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Featured

Top 7 SMS OTP service providers to secure your customers | How to choose the right one?

May 22, 2024
7 mins

Choosing the right OTP provider requires defining your requirements and goals, vetting various providers, and understanding how well each solution works with your existing tech stack. 

At the most practical level, your SMS OTP service provider should give you all the features you need to deliver OTPs to your customers. 

Every SMS one-time passcode (OTP) service provider is different. 

Some providers offer a more extensive network of carrier partnerships, enabling you to send OTPs worldwide with better deliverability. Others focus on building a strong infrastructure to manage domestic OTP deliveries. 

OTP providers also vary in the availability and flexibility of APIs and SDKs for integration into existing systems, impacting the ability to customize and implement the OTP experience in your existing tech stack. 

Choosing the right OTP provider requires defining your requirements and goals, vetting various providers, and understanding how well each solution works with your existing tech stack. 

In this guide, we’ll explain the features you need to look for in an SMS OTP service provider, the top seven most popular SMS OTP service providers in the market, and how to choose the right one for your needs. 

What features should I look for in an SMS OTP service provider?

Consider eight features when choosing an SMS OTP service provider. 

  • Time-to-deploy 
  • SMS OTP conversion rates
  • Fraud detection
  • Security and compliance
  • Analytics and tracking
  • Integrations
  • Customer support
  • Price

1. Time-to-deploy 

Developers already have enough on their plates— and adding a complicated tool t that requires intensive onboarding and implementation is counterproductive to achieving your other development needs. 

When selecting an OTP provider, look for services that require minimal setup. This will allow your team to start sending OTPs with little to no downtime. 

Your SMS OTP service provider should also provide clear documentation and SDKs that make it straightforward for developers to integrate OTP with your platforms, significantly reducing the time and resources needed for deployment.

2. SMS OTP conversion rates 

One of the most frustrating experiences a customer can have is receiving a delayed OTP, or worse, not receiving an OTP at all. Delayed or undelivered OTPs can cause anxiety, potentially leading the customer to abandon the transaction or lose trust in your brand. 

Verify that an SMS OTP provider has high delivery rates to ensure that your customers can receive and act upon OTP messages.

3. Fraud detection

In international markets, OTPs in SMS and voice channels are particularly susceptible to SMS Pumping fraud. 

Advanced fraud detection should include dynamic risk assessment algorithms that adapt to emerging threats and unusual patterns. 

4. Security and compliance

When assessing the security and compliance of an OTP service provider, there are two key aspects you need to consider: data encryption and regulatory compliance. 

End-to-end encryption ensures that an OTP is encrypted at the origin and only decrypts at the receiver’s device. This protects the OTP message from being intercepted or read by hackers. To verify the robustness of the encryption, look for an OTP service provider that uses recognized standards like AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with a suitable key length (e.g., 256-bit).  

Additionally, look for OTP service providers that adhere to data protection regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as they are mandatory for different countries. 

5. Analytics and tracking

Choose an SMS OTP service provider that offers detailed analytics and tracking. Real-time insights into OTP delivery rates and failures help identify issues as they arise. 

Custom reports with a trend analysis of KPIs, such as success rates of OTP deliveries across different regions, can highlight areas for improvement, whether in technology or carrier partnerships. You can also leverage these reports to make strategic decisions and draw behavioral insights. 

6. Integrations

Even the most robust OTP provider must play well with your existing tech stack. Think about which platforms you need your OTP tool to communicate with. Does this OTP solution fit your long-term technological needs? 

Plivo, for example, integrates with most popular tools including Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, Integromat, Pipedream, Integrately, GitHub Actions, EngageBay, and more. 

7. Customer support

Look for an SMS OTP service provider that is available 24/7. This level or service translates to immediate assistance, minimized downtime, and enhanced reliability. Having multiple support channels, such as email, phone, web-based chatbots, and SMS, will also provide more convenience, accessibility, and personalization for your company. 

8. Price

There’s no getting around pricing. Look for an OTP service provider with clear, straightforward pricing. Most OTP providers offer multiple pricing plans; look for one designed to scale with your business as you grow. Check out Plivo’s pricing.

The 7 best SMS OTP service providers for security and reliability

Here are our top seven picks for the best OTP service providers. Read a detailed analysis of why we chose these platforms below. 

1. Plivo 

Key features

  • Turnkey single-API solution: All you need to do is integrate using a single API with Plivo and it’ll take care of the heavy lifting. For instance, Plivo keeps numbers ready for usage, so customers do not need to purchase any numbers separately. Bottom line: Plivo customers can conveniently use a secure solution without worrying about compliance issues. 
  • Multichannel support: Plivo supports both SMS and voice OTP to ensure businesses have the flexibility they need to authenticate users. 
  • High deliverability: Verify API enjoys specialized routes from carriers that are not available with the SMS API. It also uses intelligent routing to identify optimal routes and number types for enhanced conversions. Plivo also ensures sender ID and template compliance to ensure carriers do not fail them due to compliance issues.   
  • Built-in fraud control: Plivo’s Fraud Shield includes an autopilot mode to help you monitor your messaging patterns, build thresholds for each country, and automatically send alerts with irregular patterns. 

You can fine-tune and override messaging throughput thresholds for each country and access an in-built reporting to evaluate your cost savings from preventing fraud attacks using Fraud Shield. 

  • Support: Premium 24-hour support, comprehensive documentation, seven global points of presence, and 99.99% uptime SLAs are available. 
  • No additional costs: Plivo has straightforward pricing plans where you only pay for what you use. There are no charges for authentication, regulatory compliance, fraud shield, and SMS verification, making it an ideal solution for those on a modest budget. 

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Pros 

  • Supports SMS OTP delivery in 220+ countries 
  • High deliverability rates, minimizing SMS failures
  • Customizable OTP templates for a personalized user experience
  • Detailed analytics for tracking OTP success rates
  • Robust security features protect data integrity
  • Comprehensive API and documentation support ease of integration
  • Scalable solutions cater to businesses of all sizes
  • 99.99% uptime SLAs available with 24-hour support 

Cons

  • The vast array of features can be overwhelming for new users.

Most suitable for Companies that need a scalable, customizable SMS OTP solution with extensive integration capabilities, security, and reliability. G2 rating: 4.5 stars, 724 reviews 

2. Twilio

G2 rating: 4.2 stars, 467 reviews

Key features

  • Multichannel authentication support: Twilio provides APIs that enable you to send OTPs through SMS, passkeys, WhatsApp, email, voice, and TOTP (authenticator apps like Authy and Google Authenticator), going beyond traditional email and website communication.
  • Fraud monitoring: Twilio uses one API endpoint to validate users and detect fraud. It also lets you customize geo-permissions, rate limits, and other fraud controls. 

Pros 

  • Wide range of additional communication channels available
  • Extensive API for custom integrations and workflow automation
  • Fraud detection and security features to protect customer data
  • Real-time analytics dashboard to monitor and optimize OTP deliveries
  • Global reach with localized number support

Cons

  • Steeper learning curve due to platform complexity
  • Pricing can become expensive as usage scales.

Most suitable forTech-savvy businesses and developers seeking a robust, customizable OTP solution.

3. Authkey.io 

G2 rating: 4.8 stars, 6 reviews  

Key features

  • Multichannel support: Authkey.io supports SMS, email, and voice OTP. 
  • Live analytics: It gives detailed analytics about OTP delivery, failure, and latency reports. 

Pros 

  • Cost-effective solution for businesses on a tight budget
  • User-friendly platform ideal for those new to OTP services
  • API support for straightforward integration
  • Quick and easy setup with minimal configuration required
  • Responsive customer support team

Cons

  • Limited advanced features for complex implementations
  • Somewhat restricted global coverage compared to larger providers

Most suitable forStartups and small to medium businesses looking for an affordable, reliable OTP service with basic features.

4. Exotel

G2 rating: 4.3 stars, 80 reviews

Key features

  • Real-time analytics: Exotel provides real-time analytics and delivery reports, allowing businesses to track the status of each OTP code sent. 
  • Customizable OTP timers and lengths: Exotel allows users to customize the length of the OTPs and set timers for how long an OTP is valid. 

Pros 

  • Simple and intuitive user interface
  • A reporting dashboard with conversational AI 
  • An extensive reach in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Southeast Asia (SEA) 
  • High delivery speed for OTPs

Cons

  • Limited global presence 

Most suitable forBusinesses primarily operating in APAC & SEA, as they have an extensive network in this region.

5. SMSCountry

G2 rating: 4.8 stars, 2 reviews  

Key features

  • Quick integration: SMSCountry allows you to send OTPs directly from anywhere with an easily integrable SMS API that supports several applications through SDK, XML, Web, and HTTP-API plug-ins.
  • Compliance and security: The OTP provider is powered by 100+ direct-to-carrier connections in 180+ countries, enabling users to send OTPs internationally. 

Pros 

  • Easy to use and integrate, reducing time to market
  • Supports 180+ countries
  • Cost-effective for businesses mindful of budget constraints
  • Real-time delivery reports for tracking OTP status
  • Dedicated account management and 24/7 customer support

Cons

  • Limited functionality for advanced customization needs
  • Fewer global direct carrier connections may affect delivery in certain regions.
  • No option to add team members from the dashboard

Most suitable for SMBs seeking a reliable, no-frills basic OTP service that's both affordable and easy to implement.

