
Allow both voice and dialpad response

Let callers respond either by speaking a menu choice or pressing a number on their keypad.
Allow barge-in

Let callers barge in to make a selection while the system is playing the menu. Respect callers’ time and let them choose an option at any point.
Offer an operator

Always provide the option to speak to a human. An IVR menu can cover a lot of possibilities but it can’t cover everything. Designate someone to field the small percentage of callers that your well-designed IVR tree can’t satisfy — and make sure that that person knows where to transfer what kinds of queries.
Send confused callers to the operator

If the caller can’t figure out what to press and doesn’t press anything or enters an invalid selection, don’t hang up on them; instead, transfer them to a human who can help them. If this happens often, revise your IVR menu.
Provide confirmation

If the caller’s interaction results in a transaction, such as paying a bill, follow up with confirmation via another channel, such as SMS or email, to reassure the caller that the transaction completed successfully.
Pass along customer-entered information

If your IVR system asks for customer information, such as an account number, capture the information entered and pass it along if the call needs to be handled by an agent. Nothing is more frustrating for callers than having to repeat information.
Minimize hold time

Try to minimize the time callers are on hold when being transferred from the IVR menu to their destination. Ideally, provide an option for someone in your company to automatically return calls instead of forcing people to wait on hold. When hold time is unavoidable, provide an estimate of how long callers are likely to have to wait.
Measure caller satisfaction

Track data such as call abandonment rate and first call resolution rate.
Review, refine, iterate

Regularly review your menu to keep it relevant. Use the metrics you track to help you refine your menu.

How to implement an IVR menu

By following these IVR menu best practices you should have more satisfied customers and prospects. When you’re ready to start implementing an IVR phone tree in code, Plivo makes things easy for you. We have documentation in the form of IVR use case guides in seven common web development languages.

If you’re not already a Plivo customer, sign up for free today and see how easy it is to create IVR phone trees.

Mar 23, 2023

5 mins

How Automated Text Messaging Can Help Real Estate Businesses

Automated SMS for real estate: Learn how your real estate business can leverage the power of sms marketing. Know all about the benefits, use cases and best practices of real estate text marketing at Plivo. Sign up today!

Real Estate

If you’re in real estate — whether you’re an agent for sellers or buyers, a property manager, a home sharing host, or a home inspector — chances are you live on your mobile phone. Your potential customers — homeowners, buyers, and renters — are just as connected. That’s why you’re probably putting listings on Instagram or Twitter. So why not deliver messages directly to people who already have phone in hand by using SMS, a.k.a. text messaging.

What’s the benefit? SMS messages have an open rate of 98% — higher than email. Most people read their text messages within five minutes. But most importantly, people prefer texting to other forms of communication;68% of home buyers and sellers say they want to receive property information and communicate with their agent via SMS.

Chances are you’ve already seen that preference for texting in your person-to-person communications with your clients. But you can automate application-to-person text messages with an SMS API and get even more benefit.

Benefits of real estate texting

You can use SMS to send messages with news, promotions, updates, and other relevant communications to clients, prospects, and leads. Using text messaging gives real estate businesses several benefits.

Timely communications

One of the biggest advantages of SMS is that you can reach clients and colleagues in real time, which is critical when you have an offer to present or a new listing to share. And messages sent via SMS are less likely to be ignored (or shunted into a junk folder) than email messages.
Excellent open rates

When you have a 98% open rate, you’re almost assured of delivering your message. Whether people respond depends on how relevant to them your message is. We have some tips on that below.
Automatic record of conversations

When you exchange information with a client via SMS, you’ll both know where to find that information when you need it.
Saved time

Because you can automate your messaging, you can make formerly manual processes happen without your attention. That frees you up for more important uses of your time, such as prospecting.
Lower costs

The time you save by automating real estate communication processes means lower labor costs. On top of that, each SMS message costs less than a cent, which is more cost-effective than alternatives such as direct mail.

Use cases for real estate texting

Here are just a few ways to leverage text messaging to enhance customer relationships and improve revenue.