6. MSG91

G2 rating: 3.9 stars, 47 reviews  

Key features

  • Built-in IP security: The OTP service provider comes with in-built IP data security that ensures the flow is halted when an unusual login is attempted to prevent potential fraud activities. 
  • Multichannel support: MSG91 supports multiple channels including SMS, email, Voice, and Whatsapp. 

Pros 

  • Robust APIs for flexible OTP service integration
  • Comprehensive analytics for insights into OTP performance
  • Global coverage ensuring worldwide OTP delivery
  • Advanced data security protocols for customer data protection
  • Scalable pricing model that accommodates growing businesses
  • Exceptional uptime and reliability track record

Cons

  • Pricing transparency could be improved for clearer budget planning.
  • The platform's extensive features present a learning curve.
  • Limited reports—only offers a pre-selected timeframe for accessing reports. 

Most suitable forBusinesses that need multichannel support with other basic functionalities of an OTP provider.

7. TeleSign

G2 rating: 4.5 stars, 4 reviews 

Key features

  • Global coverage: Telesign’s verification API can authenticate customers across 230 countries and over 80 languages. 
  • Dynamic routing: The OTP provider’s API intelligently routes messages using the most effective routing available to provide high-speed delivery. 

Pros 

  • Extensive global network for reliable OTP delivery across different regions
  • Support for a wide range of languages and localizations
  • Developer-friendly APIs and SDKs for easy integration

Cons

  • Inflexible pricing plans with plenty of friction in free trials 
  • Significant delay in receiving OTPs 
  • Lacks accurate number validation 
  • Doesn’t support its entire list of countries and numbers 

Most suitable for Startups and small businesses needing a simple, budget-friendly OTP solution.

How to choose an SMS OTP service provider?

There is a wide range of SMS OTP service providers on the market right now—but how do you decide which one meets your needs best? 

If choosing an OTP provider feels daunting, here are six steps to help: 

Step 1: Determine your OTP requirements and goals

Before diving into the selection process, get clear on your specific needs for an OTP service. Consider things like the data security level of your application, the volume of OTPs you'll need to dispatch, and whether you anticipate significant growth as this will require a scalable solution. 

Step 2: Look at key features

Jot down a list of the must-have and nice-to-have features you need from your OTP provider, like high deliverability rates, speed of OTP delivery, the ability to customize your OTP messages, and authentication flows. 

Step 3: Research the best OTP service providers

Begin your search by compiling a list of potential OTP providers. Read online reviews, testimonials, and case studies to explore each provider's reputation. 

Step 4: Set your OTP provider budget

Seek out pricing plans that offer transparency and don't hide fees in the fine print. Consider how the pricing structure fits your expected volume of OTP messages and whether the provider offers the scalability you need without increasing costs.

Step 5: Check for integration support

Look for providers that offer robust support for integration, including SDKs, APIs, and comprehensive documentation. These tools and resources will significantly smooth the integration process and reduce the time to deployment.

Step 6: Test, analyze, and report on ROI

Once you’ve set up your new OTP system, take measures to determine its return on investment. The goal is to have an efficient tool with a positive ROI. 

The bottom line is that regardless of which OTP service provider you choose, it must deliver on your goals. It should give you complete control and flexibility over how, when, and where you want to send OTPs.  

Get started with Plivo today

Choosing the right SMS OTP service provider involves considering key factors. Start by understanding your business’s needs and goals, listing out specific of your must-have and nice-to-have features like customization, global presence, and customer support. 

Think Plivo might be the perfect OTP SMS service provider for your needs? Find out today with a trial

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Apr 14, 2025
5 mins

Support Agents: Who Are They, and What Do They Do?

Support agents serve as a middle ground between your company and its customers. Let’s see some steps to hire the best and build a functional team.

Needless to say, ​customer support is a vital organ for business success, directly affecting customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue. In fact, a study notes that in 2024, poor customer experiences cost organizations worldwide an estimated $3.7 trillion, marking a 19% increase from the previous year.

Customers often switch companies if they don't receive good customer service, regardless of product satisfaction. Conversely, they are often willing to go out of their way to do business with a company that offers better service. 

Support agents for eCommerce companies

Support agents are at the forefront of delivering these sensitive experiences, making their role crucial in fostering customer relationships and driving business growth.​

In this article, we’ll explain who they are, what they do, the essential skills needed to become one, and some steps to build your support team with the best support agents.

Who are support agents (and who are they not)?

A support agent is a trained representative of your company primarily tasked with resolving customers' complaints, answering inquiries, and providing usage guidance on your company’s products and services.

Beyond handling tickets, they also provide emotional support by ensuring customers feel heard, valued, and reassured throughout the interaction. This, in turn, strengthens customer trust and loyalty.

Support agents play a vital role in enhancing customer satisfaction—which indirectly drives ROI through repeat purchases—but they are not sales representatives or marketers. Marketers and sales reps acquire customers and sell. 

On the other hand, support agents retain these customers and boost repeat purchases through efficient assistance.

4 primary responsibilities of a support agent

A support agent's primary responsibilities include serving as the first point of contact, handling queries, providing proactive support, and gathering essential feedback.

1. Serving as a brand's first-line contact

When things go wrong, customers become frustrated and demand to speak with anyone—even the CEO. Your support agents step in to act as the first line of defense, de-escalate situations, and provide solutions professionally. 

They also represent your brand through every empathic response, ensuring customers leave with a positive experience and a lasting impression of excellent service.

2. Handling customer inquiries

Customer support agents handle all customer inquiries. Depending on the technicality of the query, they might sometimes involve a specialist or higher executive. 

For instance, if a customer has a dispute over billing that involves policy exceptions, your agent might need to coordinate with or escalate to a higher executive for approval.

3. Providing proactive support

Support agents detect customer needs ahead of time and promptly contact them even before they log a complaint. This helps reduce inbound tickets and boosts customer satisfaction. 

As an omnichannel customer support platform, Plivo CX’s proactive service enables your support team to provide a more refined and automated proactive support.

Image showing Plivo CX's proactive service tool
Reduce inbound tickets by proactively addressing customers’ needs

4. Gathering feedback to optimize product offerings and marketing

Your support agents are the most valuable source of feedback since they interact with customers daily. They can help you gather recurring concerns, pain points, and suggestions that drive meaningful product improvements. 

Plivo CX’s metrics tool automates this feedback collection process and ensures your agents focus on core tasks instead.

Image showing Plivo CX's Metrics and Reporting tool
Automate CSAT feedback collection to optimize product offerings

Essential soft skills of a good support agent

Being a support agent involves not only resolving queries but also understanding and communicating with customers on a personal level. This is why certain soft skills, beyond technical competency, are essential when recruiting one.

Active listening and empathy

Active listening involves paying close attention to every word and emotion communicated rather than focusing solely on the problem. 

Unsurprisingly, active listeners excel at expressing empathy since they’re more likely to understand how customers feel better. This deeper connection allows them to communicate effectively, provide reassurance, and de-escalate tense situations.

Good communication skills

A good support agent must convey their points concisely while considering the appropriate tone. 

They know when to avoid passive-aggressive words such as “actually, ought to,” colloquialisms, and slang to maintain clarity.

Comparison between negative and positive communication tone
Good support agents adopt a positive communication tone to address customer complaints

Adaptability

Different customers present with different complaints, personalities, and communication styles. Some are patient and easy to communicate with, whereas some are aggressive and impatient. 

So, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work, and that’s why an ideal support agent must be able to adapt to each high and low while maintaining efficient support delivery.

Problem-solving skills

Customer support playbooks are valuable, but not every customer complaint will fit neatly into predefined solutions. Situations like this require your support agent to think outside the box while staying within your company’s guardrails. 

A good support agent must be able to devise quick solutions to new problems and escalate as soon as possible when necessary.

6 steps to hire the right support agent and build a functional support team

Your support team can either make or mar your business. Hiring the right agent and building a functional team is, therefore, essential. Let’s see how to do that.

1. Define your staffing needs and ideal agent

You can figure out how many support agents to hire based on your historical ticket volume, scale of business expansion, and anticipated growth in the next quarters. This ensures you don’t over-hire and bloat your expenses or under-hire and cripple your support delivery. 

Plivo CX’s reporting and metrics tool provides a comprehensive ticket summary, which helps you determine your historical ticket volume.

Image showing Plivo CX's Metrics and Reporting tool
Use your historical ticket volume to determine staffing needs

Simultaneously, you need to define who your ideal agent is—that is, the skills they should preferably possess, availability, technical proficiency, lingual capacities, and experience. You can diversify your recruitment process if you’re catering to multilingual audiences.

Once you’ve identified your staffing needs and ideal candidate profile, you can post your job listing on your company’s career page and on popular job boards like LinkedIn to attract qualified applicants.

2. Prioritize agents with empathy and problem-solving skills

You need a team of agents who can dialogue with different kinds of customers, resonate with them emotionally, and make them feel heard while providing adequate support. That’s why you should prioritize agents with empathy.

Also, look for agents with strong problem-solving skills—someone who can think quickly on their feet and provide solutions to out-of-the-script problems.

Tools like TestGorilla and Testify help you assess your applicant’s skills and ability to address different scenarios. For a more tailored assessment, present candidates with real scenarios or past customer complaints from your database and ask them to resolve the issue.

3. Test for relevant technical competency

Technical competency is your support agent’s ability to resolve customers’ technical queries. This could include troubleshooting software issues and providing answers to product-specific technical queries.

Usually, your agents don’t need to be tech geeks or specialists for L1 tickets. An entry-level customer support agent with the necessary soft skills can do a great job here.

However, it’s a different ball game for agents managing L2 and L3 tickets. They should have the necessary expertise to manage complex and product-related technical issues like specialists. 

This primarily hinges on their hard skills portfolio, which you need to consider when hiring. Provide real-world scenarios to assess these skills and ensure they genuinely have what it takes to be your ideal agents.

4. Provide comprehensive agent training

From the onboarding stage, you need to identify the gaps in your hires’ competencies and design individualized or group training to boost their efficiency. Training can include soft skills, lingual capacity, and upskilling hard skills for more proficiency.

Agent training is not a one-time process. Plivo CX’s coaching tools help your agents leverage past interactions with customers to continuously refine their delivery—how to respond or handle similar situations when they arise again.

Image showing Plivo CX's coaching tools
Provide continuous training with Plivo CX’s coaching tools

5. Equip your support agents with AI-powered tools

Gartner notes that more than 80% are either using or planning to integrate AI-powered chatbots in 2025. Advanced chatbots are essential because they can handle the majority of L1 tickets, thus freeing up your agents to do other complex tasks.

An example is Plivo CX’s openAI-powered AI chatbot, which can leverage your database in real time to make decisions, autonomously handle refund requests, modify orders, and make personalized recommendations.

Image showing Plivo CX's AI chatbot in action
Enhance customer support with AI-driven multilingual chatbots

Your team also needs an omnichannel platform that centralizes all communication channels into a single dashboard. This allows agents to access everything they need without constantly switching tabs, ultimately improving response time and efficiency.

An example is Plivo CX’s unified agent desktop designed to eliminate data silos, unify all incoming customer requests, and integrate with homegrown systems, CRM, ERP, helpdesk, and more.

Image showing Plivo CX's UAD in action
Centralize customer support with unified agent desktop

6. Establish KPIs and reasonable expectations

Establish KPIs, such as first response time, average resolution time, and first contact resolution, to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of your support agents. 

Customer Satisfaction Scores (CSATs) will help determine whether customers are getting the help they need and how they need it.

Plivo CX’s agent metrics and reporting tool enables you to monitor and measure your support agent’s performance while exposing gaps that need filling.

Image showing Plivo CX's Metrics and Reporting tool in action
Monitor and measure agent’s performance to identify areas for improvement

You also need to set individualized, SMART expectations and goals for your support agents. Ensure each agent does not handle more tickets—whether in quantity or complexity—than they can. This will reduce the incidence of customer service burnout and enhance the quality of your support delivery.

Scale your customer support operations with Plivo CX

Hiring the right support agent is just one part of building a functional customer support team. You also need to provide them with the right tools to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness.

That’s where Plivo CX comes in. 

As an omnichannel platform designed to streamline support delivery, Plivo CX offers a unified agent desktop to centralize your support channels, multilingual AI-powered voice support, and OpenAI-powered chatbots to slash your ticket queue.

We also offer: 

  • Seamless integrations: Connect Plivo CX with your existing tools, including CRM, ERP, helpdesk, and more.
  • Data-driven optimization: Track real-time analytics and generate custom reports to gain insights into customer interactions and agent performance.
  • AI-enhanced efficiency: Prioritize urgent tickets, ensure brand consistency, and adapt quickly to changes with AI-powered support.
  • Rich communication: Enhance interactions with multimedia support, including images, videos, and documents.
  • Increased productivity: Streamline workflows with message templates, internal notes, and skills-based routing.
  • Comprehensive features: Leverage call recording, IVR, multi-language support, and robust security features for a complete solution.

Book a demo today and start building a world-class support team with Plivo CX.

Apr 3, 2025
5 mins

The Power of Multilingual Customer Support: 7 Must-Know Strategies

Multilingual customer support enhances user experience and expands global reach. Let’s explore its benefits and best practices for implementation.

It’s ten minutes past 2 pm. A new high-value customer submits a technical complaint—but, in Spanish. The problem? None of your service reps speak Spanish. 

Now, you have only two options.

First, you say, “Thank you for reaching out. We currently accept queries only in English. Please resend your message in English so we can assist you. Thank you for your understanding!

Or, you scramble from Google’s translator to other free versions of online interpreters, which might give you an inaccurate response. 

Whichever you choose, your customer will likely not find it encouraging. Your inability to efficiently serve customers in their native language passes a message; that they’re not a valued part of your brand. 

According to Hyken’s report, 65% of consumers want to be treated valuably. Failure to deliver this expectation results in a poor support experience, increased churn rates, and a negative brand reputation.

To avoid such outcomes, you need to implement multilingual customer support, and this article will show you how to do that.

What is multilingual customer support?

Multilingual customer support is the ability to provide consistent, high-quality assistance in multiple languages to your customers while accounting for geographical, cultural, and contextual differences that influence communication.

As your business scales, there is also an increasing need to serve a diverse market audience. This mandates your support team to be capable of sustaining interactions with individuals of different languages outside your native business borders.

Even within your business borders, you’re bound to interact with customers of different linguistic needs. According to the United States Census record, the number of residents who utilize other languages besides English has nearly tripled in the last decade. 

So, you must be ready to cater to this diversity once necessary.

Benefits of multilingual customer support

Multilingual support increases customer satisfaction, boosts retention, and ensures you can tap into diverse markets for more opportunities. Here’s how it does that:

Improved customer satisfaction

According to Unbabel’s 2021 multilingual CX report, one in three global consumers cite a lack of multilingual support as their top concern in localized customer experience. 

Uni- or bilingual provisions lead to frustration since your customers can’t express themselves the way they want, and this culminates in a bad customer experience. 

On the other hand, providing multilingual support can enhance customer satisfaction and boost your customers’ LTV. This explains why 64% say they will pay more for a service or product if the brand offers a multilingual support service.

Higher customer retention

57% of global consumers see it as a bias when a brand fails to offer multilingual support. Two in three will also switch to another brand if their current brand does not offer broader language support.

But what happens if you fill up this communication gap? 73% of respondents in Unbabel’s survey say they will remain loyal. 

This means multilingual provisions can help you retain your existing customers and also gain an edge over your competitors in attracting new ones. 

Interestingly, 40% of consumers will likely overlook poor customer service many times if it is offered in their native language. This gives you enough time to address issues plaguing your support delivery before customers bounce.

Broader reach and competitive advantage

Scaling your business often requires crossing borders and serving new audiences. Multilingual support ensures you can easily resolve the issues coming up in these regions, eliminate communication barriers, and rapidly build a robust brand reputation.

Also, multilingual support can serve as the spearhead of your competitive advantage in new markets. That’s because your potential customers will likely choose you over competitors who do not offer multilingual support, all things being equal. So, you can make it a focus of your marketing strategy.

7 must-know strategies to implement multilingual support

One in four consumers say they will not spend more than $500 on brands offering limited language support. You can avoid this by implementing a sturdy multilingual support system. 

Let’s go through how you can do that. 

1. Be upfront about your available language options

First, inform your customers and audience about your current capacity. Include the languages you support on your website, applications, social media profiles, and customer support pages. 

Image showing OpenPlanet’s response to a customer query
Be upfront with the languages you support

This helps to manage customer expectations and reduce frustrations pending the time you make provisions for multiple languages.

2. Embrace diversity in recruitment

The most direct approach to creating a multilingual support system is to recruit multilingual customer service reps. These reps are especially crucial for managing L2 and L3 tiers of requests that AI might not be able to handle.

Ensure you have at least one native or non-native representative for each region you serve. You can also organize language training for your existing service reps instead of overhauling the entire team. 

This reduces your employee acquisition cost and helps you work with people already in tandem with your support operations.

3. Use AI chatbots to provide multilingual support

Advanced AI chatbots use ML and NLP to analyze user inputs such as complaints and provide appropriate responses while leveraging customer data. This is like having an inbuilt translation system, making them a good fit for handling multilingual L1 requests regardless of the language.

As an omnichannel platform designed to scale your support team, Plivo CX offers an OpenAI-powered chatbot capable of handling multilingual tickets and addressing your customers in the language they choose.

Image showing Plivo CX's AI chatbot in action
Enhance customer support with AI-driven multilingual chatbots

4. Integrate multilingual voice support 

According to a 2024 report from Statista, 54% of customers prefer to resolve issues via phone calls over other digital channels and email. To cater to this group, you need to integrate multilingual voice support technology.

An example is Plivo CX’s voice software, which prompts your customers to choose their preferred language from over 27 supported languages right on the call.