Set appointments and reminders

Ever have a client miss an open house that you know they meant to see, or even miss a one-on-one showing? Sending automated reminders makes that less likely — and if a customer does have to miss a meeting, your reminder is likely to solicit a timely reply so you can adjust your plans.
Provide new listing information

Do you already have a way to email people when new listings in their price range and preferred area come on the market? You can get the message to your contacts more quickly via automated SMS messages that trip either as soon as a new listing appears on MLS or once a day.
Promote open houses

SMS supports sending multimedia context, such as images and videos, along with text. Technically, these messages are MMS — multimedia messaging service. You can text photos of a property or an image of a nicely designed flyer that includes not only pictures but also the address, asking price, and date and time of an open house. With bulk SMS you can easily send one message to hundreds of clients or dozens of fellow brokers and Realtors.
Send invitations to events

Did you just get a new listing and you want to show your fellow agents the property? You can set up an address book of agents’ numbers to text with information about an upcoming broker open house, which can include a link so they need only tap on their phones to RSVP and create a calendar entry for themselves.

Best practices for real estate texting

Text messaging is part of a larger conversation about marketing, in which the goal is to stay in touch so customers think of you when they have a transaction to make. You might employ email, voice calls, and direct mail as marketing tools; each communications channel has strengths and weaknesses.

For the SMS part of the process, don’t cross the line into sending too-frequent messages that recipients consider spam. Do, however, follow these best practices to increase your response rates.

Make sure you have a clear reason for each message you send. Each message should be about something your recipient cares about, and bound to a specific time and place.
Keep your messages short. If you have a lot of information to convey, include in your message a link to a website that conveys the whole story. In your text, stick with the key points.
Use an informal but competent tone to convey your professionalism and trustworthiness. Avoid real estate jargon. Try to sound like the best version of your in-person self; that’ll help you enhance your relationship with your customer.
You’re sending a text message because you want the recipient to do something. Make sure you include a clear call to action, which might be getting recipients to click on a link to bring up a web page, tap a number to phone you, or some other action.
Create a template for different kinds of messages in your communications application, then have your outreach program populate your templates with specific details for each new message.
Measure the conversion rate each time you send a message — find out how many recipients take the action you want them to. From time to time, make changes to your templates to see if you can improve conversion rates.

Another best practice involves the number type you use to send messages. There are three possibilities: long codes, toll-free numbers, and short codes. We wrote a whole blog post on how to choose the right phone number for your business.

Use SMS for real estate

Sold? Given all of the potential use cases and the benefits you can derive from using SMS in real estate businesses, the only question you should still have is: how do I get started? Check out Plivo’s SMS and Voice APIs for real estate communication. You can sign up for a free trial and get enough usage credits to use our communications APIs in a pilot project.

Mar 21, 2023

5 mins

Getting the Most Out of Speech Transcription

Speech to text API: Accurately convert voice to text with Plivo’s voice API. Get the highest accuracy at the Lowest cost in the industry. Sign up today!

Transcription

Whether you’re already a Plivo customer or just researching what Plivo can do for you, don’t overlook our speech transcription service. Using it is as simple as setting a flag in the code and providing a URL where Plivo can send the transcription text.

How speech transcription works

How does speech transcription work? Speech-to-text software takes voice audio as input. It uses signal-processing algorithms to select phonemes from the sound data, then applies linguistic algorithms to save them in text as words and sentences.

Professions like journalists, lawyers, and doctors frequently depend on hiring transcribers to turn their recorded notes into text, but that’s expensive. Machine transcription costs less than human work, and it’s much faster, so you can process more data per unit of time. On average, adults read 240-260 words per minute, while conversational speech runs around 150 words per minute.

The drawback is that transcribed speech is less accurate than human transcription, depending in part on the quality of the audio from which it’s taken, but many businesses are willing to make that tradeoff to save time and money. After all, if the software reports someone said, “The ratio of going to bed cholesterol is in the normal range,” it’s obvious it was really “good to bad.”

How can speech transcription help you meet your business goals? Every business is different, but here are some common use cases that many businesses can profit from.

Speech transcription use cases

Accessibility — Speech-to-text capabilities mean that audio data can be converted in real time for subtitling, which can allow individuals with hearing impairment to more fully participate in events.

Conference call transcriptions — Text is easier to search than audio files. You can provide every member of a conference call with a transcript of the conversation as a record of the discussion and decisions made on the call. This use case also works well for public conference calls, such as earnings calls.

Audio bookmarks — If you transcribe audio and make the text available along with the audio file, you can navigate to the clips you’re looking for by clicking on keywords.