With an integrated programmable IVR, your callers can self-select options for quicker routing, shorter wait times, and faster resolution.

Image showing Plivo CX's voice software
Eliminate communication barrier with multilingual voice support

5. Offer language preferences in self-service options

Self-service options include FAQs, knowledge bases, chatbots, AI-powered virtual assistants, and community forums. Your customers must be able to choose their preferred language of interaction on all of these platforms in order to cater to their needs.

Additionally, ensure that automated responses, IVR systems, and in-app customer support are available in multiple languages.

 Image showing Plivo CX's IVR software in action
Offer language preferences on voice IVRs

6. Train support agents in cultural sensitivity

Multilingual support should cater to lingua-cultural nuances that affect communication. Otherwise, you risk irking your customers. 

For instance, there are certain words or expressions that might be normal in American English but seen as aggressive in British English.

One example is the word “sure.” To an American, it’s simply a means of acknowledgment. But it could come off as passive-aggressive to a non-American. 

Train your support reps to understand these nuances and avoid them when speaking with individuals of different cultural backgrounds.

7. Localize knowledge base and FAQs  

Language location refers to adapting your website content to a visitor’s regional language based on factors like their browser settings, IP address, or geographical location. 

o do this, you first need to translate your knowledge base and FAQs into the different languages you support. You can do this manually or with AI. Then let your web development team handle the transitioning.

This method spares customers the hassle of manually selecting their preferred language. However, you should still offer a visible option on your support pages for them to adjust language preferences if needed.

Deliver modern multilingual support with Plivo CX

Language differences stifle quality support delivery and effective communication. 

To help you, Plivo CX offers a multilingual omnichannel support system through its Unified Agent Desktop, OpenAI-powered agentic chatbot, and inclusive voice support to help you overcome these challenges.

We also offer: 

  • Seamless integrations: Connect Plivo CX with your existing tools, including CRM, ERP, helpdesk, and more.
  • Data-driven optimization: Track real-time analytics and generate custom reports to gain insights into customer interactions and agent performance.
  • AI-enhanced efficiency: Prioritize urgent tickets, ensure brand consistency, and adapt quickly to changes with AI-powered support.
  • Rich communication: Enhance interactions with multimedia support, including images, videos, and documents.
  • Increased productivity: Streamline workflows with message templates, internal notes, and skills-based routing.
  • Comprehensive features: Leverage call recording, IVR, multi-language support, and robust security features for a complete solution.

Book a demo now!

Apr 3, 2025
5 mins

SMS Lead Generation: Everything You Need to Get Started

Struggling with SMS lead generation? Learn how Plivo CX's AI-powered SMS marketing helps e-commerce brands drive conversions, automate campaigns & boost ROI.

Let’s be real—getting leads isn’t the problem. Getting them to engage? That’s the real challenge. You can have the best offer, but if your message is not seen, it won’t get results.

The good news is that SMS is breaking through the noise. In fact, 76.2% of consumers say SMS is more effective at generating actions that lead to a purchase than email.

Why? Because texts land directly in your customer’s hands—no spam filters, no distractions, just instant, personal communication.

SMS lead generation is quickly becoming a cornerstone of modern marketing. In this article, we’ll dive into why SMS lead generation is rapidly becoming a must-have for businesses looking to engage, convert, and grow their customer base.

Why SMS is an effective lead generation tool

SMS marketing is a powerful tool for lead generation. It helps businesses build and nurture a qualified audience directly through SMS. Here are some key advantages that make SMS so effective for lead generation: 

High open rates & immediate attention

Text messages are almost always read – often within minutes. Studies confirm SMS open rates around 98%, higher than email​. The immediate visibility means your lead-gen offers (coupons, event invites, etc.) get seen right away, capturing customer attention in real time.

💡 Pro tip: Time your SMS campaigns strategically—sending messages when customers are most active can increase engagement and conversions.

Direct & personal communication

SMS creates a direct and personal connection between brands and potential customers. With the ability to personalize messages based on customer preferences, past interactions, or purchase history, SMS helps brands build stronger relationships and trust. 

Example: "Hi [Name], your favorite moisturizer is back in stock! Shop now before it’s gone: [link]."

💡Pro tip: Use first names, purchase history, or location-based offers to make SMS messages feel even more relevant and personal. 

Real-time engagement 

SMS enables businesses to engage with customers instantly. This makes SMS a preferred medium for promotions, updates, and limited-time offers. It allows for two-way conversations, where businesses can answer questions and send timely reminders when a lead is most interested. 

💡 Pro tip: Use SMS for flash sales or time-sensitive deals—customers are more likely to act quickly when they receive an offer with a clear deadline.

Cost-effective marketing

SMS campaigns are a cost-effective way to engage potential customers and increase sales. With message costs ranging from $0.015 to $0.050 per SMS, businesses can reach large audiences without significant money spent. 

Despite the low cost, SMS generates high response rates and a strong return on investment, making it an excellent text message lead generation tool for lead nurturing, promotions, and customer retention. For budget-conscious marketers, SMS offers maximum impact with minimal expense.

Example 1: A boutique clothing store replaces printed discount flyers with SMS promo codes, saving on printing costs while directly reaching active shoppers.

Example 2: Instead of investing in costly retargeting ads, a home décor brand uses SMS flash sale alerts to attract customers for exclusive discounts and limited-time offers

Automation & scalability 

With SMS automation, businesses can send messages to thousands of customers efficiently. Automated workflows allow brands to set up welcome messages, abandoned cart reminders, or follow-ups without manual effort. 

Whether you’re targeting a small segment or a nationwide audience, SMS can scale to meet your needs​

💡 Pro tip: Set up an automated drip campaign to send SMS messages over time. This helps to guide potential customers toward a purchase.

Together, these advantages explain why more businesses are leveraging SMS for lead generation. 

Proven SMS techniques for lead generation

You know SMS works—but how do you use it to drive more leads? Here are some tested strategies that top brands rely on to turn texts into conversions.

Offer exclusive content or discounts

People love getting something extra, especially when it feels exclusive. By offering discounts, special deals, or early access to new products via SMS, you create an immediate incentive for customers to respond.

Make sure your offer is time-sensitive to create urgency, which further motivates recipients to act quickly. Phrases like “For you only,” or “Exclusive offer just for our subscribers” can make recipients feel valued and increase the chances of conversion.

Image showing an SMS message offering an exclusive discount with a limited-time offer.
Source

Create compelling CTAs for immediate action 

Create your SMS messages with a clear, strong call-to-action (CTA) that urges instant response. Since texts are typically read quickly and have a character limit, use that brief moment to spark action.

Pro tip: Use action-oriented language like “Claim your offer now,” “Get started today,” or “Shop while stocks last” to prompt immediate responses.

SMS message with a strong call-to-action prompting immediate action.
Source

Lead generation through SMS thrives when your CTA is clear, direct, and compels the recipient to act fast.

Use opt-in keywords and shortcodes 

Simplify the process of joining your SMS list through keywords and shortcodes. For instance, you might advert JOIN to 12345 for updates. This text-to-subscribe approach makes opt-ins instant. A customer sends a one-word text and is automatically added to your campaign. 

Example:

A fitness apparel brand wants to grow its SMS list. They advertise:
“Text FIT to 56789 for 15% off your first order and exclusive updates!”

By texting “FIT” to 56789, customers are instantly added to the SMS list. This quick, frictionless opt-in process allows leads to sign up easily with just one text.

Pro tip: Make sure to choose an easy-to-remember keyword related to your campaign (e.g., text SALE, VIP, DEMO, etc.).

Segment your audience for targeted campaigns

One-size-fits-all messaging yields mediocre results. Instead, segment your SMS leads based on factors like demographics, purchasing behavior, and engagement history.

Example:

An online clothing store wants to send targeted offers. They segment their audience into two groups: frequent shoppers and seasonal browsers.

  • Frequent shoppers: Receive exclusive offers like “Thanks for being a loyal customer! Enjoy 25% off your next order.”
  • Seasonal browsers: Receive a message like “Welcome back! Get 15% off your next purchase, just for you.”

Businesses that segment their SMS campaigns see higher conversion because the messaging is more personalized and on-point​. 

Utilize SMS automation for timely follow-ups 

Don’t rely on manual texting, set up automated SMS workflows that send follow-up messages, reminders, or abandoned cart notifications. These automated texts can remind customers about products they’ve left behind, share additional offers, or provide updates on the status of their orders. 

SMS automation ensures no customer is left unattended and helps move prospects down the funnel with well-timed nudges.

Example:

An online home goods store uses SMS automation to follow up with leads.

  • Welcome message: As soon as a customer subscribes, they receive an immediate “Welcome! Get 10% off your first order. Shop now!”
  • Follow-up offer: If the customer hasn’t made a purchase within two days, they receive a reminder: “Still thinking it over? Here’s 15% off your first order!”

By implementing these techniques, you can steadily grow your list of SMS leads and keep them actively engaged. 

Best practices for SMS lead generation

While SMS is powerful, success largely depends on how you use it. Here are some best practices to ensure your SMS lead generation campaigns are effective and well-received:

Personalize and be relevant 

Treat SMS leads like individuals, not numbers on a list. Use personalization wherever possible—greet recipients by name and tailor messages to their interests or past interactions. 

For example, if you know a customer’s preferred product category, mention it. Personalization shows that your texts are for them, which improves response rates. 

In this SMS (image below), they address the customer by name (Elizabeth) and highlight their status as a “Platinum Comfort Crew member.” Personal touches like this make the recipient feel special and valued.

Screenshot showing a personalized SMS, offering first access to a sale.
Source

Optimal timing and frequency 

A staggering 90% of consumers respond to a text within 30 minutes, which underscores the importance of reaching your audience at the right moment. 

To maximize engagement, aim to send texts between 10 AM and 8 PM, avoiding early mornings before 8 AM, late evenings after 9 PM, Mondays, and rush hours. Mid-afternoon often works best. 

When it comes to frequency, it’s all about balance. Nearly 60% of smartphone users opt out of a brand’s messages when they feel overwhelmed by too many updates. 

Pro tip: Space out your messages and keep them meaningful—aim for one or two valuable texts per week to avoid overwhelming your audience and maintain engagement.

Keep messages concise and clear 

SMS has a character limit, which means you must communicate your message clearly and concisely. Your text should get to the point quickly, without any unnecessary fluff. 

Focus on one core message in each SMS, whether it's an offer, update, or reminder. Use short, direct language, and avoid long sentences or paragraphs.

Screenshot showing a clear SMS with a direct call to action
Source

For example, instead of saying, “We have a new collection of products that we think you might like, and it’s available on our website,” say, “New collection just dropped! Shop now and get 10% off!”

If more detail is needed, include a link to a mobile-friendly landing page for the lead to learn more. 

Track and analyze performance 

Treat SMS campaigns like any other marketing effort – track the results and adjust the strategy accordingly. Monitor key metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, response rate, and conversion rate. 

Also, pay attention to unsubscribe rates after each SMS campaign. Analyzing these data points will tell you what’s working and what isn’t. You can experiment with A/B testing for different CTAs, message lengths, or timing to see what drives the best results

For instance, you may find that messages sent on Friday evenings receive higher engagement or that one offer generates more conversions than another. Use this insight to refine your approach, perhaps adjusting send times, wording, or segment targeting. 

The role of SMS marketing automation in lead generation

Automation simplifies lead generation by handling manual tasks, ensuring no lead slips through the cracks. With SMS marketing automation, businesses can send the right message to the right lead at the right time—without manual effort for each interaction. This makes capturing and nurturing leads easier, faster, and more efficient.

Here’s why SMS automation is so important and how it works:

Key benefits of SMS marketing automation

Instant follow-ups: Automatically send a welcome message as soon as a lead opts in, keeping them engaged from the start.

Personalized offers: Use customer data to send relevant offers, product recommendations, and reminders tailored to their interests.

Higher conversion rates: Schedule automated follow-ups to nurture leads, recover abandoned carts, or re-engage inactive customers.

Timely touchpoints: Ensure leads receive timely updates, promotions, and reminders without manual effort.

Scalable communication: With the right SMS lead generation tool, you can manage high volumes of leads with automated workflows. This frees up your team while maintaining consistent outreach.

As a robust omnichannel customer engagement tool, Plivo CX checks all the boxes for a reliable and efficient SMS lead generation platform. 

With its user-friendly interface and powerful analytics tools, Plivo CX optimizes your SMS marketing for maximum impact and streamlines your lead generation and conversion process with automation.

As a testament to its efficiency, Deckers Brands found Plivo's queuing system to be a game-changer. Jacob Martine, project manager at Deckers Brands, states, 

"With fewer worries about rate limits and batch sizes, our developers face less burden. If we need to send 50,000 messages, we simply send them all—Plivo handles the rest, delivering without us worrying about the process."

Drive more leads with SMS marketing powered by Plivo CX

E-commerce managers face a tough challenge—reaching customers at the right time is harder than ever. Manual campaign management takes too long, and generic messages don’t drive conversions. Without automation and personalization, it’s easy to miss opportunities to connect with potential buyers

Plivo CX is an all-in-one customer engagement platform designed to maximize SMS lead generation results. It brings together real-time delivery, intelligent automation, and data-driven insights so businesses can capture and convert more leads via SMS. 

Here’s how Plivo CX can get more leads by elevating your SMS marketing:

  • Powerful audience targeting: Build highly focused campaigns by syncing your e-commerce platform data or importing contacts. With the Audiences feature, segment audiences based on purchase behavior, engagement data, and demographics to send highly personalized SMS campaigns.
Image showing Plivo CX’s customer segmentation dashboard
Target customers with precision using Plivo CX’s advanced segmentation tools.
  • Multi-channel engagement:  Connect with your customers on their preferred channels—whether it's SMS, MMS, or Email. This increases the chances of meaningful interactions and conversions.
  • AI-powered SMS personalization: Use the Copywriter AI to generate compelling, data-driven SMS messages instantly. Fine-tune your messages to resonate with your audience instantly.
 Image showing AI-generated SMS message template.
Create high-impact personalized SMS with AI-powered suggestions.
  • Send messages at the ideal time: Automate and schedule messages to align with optimal timings across different time zones, ensuring they reach customers when they are most likely to engage, maximizing impact.
Image displaying an SMS at different times.
Automate and schedule SMS to deliver across different time zones.
  • E-commerce integrations: Effortlessly connect with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento to personalize and send SMS directly from your e-commerce platforms.
  • Track conversions & optimize ROI: Gain valuable insights into what resonates with your audience and continuously optimize your campaigns for maximum ROI. 
Image showing campaign performance dashboard with tracking metrics.
Track campaign performance and optimize for better ROI.

With Plivo CX’s robust global messaging network covering 220+ countries, businesses can scale their SMS marketing effortlessly, reducing costs by up to 70% while tripling ROI.

Plivo CX users generate an average of $71 for every $1 spent, making it a must-have for data-driven, high-impact SMS campaigns.

Don’t let missed opportunities hold your business back—start driving more leads and conversions today with Plivo CX. 

Schedule a free demo now!

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Jul 17, 2023
5 mins

How to Write a Bank IVR Menu

Tips on how to write a banking IVR menu. Read more about IVR phone banking services and best practices at Plivo.

Voice API

If you’ve ever made a call and heard “For English, press or say 1,” you’ve encountered an interactive voice response system. IVR allows callers to access information by speaking a word (thus the “voice” part of the name) or pressing a key on a phone’s Touch-Tone keypad. IVR can serve up prerecorded messages, route calls to specific departments or individuals, or pull data such as bank balances from systems — all without the need to speak to an agent. IVR systems benefit consumers by getting them the information they want quickly, without having to wait on hold.

A good IVR system is particularly useful for financial institutions, as many customer inquiries can be answered without taking up a representative’s time. Typical information for a bank’s IVR menu might include:

  • Choice of languages in which to hear the menu
  • Directory of departments, including technical support
  • Account information, including balance checks
  • Automated bill payment
  • Appointment booking
  • Callback option, if all representatives are busy
  • Informational recording on topics such as
  • Services offered Business hours Email addresses Website URL Social media handles Directory of branch locations

IVR menu best practices

Whether you’re a bank, mortgage lender, stockbroker, or other financial services professional, following these best practices for IVR systems can help you create a better customer experience.

  • Menu options — Don’t overwhelm customers with too many options at each level. Fewer choices make things easier for callers, as they have to remember the ones they’re hearing. Use a maximum of five items at each prompt.
  • Special keys — If any keys are reserved for special functions, tell callers about them up-front. For example, “At any time you can press or say 9 to return to the previous menu, or press 0 or say ‘operator’ to speak to an operator.” And that’s another best practice — at every level, give customers an option to speak to a customer service representative.
  • Menu order — Put the most popular options first in the IVR system, so callers have to spend less time listening for what they want.
  • Option order — Present a task followed by its associated action rather than the other way around, so callers can recognize what they want to do and don’t have to remember “what number was I supposed to press?” For example, “To hear your account balance, press or say or say 1.”
  • Accepted input — Allow callers to respond not only via keypress but also via voice. Some customers prefer one way, some the other; give people what they want.
  • Pauses — Include a pause of a second or so before giving the choices on a submenu. That allows time for people who have the phone up to their ear to shift it back there after pressing a keypad key.
  • Confirm menu level — Start submenus with a short message that confirms the caller has reached the place they intended. For example, “OK, balances. Press or say 1 for your checking account balance; press or say 2 for your savings account.”
  • Allow barge-in — Allow callers to select an option at any time — don’t force them to listen to an entire menu before they can make a selection.
  • Repeat as necessary — By default, repeat the menu if the caller doesn’t make a selection within a few seconds.

We offer more IVR best practice suggestions in a blog post, including our favorite: Don’t start off by telling callers, “Listen carefully as our menu options have changed.” No one cares.

A sample bank IVR

Every organization is different, so every organization’s IVR menu will be different too. We put this simple two-level menu together to give you some ideas. Undoubtedly your menu will require more levels. Also, there’s no single right way to map out a menu. In this example, we start out asking for a kind of account, but you might prefer to ask for a kind of task first and prompt for the account afterward.