Agent coaching — In a call center scenario, managers need ways to bring agents along. By transcribing their conversations, managers can quickly review conversations, get an overview of a call, and offer coaching. An application can also extract keywords from text; in support scenarios, that lets agents look up material about the key terms, while in sales scenarios, managers can analyze conversations to see what keywords are most useful in closing deals.

Legal evidence — Call recordings constitute a contemporaneous and accurate description of a conversation that can serve as evidence in legal proceedings. Transcribing the calls makes it easier to search for relevant terms in batches of recordings.

Team communications — Many managers prefer explaining things verbally, but that approach doesn’t always scale when it comes to disseminating information. You can transcribe an informational call and distribute the audio along with the transcription to make it faster and easier for multiple people to get the message.

Translation — Machine translation from one language’s audio to another’s is difficult and expensive. Taking the intermediate step of transcribing the spoken words lets you use text-powered translation tools, which are more mature and less expensive.

AI applications — Organizations can leverage AI and machine learning to optimize processes, predict outcomes, and prescribe actions. Machine learning software may have a better time using text than audio files as input.

How to enable voice transcription in Plivo

Plivo’s transcription service can save you time and money. Rather than sending your Plivo voice recordings to a third party for transcription, streamline your workflow by using Plivo’s transcription service.

You can use Plivo’s Voice API to perform automatic speech recognition (ASR) on calls with our Record API or Record XML element. Along with industry-leading accuracy, you get industry-leading pricing as well; our transcription service — which works on English language audio — has one of the lowest costs in the industry. Think about which of your applications could be enhanced by voice to text, and give Plivo’s technology a try.

It’s easy to get started. Sign up for free.

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AI Voice Agents - The Complete Guide to Voice Chat (2025)

What is an AI voice agent?

Types of AI voice agents

Rule-based AI voice agent

AI-assisted voice agent

Conversational AI voice agent

Voice-activated voice agent

How does an AI voice agent improve customer engagement?

Use case: Get a quick update on order status, 24/7

Benefits:

Use case: Improve language learning for students

Benefits:

Use case: Improve patient outcomes in healthcare

Benefits:

Use case: Streamline routine financial services

Benefits:

Use case: Get personal shopping assistance

Benefits:

Features of an AI voice agent

Natural language understanding (NLU)

Personalization capabilities

Multi-language support

Integration with other platforms and services

Benefits of voice agents

Enhanced user experience

Better cost efficiency

Accessibility for users with disabilities

Data collection and analysis for improved services

24/7 availability

Future of AI voice technology

Key upcoming trends:

Launch an AI voice agent with Plivo

AI Voice Agents for Real Estate (2026): 10 Tools Compared, Real Limitations and What Actually Scales

Top 10 AI Voice Agents for Real Estate (2026)

1. Plivo

2. Luron AI

3. Callers AI

4. SquadStack AI

5. Telgent

6. AIOnCalls

7. Brilo AI

8. VocalDesk

9. Calldock

10. Ylopo

What Matters Most in AI Voice Agents (Beyond the Basics)

1. Telephony Ownership vs. Vendor Stitching

2. Real-Time Performance (Latency & Uptime)

3. Multi-Channel Context, Not Disconnected Bots

4. Integration Depth (CRM, Calendars, Workflows)

5. Built for Scale, Not Just Launch

FAQs

What's the fastest way to go live without breaking existing operations?

How do I ensure voice quality doesn't feel robotic or laggy?

How does the agent stay accurate and compliant with real estate data?

What happens when call volume spikes or multiple leads call at once?

How does this fit into my CRM and follow-up workflows?

Try Plivo Free

Best AI Voice Agents for Customer Support and Service (2026): What to Deploy Now

1) Plivo — The fastest path to production-grade AI voice agents for customer support

Why Plivo is #1

What it does for you

Segment-by-segment fit

Start with Voice, go everywhere

Suitable for

2) Google Dialogflow CX — Complex, branching flows without spaghetti

Key features

Why it matters

Implementation steps

Suitable for

3) Amazon Lex + Amazon Connect — AWS-first voice automation that ops can own

Key features

Why it matters

Implementation steps

Suitable for

4) IBM Watson Assistant — Governance-first deployments in regulated industries

Key features

Why it matters

Implementation steps

Suitable for

5) Cognigy.AI — IVR modernization with fine-grained voice control