Plan the entire menu tree before you start coding and before you start recording prompts.

Here’s our sample.

Thanks for calling Our Bank. How can we help you? You can press 0 or say “operator” at any time to reach a representative during business hours.

For personal banking services, press or say 1.
For business banking services, press or say 2.
For account inquiries, press or say 3.
For credit card services, press or say 4.
To apply for a new credit card, press or say 5.
For information on your card’s interest rate and other terms and conditions, press or say 6.

1: OK, personal banking.
For account balances and transaction history, press or say 1.
To transfer funds between accounts, press or say 2.
To make a bill payment, press or say 3.
To open a new account, press or say 4.
To report a lost or stolen card, press or say 5.

2: OK, business banking.
For account balances and transaction history, press or say 1.
To transfer funds between accounts, press or say 2.
To make a bill payment, press or say 3.
To open a new account, press or say 4.
For commercial loans and financing, press or say 5.

3: OK, account inquiries.
For account balances and transaction history, press or say 1.
To report a lost or stolen card, press or say 2.
To dispute a transaction, press or say 3.

4: OK, credit cards.
To check your outstanding balance, press or say 1.
To make a payment, press or say 2.
To report a lost or stolen card, press or say 3.
To dispute a transaction, press or say 4.

How to create an IVR system with Plivo

Plivo makes things easy for businesses that want to implement IVR. We’ve written IVR use case guides that show exactly how to create an IVR program in any of seven common web development languages, including annotated code samples.

If you’re not already a Plivo customer, sign up for free today and get started now.

Jul 12, 2023
5 mins

Introducing Real-Time Audio Streaming

Explore the benefits and use cases of instant transcription during live calls, including improved customer service and collaboration with real-time audio streaming service by Plivo.

Voice API

Building truly intelligent voice applications often means grappling with technical limitations such as: 

  • Lack of real-time audio access
  • Difficulty integrating with AI models
  • Limited flexibility for scaling advanced use cases

Plivo’s audio streaming makes this easier. It lets you send real-time call audio to your applications, enabling AI-powered voice agents to respond dynamically. It also comes with features to analyze customer sentiment during calls, and automate tasks like call routing or transfer calls to human agents whenever necessary.In this blog, we’ll explore how audio streaming solves voice infrastructure challenges and help you to deliver next-level customer experiences. Let’s dive in!

How Does Audio Streaming Work?

With audio streaming, businesses transmit the raw media of a live call in real time to their applications or third-party systems.

This illustration shows how a call center might use audio streaming.

Plivo lets you stream audio by using XML instructions or APIs. First, you get a number with Plivo (by signing up on the console), then connect it to an XML application.

Here’s how it works:

XML instructions

With the XML element, you can stream raw media from a live phone call over a WebSocket connection. To begin streaming, return XML like this during the call.

<Response>
<Stream streamTimeout="3600" keepCallAlive="true" bidirectional="true" contentType="audio/x-mulaw;rate=8000" statusCallbackUrl="https://yourdomain.com/callbacks">wss://<yourstream>.ngrok.io/audiostream</Stream>
</Response>

See our XML reference documentation for complete details.

API integration

Alternatively, you can use Plivo APIs to initiate and manage audio streams.

curl -i –user AUTH_ID:AUTH_TOKEN \\
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \\
      -d '{"service_url": "wss://.ngrok.io/audiostream"}' \\
      https://api.plivo.com/v1/Account/{auth_id}/Call/{call_uuid}/Stream/

See our audio streaming API reference documentation for complete details.

Audio Streaming Use Cases 

Businesses can use audio streaming in multiple ways, especially in tandem with machine learning-based engines and AI voice agents, to enhance value and improve customer experience.

Call centers can leverage Plivo’s audio streaming to extract insights from raw audio data, perform sentiment analysis, implement speech recognition, and analyze voice-related data, enhancing operational efficiency.

You can integrate Plivo’s audio streaming with AI/ML-based tools to provide real-time transcription services.

Similarly, you can integrate audio streams with third-party tools to facilitate live translation of audio content, enabling effective communication across different languages during conferences and meetings.

Here are some key use cases of Plivo audio streaming: 

Smart IVR with dynamic call routing

Core Use Case: Transforming traditional IVR systems into smart, AI-driven IVRs that enable natural language understanding and intelligent call routing.

Example: A telecommunications company implements an AI-Powered IVR where customers can state their concerns naturally (e.g., "I want to upgrade my plan" or "I have a billing issue") instead of navigating menus. 

The system interprets their input, evaluates sentiment, and routes the call to the appropriate team or provides immediate automated assistance, such as sending payment links or resolving common queries. If sentiment analysis detects frustration, the system escalates the call to a specialized agent for de-escalation.

24/7 customer support

Core Use Case: Maintaining consistent customer service quality beyond business hours using AI voice agents.

Example: An e-commerce platform deploys an AI Voice Bot to assist customers during off-hours. If a customer calls at midnight to track a delayed order, the bot retrieves real-time shipping updates from the database, informs the customer, and resolves their issue without human intervention.

Real-time speech recognition, transcription, and analysis

Core Use Case: Transcribing calls in real time by converting spoken language into text for immediate analysis, record-keeping, and automated processing.

Personalized training and real-time coaching for agents

This helps you leverage live call analysis to provide actionable feedback to agents for skill enhancement.

Example: During a customer call, the system evaluates the agent's tone and adherence to protocols, offering real-time coaching tips, such as suggesting a more empathetic response or adjusting the script to align with customer sentiment.

Outbound call automation with AI voice agents

Core use case: Automating outbound communication to improve engagement, gather insights, and provide proactive assistance to customers.

Promotional messages

Example: A retail company uses AI voice agents to inform customers about limited-time discounts and exclusive deals, personalizing the message based on purchase history.

Customer feedback surveys

Example: After a service interaction, the system calls customers to collect feedback through a quick, automated survey, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Proactive customer support

Example: An insurance company proactively calls customers to remind them of upcoming policy renewal deadlines, reducing the likelihood of service lapses.

Post-delivery feedback and assistance

Example: After delivering a product, an AI agent contacts customers to confirm satisfaction and offer assistance if issues arise, such as initiating returns or troubleshooting.

Automation of Voice Channel Operations

Core use case: Streamlining routine voice-based interactions to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Appointment booking

Example: A healthcare provider uses voice agents to schedule, confirm, or reschedule patient appointments via calls, reducing the need for manual coordination.

Service-related queries

Example: A telecom provider deploys voice agents to answer common service queries, such as "How can I change my plan?" or "What’s my current data usage?"

Delivery status updates

Example: A logistics company enables customers to call and inquire about shipment statuses, with the bot providing real-time updates from the system.

Accepting orders on calls

Example: A restaurant uses voice agents to take orders over the phone, confirm details, and provide estimated delivery times without requiring human intervention.

Get Started with Audio Streaming with Plivo 

By integrating audio streaming with AI voice agents, businesses can provide advanced customer support, gain valuable insights into conversations, and improve customer interactions. 

Couple it with speech recognition, AI call analysis and dual channel recording and have a kickass customer support toolkit.

But, to make the most of all these features, you need a CPaaS solution with superior voice infrastructure. Plivo offers superior voice network to launch context-aware voice agents and voice assistants trained on your proprietary knowledge base that transform the customer experience

Here’s why Plivo should be your first choice:

  • Superior call quality: Plivo ensures superior call quality through its partnerships with Tier 1 carriers and optimized routing
  • Low latency: Global Infrastructure enables low latency communications. Our PoPs are located in seven locations (California, Virginia, Frankfurt, Mumbai, Singapore, Sydney, São Paulo) across five continents
  • High availability and uptime: With a redundant infrastructure across multiple geographies and at least three local carrier connections across countries, Zentrunk promises 99.99% uptime
  • Full redundancy: Redundant links reroute traffic over backup networks in less than two seconds in case of backbone failover 

We can integrate with all top players in the market from STT providers, LLM models and TTS providers. 

The best part? You get started by paying 40% less than all competitors. 

All you have to do is:

  1. Sign up with Plivo.
  2. Procure a number via the API or console.
  3. Associate the number with an application responsible for initiating a call to the agent and establishing audio streaming over the WebSocket to your application. A sample reference is shown below.

At Plivo, Audio streaming is priced at $0.0040 per minute per stream, over and above the expected charges for voice minutes associated with a call. 

Note: Pricing is subject to change — check our pricing page for the most up-to-date information.

If you don’t already have a Plivo account, sign up today for free.

You can also connect with team Plivo to find out how we can help with your use case and get volume pricing for the same.

Supercharge your customers' interactions through audio streaming with Plivo powered AI voice agents.

Jun 27, 2023
5 mins

Announcing Two New Zentrunk APIs

New Zentrunk APIs: Introducing the launch of two new exciting Zentrunk APIs, Trunk Properties API and Call Object API. Check out the documentation for our new APIs and consider how they could help your business.

Zentrunk

We’re constantly and continually improving Plivo services, with particular attention paid to enhancements suggested by our users. Today we’re happy to announce two new APIs for Zentrunk, our SIP trunking service: the Trunk Properties API, which lets businesses create, modify, and update their SIP trunk configurations programmatically, and the Call Object API, which lets users retrieve Zentrunk call details records (CDR).

Trunk Properties API

Zentrunk users can already use the Plivo console to manage SIP trunk configuration and subresources such as credentials lists, IP access control lists, and origination URIs. But working in the console can be time-consuming when you have a lot of resources to manage. With the new API you can fetch and manage trunk properties programmatically, saving you time and effort. Our API documentation provides all the information you need to get started.

The Trunk Properties API offers Zentrunk users several benefits:

  • Improved developer experience: The API lets service providers and enterprises create, modify, and delete SIP trunks programmatically.
  • Access to subresources: The Trunk Properties API lets developers access subresources such as credentials, IP access control lists, and origination URIs, making it a complete trunk configuration management toolkit.
  • Ease of use: The API uses standard RESTful web services, making it simple to integrate with existing systems.
  • Enhanced security: The API supports authentication via Basic Auth, which enhances security.

Streamlined Zentrunk management

The Trunk Properties API transforms the process of setting up and managing SIP trunks. It offers an efficient and automated way to create, modify, and delete trunks. Its ease of use and real-time visibility features make it an excellent tool for service providers and enterprises. With the Trunk Properties API, users can streamline their SIP trunking service management and focus on delivering a better customer experience.

Call Object API

Our second new API addresses call details.

A call detail record, as you’d expect, contains all the details about a call. Until now you could view and export CDRs only by visiting Zentrunk > Logs on the Plivo console. The new Call Object API lets you retrieve CDRs for any completed calls using a variety of filters, saving you time and effort.

Zentrunk creates a Call object when an outbound call is initiated or when an inbound call is received. The Call object contains all of the information about completed calls. See our API documentation for complete details and code examples.

In brief, the Call Object API lets you retrieve all call records or retrieve calls for a given call UUID. The API supports filters that let you retrieve specific records based on different needs.

By using the Call Object API, Zentrunk customers can gain several benefits:

  • Real-time data: The API provides real-time access to call data, allowing businesses to access and analyze information as it becomes available, without having to wait for manual exports or generate reports through the console.
  • Improved automation: Businesses can automate the process of fetching CDRs and integrating their data into external systems for analytics, eliminating the need for manual data extraction.
  • Improved call analytics: Businesses can use CDR information to gain insights into call patterns, call durations, and call costs, helping them make data-driven decisions to optimize their communication strategies.
  • Efficient data retrieval: By using filters, businesses can perform targeted analyses of specific segments of their call data.
  • Increased security and fraud detection: CDR information can help organizations detect unusual call patterns and identify potential security threats or fraudulent activities.
  • Customized reporting: With data from the Call Object API, businesses can create reports tailored to their specific needs, allowing for more informed decision-making.

Try our new APIs

If you’re already a Zentrunk customer, we encourage you to peruse the documentation for the new APIs and consider how they could help your business. If you’re thinking about exploring the benefits of SIP trunking, we encourage you to sign up for a Plivo account, read our Quickstart Guide, and find out for yourself why people are so excited about SIP trunking.

Jun 21, 2023
5 mins

A Tour of the Plivo Console: Zentrunk

A menu-by-menu look at Zentrunk information and management capabilities exposed via the Plivo console. It’s easy to get started, sign up today!

Console
Zentrunk

SIP trunking lets you add phone lines that bypass the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and use VoIP instead. SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol, while trunking refers to an aggregation of multiple phone lines. Many businesses are moving to SIP trunking and away from traditional telephony to benefit from advantages such as quick provisioning, low costs, and no equipment to procure or maintain. Zentrunk is Plivo’s SIP trunking service.

You can create and manage outbound and inbound trunks from the Plivo console. The Zentrunk menu is the fifth icon on the console menu. When you click it, you’ll see an overview screen that gives you quick instructions on creating trunks.

Following the Overview submenu are choices for Outbound Trunks and Inbound Trunks. Under each, you can see a list of existing trunks and, as on the overview screen, there’s a button to create new ones.

Clicking on a trunk in the list brings up details about it. Here, for example, is what you might see for an outbound trunk.

You can modify trunk details and settings from this page, or delete a trunk you no longer use. The settings are covered in detail in our documentation.

You can get details about inbound trunks the same way by clicking on an item in the Inbound Trunks list.

If you want to set up a new trunk, our documentation guides you through the process and explains all of the fields and settings.

Moving down, the Other Settings menu brings up a screen that lets you set up geo permissions, which you can enable to help curb fraud.

Another Other Settings menu page lets you consent to Plivo storing and accessing logs and media packet capture files, which we can use to debug call quality and DTMF issues.

The penultimate menu choice, Logs, displays a log of outbound and inbound SIP calls. Clicking on a log entry displays a Message Details popup that gives you information about the call.

Finally, the pricing menu page gives you the costs for calls and phone number rental in every country in which Plivo supports SIP trunking.

Step right up for another tour

That’s a whirlwind tour through the Zentrunk features on the Plivo console. We’ve got similar looks for the Voice, Messaging, Lookup, and Phone Numbers menus.

Jun 14, 2023
5 mins

99 Reasons Why People Love Plivo

Uncover the powerful features, seamless integrations, exceptional customer support, and innovative solutions that make Plivo a popular choice for businesses worldwide. Sign up today!

Company

The latest quarterly G2 rankings are out, and Plivo leads the pack.

Plivo was named a Leader in the Communications Platform as a Service category. We received the highest Satisfaction score among products in our category — 99 out of 100, as voted by actual users of our platform.

To celebrate, one of my colleagues suggested we ask a generative AI platform for “99 reasons to love Plivo.” That might be challenging even for a human (yes, we’re biased in favor of biological life forms), but maybe nine reasons? That seems more doable.

We put the question to several generative AI platforms.

We gave all of them the same simple prompt:

“Give me nine reasons why people love the CPaaS platform Plivo.”

What we got back was interesting. Each of the platforms was able to quote many of the themes we pride ourselves on, but not always in the same way.

Every tool cited pricing as an advantage, touting Plivo as “cost-effective,” “affordable,” and “attractive,” among other things.

A couple of the platforms talked about the flexibility of our integration and development tools. A couple of others mentioned flexible pricing. One highlighted the flexibility of our premium support plans.

Scalability was on almost every list. One platform referred to it as “robust infrastructure.”

All but one had a bullet about reliability, but that one did call us reliable under both “robust infrastructure” and “proven track record.”

Every one mentioned our global reach — which comes in handy at those big tables at large family reunions.

They all mentioned our excellent customer support.

Most of the platforms mentioned security.

Finally, as we got down toward the end of the list, we got some varied responses: customizability, innovation, multiple communication channels, robust API, advanced features, comprehensive documentation, and proven track record.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. And in fact we did say it ourselves, because generative large language models (LLM) like these tools train on large amounts of text, including, in all likelihood, our website and many other websites on which people have written about Plivo. They then string together likely combinations of words that can mimic expertise if the training based was good enough.

Generative AI platforms are not always right, however. In our case, while all of the good things were 100% correct, ChatGPT and Chatsonic noted that we offer video, and that’s not true. This is a good reminder not to rely on AI for your content. (This message was brought to you by your friendly local content marketer, who hopes to keep his job.)

Read what the robots wrote

Are you curious to see how each platform handled the answers? Let us know if you want us to post them verbatim on our LinkedIn page. Drop by there now and click that Follow button so you don’t miss them.

Jun 10, 2023
5 mins

Zentrunk Wins TMC 2023 Communications Solutions Products of the Year Award

Plivo’s Zentrunk won the prestigious TMC 2023 Communications Solutions Products of the Year Award with innovative features and exceptional customer experience.

Company

Global media company TMC just named Zentrunk, Plivo’s cloud-based SIP trunking solution, a 2023 Communications Solutions Product of the Year. It’s a threepeat for us — in 2021 and 2022 we won for our SMS API.

Zentrunk has evolved in the last year, capped by announcements of our new Trunk Properties API and Call Object API. A recent blog post shows you how easy it is to manage Zentrunk from the Plivo console.

In its blog post announcing the award, TMC says, “Winners represent prominent players in the market who consistently demonstrate the advancement of technologies. Each recipient is a verifiable leader in the marketplace.”

“This list encompasses the true leaders within their market segments,” says Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. “Honorees truly represent the best-of-the-best communications products and solutions available today.” He called Zentrunk “truly an innovative product and is amongst the best communications products and services available on the market today.”

To see for yourself what the excitement is about, sign up today for a free trial.

Jun 9, 2023
5 mins

How to Get the Most Out of Number Lookup

Number Lookup: Trace numbers, validate contacts, and uncover valuable information with numlookup call India. Discover the power of numlookup India with Plivo, sign up today!

Lookup API
Phone Numbers

If you’re planning a high-volume marketing campaign, you can save money by ensuring that the numbers you’re trying to reach are active and able to receive text messages. Number lookup can uncover deactivated numbers, landline numbers, and mobile numbers that can’t receive SMS.

Plivo introduced the Lookup API in 2020 to allow customers to programmatically determine information for any phone number worldwide. The Lookup API can also properly format numbers for use with our other APIs; improperly formatted numbers can cause calls and messages to fail. Number lookups also make economic sense in many regions, where the cost of a number lookup is less than the cost of sending a text.

What is number lookup?

You might be familiar with number lookup in the context of a reverse directory lookup, where, instead of finding a phone number for a name, you use the phone number to find out details about the person or business using it.

In the context of Plivo APIs, the Lookup API returns the phone number country, the number format, its carrier, and its type: fixed (landline), mobile, VoIP, or toll-free. Type is especially useful, as most landline numbers and many VoIP and toll-free numbers can’t accept SMS messages.  CPaaS platforms charge a fraction of a cent for every message sent, whether a number can accept SMS or not, so it’s worthwhile to eliminate invalid numbers from your target list.

For mobile numbers, the Lookup API relies on the Home Location Register, a global database that contains information about authorized subscribers to GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) networks. Fields returned include the mobile country code (MCC), mobile network code (MNC), and carrier name. These values map to fields of a unique ID for all mobiles phones — an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), which is associated with the SIM in the phone. The first three digits of the IMSI represent the MCC. The next two or three numbers represent the MNC. The remaining digits represent the Mobile Subscription Identification Number (MSIN) within the mobile operator’s customer base, a unique number that the carrier uses to identify a user’s mobile phone number.

Though it sounds as if the MSIN should be a subscriber’s mobile phone number, it’s not necessarily. When a subscriber changes their phone number, for example, they keep their original MSIN.

Lookup use cases

Number lookup can keep your business from wasting time and money sending text messages or making voice calls to invalid numbers or ones that have no value for your organization.

  • Marketing — By looking up numbers and purging invalid ones from your database, you can save money by not contacting invalid numbers, and get higher response rates by eliminating the bad numbers before you reach out.
  • Shipping and delivery — Number lookups confirm the validity of a customer’s contact phone, and while it can’t confirm a delivery address, it can serve as a first line of defense against fraud.
  • Security — Many organizations use SMS to send one-time passwords to improve login security through two-factor authentication (2FA). It’s prudent to make sure that the numbers customers provide for this critical step are both valid and reachable. A similar argument applies to numbers supplied for logins to mobile apps.

Lookup on the Plivo console

While most people access it via code as part of their applications, you can do one-off lookups from the console. In the spirit of the console tours we did for SMS and voice, here’s a similar look at Lookup.

The Lookup Overview page is the fourth icon on the Plivo console menu. It displays a single screen.

A usage summary section tells you how many API requests you made in the last 7, 30, and 90 days.

Under that, another box lets you enter a phone number. Once you click Submit, the API retrieves information about the number, including its country, the number in various formats, and the carrier and number type, and displays it. Each lookup, whether executed in code or submitted via the console, costs 0.4 cents (US).

That’s all there is to it; we try to keep things simple around here.

Get started with Lookup

To get started with Plivo’s Lookup API, check out our documentation or read the FAQ page in our support portal.

Jun 9, 2023
5 mins

The Four Content Types for Texting in India

Implicit SMS Service: Service Implicit SMS helps automate processes, deliver personalized messages, and foster stronger customer relationships. Here are four content types to leverage bulk implicit texting in India.

SMS
India

To minimize spam texting in India, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) mandates that all entities that want to send SMS messages must register information such as their entity/organization and message templates on distributed ledger technology (DLT) platforms. Read our blog post for complete details.

Part of the registration process requires organizations to register message content templates. A content template includes the actual text of an SMS message to be sent, with space designated for variables where appropriate, such as an account number or balance.

SMS message content falls into four categories, and therefore so do content templates: transactional, service implicit, service explicit, and promotional. This table shows each type of content and shows how they differ from each other.

TransactionalService implicitService explicitPromotional
UsageUsed only by banks to send one-time passwords (OTP) and alerts.Used to send OTPs, informational messages, and notifications — but not marketing messages — to registered recipients.Used to send offers or updates regarding services to existing customers.Used to send offers, promotions, and marketing content. The messages may or may not be solicited by the recipients.
ExamplesA message that contains an OTP required to complete a banking or credit or debit card transaction initiated by a bank customer
  • Confirmation messages of a credit/debit transaction
  • Product purchase confirmation
  • Parcel delivery status
  • OTP required for ecommerce or app login
  • Messages from schools regarding attendance/transport
  • Messages from medical providers regarding appointments
  • Government advisories
Any service message that doesn’t fall under the category of service implicit, including messages to existing customers recommending or promoting products or servicesAny message designed to promote or sell products or services
Consent preferencesNot requiredNot requiredRequiredRequired
Can be sent to number on DND listYesYesNoNo
Sending time restrictionsNoneNoneNoneCan be sent only between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Sender ID (header) — must be registered with TRAISix characters, alphabetic, capitalized. Must be reflective of the brand name and/or trademark and must tie in with the content in the message.Six characters, alphabeticSix characters, alphabeticSix characters, numeric*

*The first character of a promotional header must start with the numeral that represents the business category that matches the category preference in National Customer Preference Register (NCPR) (DND Registry). 1 — Banking/insurance/financial products/credit cards 2 — Real estate 3 — Education 4 — Health 5 — Consumer goods and automobiles 6 — Communication/broadcasting/entertainment/IT 7 — Tourism and leisure 8 — Food and beverages

Finally, certain types of messages are always prohibited: political messaging during elections and gambling- and cryptocurrency-related content.

We’ve included all the information you need to know about registering on DLT platforms into an article in our support portal. It should guide you through registration for whichever content types you plan to use.

Jun 6, 2023
5 mins

How SMS Supports Every Stage of the Customer Lifecycle

Read to know how SMS can be a useful tool for every stage of the customer lifecycle.

SMS

From the day we arrive on the planet
And, blinking, step into the sun
There’s more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
— The Circle of Life

Just as there’s a circle of life that moves us all, so too is there a customer lifecycle for businesses. Marketing teams know that customers have to be acquired, supported, and retained to maximize customer lifetime value.

SMS can be a useful tool for every stage of the customer lifecycle.

Why SMS? Because everyone who owns a cellphone can use text messaging, and that means almost everyone there is. Worldwide, 91% of people have a cellphone; in the US, it’s 97%, and in India 96%. And SMS is most people’s preferred communication channel: According to Bloomreach, 90% of customers prefer text messages over phone calls, and 93% have more trust in text messages than in email. The average open rate for SMS marketing is 98%, and the average click-through rate is 19%. 95% of text messages are read and responded to within three minutes of being received.

How SMS helps at every stage

Once you accept the logic in using SMS for customer outreach, you can start thinking about ways to take advantage of it. We looked at a number of stages of the customer lifecycle and thought about ways SMS can help an organization.

Acquisition

SMS can be a key tool for raising awareness of a company’s offerings. You can use it to promote products or services through targeted SMS campaigns to attract new customers. You can also allow prospects to sign up for newsletters or special discounts by texting a keyword to a short code.

Onboarding

SMS is a vital part of many organizations’ onboarding process. You can send welcome SMS messages to new customers that include information about your products and services, as well as limited-time discounts or promotions to incentivize new customers to make their first purchases.

Engagement

Once you’ve acquired customers, you have to keep them engaged. You can use SMS to send notifications of upcoming sales, product launches, or in-store events, as well as targeted deals or discounts based on customers’ preferences or purchase history. You can also use it for two-way communication in the form of SMS surveys to gain customer feedback to improve products, services, and customer experiences.

Other forms of engagement are just good business practices. For example, you can provide shipping and order status updates as well as delivery notifications.

Some customers also appreciate payment reminders, while your accounts receivable staff would probably appreciate your sending overdue balance notices to customers.

Support

Even engaged customers run into trouble sometimes. SMS can serve as a secondary channel for support questions — probably not your primary, as you’re better off having customers submit support tickets so you can handle them with a defined process — but SMS can be a premium support channel, providing real-time assistance.

Retention

But support isn’t the only time you want to keep in touch with customers. You can foster higher retention rates by identifying and targeting inactive customers with SMS notifications about special promotions or offers to encourage them to re-engage. The same approach works for win-back campaigns, in which you reach out to past customers with incentives or offers.

Advocacy

If you’re very lucky, your customers will become your best salespeople. Use SMS to encourage satisfied customers to share their purchases or experiences on social media, which will raise brand awareness.

Make the most of SMS

SMS can help at every stage of the customer journey. But how do you get the most impact from using SMS campaigns? We’ve written a blog post on best practices for SMS to help you craft, format, and send great messages. It covers:

  • the use of different number types (long codes, toll-free, and short codes)
  • the importance of opt-in consent
  • setting expectations for what customers can expect
  • what not to do to avoid triggering a carrier review of your campaigns

You should also pay attention to regulations in the countries where you’re sending messages to. For instance, before you send messages to India, you must register on a DLT platform.

By integrating SMS into the customer lifecycle, businesses can foster stronger relationships with customers, enhance their experiences, and ultimately drive growth and profitability.

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

Create your account and receive trial credits or get in touch with us.

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