Basic Voice API Knowledge, Terms, and Definitions

Businesses who are looking to send mass calls to their customers are increasingly turning to voice APIs to save time, money, and resources. This marketing method is particularly desirable for large companies or companies with large customer bases. Voice APIs allow you to quickly create, schedule, and send thousands of automated calls within the span of a few minutes.

Keep reading to learn more about voice APIs. We’ll cover everything you need to know, from must-have features to reporting options and more.

Voice APIs: What You Need to Know

A Programmable voice API is one of the best communication methods for companies whose marketing strategies involve mass or bulk calling. Voice APIs streamline this by allowing companies to create and schedule customized campaigns with a few easy steps and automating the actual calling process.

Making Mobile and Landline Calls

A voice API is able to place calls to all customers who have access to a phone, whether that phone is a smartphone, mobile phone, or landline device. This allows companies to keep their current customers and provides them with more options for expanding their customer base. It also creates a more accessible marketing experience instead of limiting campaigns to demographics that have access to smart devices.

SIP Trunking

SIP trunking is a way of sending voice calls and other communication over the internet versus through a cable company— essentially, SIP trunking creates a virtual phone lines. By sending your calls through an existing internet connection, you are able to save money and money. Besides sending out calls via the internet, companies can also receive calls when customers call in. This encourages two-way communication and creates more flexible campaigns.

Answering Machine Detection

Answering machine detection (AMD) is a feature that can detect whether a live person or an answering machine answers your automated calls. Live calls are routed to an agent or other menu while voicemails can trigger several options, including leaving an automatic (i.e., pre-recorded) voicemail, a manual voicemail via an agent, or no voicemail. Utilizing AMD can improve agent productivity, drive lead conversions, decrease abandonment rates, and expedite outbound calls.

Call Quality Monitoring

Call quality monitoring is a reliable method for improving customer service and boosting your campaign success rates overall. Voice APIs allow you to gauge mass call conversations between your customers and staff in order to conduct random quality tests, review interactions for training purposes, and analyze negative interactions to prevent such issues in the future.

Outbound Conference API

Though voice APIs are typically used to place mass calls to individual customers, they are also able to connect calls to a conference and communicate with multiple people at once. This expands their functionality and makes them ideal for internal company use, such as among employees or between businesses, as well as external use between companies and customers.

Interactive Voice Response

Interactive voice response (IVR) is a phone menu system that allows customers to be routed according to specific needs, each of which have a corresponding number on the phone menu that customers can press to take advantage of. For example, customers can press one to hear a company’s hours, two to speak to a live operator, three to leave a message, etc. Each company can set these options according to these needs, seamlessly routing customers and better utilizing live agents.

Call Recording

Voice calling APIs offer call recording services so that customers have more control over automated calls. Instead of sending out mass calls all at once and only monitoring responses, call recording allows you to monitor and control the call itself. Agents are able to pause and resume the recorded voice call as needed.

Two-Factor Authentication

Unlike one-time passwords, two-factor authentication involves two layers of security that customers must pass through in order to verify their identity, complete a transaction, etc. Voice APIs can be used to send verbal passwords, PINs, or other forms of sign-in information. Two-factor authentication is ideal for industries that deal with sensitive information, such as healthcare or banking.

Call Control

Call control features give companies more control over automated mass calls. With this feature, companies can program their API to route, make, and receive calls globally to nearly 200 countries. This expanded reach is perfect for companies with geographically dispersed customer bases. Additionally, it provides scalability options for companies that want to expand their customer base outside of the country they are based in.

Two-Party Connection

Two-party connection, also known as two-way communication, is a feature that enables more dynamic and personalized customer experiences by allowing customers to engage in a real-time conversation with a live agent. It allows person-to-person calls in addition to the automated calls. This feature is geared toward companies that want to foster a deeper connection with customers or who need expanded accessibility.

Text to Speech API

Voice call APIs can convert text into speech and broadcast custom voice messages to your customers during voice campaigns. Many APIs offer text to speech in multiple voices and languages to best connect with various customer demographics. This allows companies to not only service, but foster diverse audiences and customer bases. Simply upload your message in text form, choose the most appropriate language or accent, and schedule your campaigns.

DTMF Tones

Dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) are the sounds associated with each number on a phone pad when pressed. Each number has a unique sound (i.e., tone), as well as several symbols such as the asterisk and pound signs. When customers want to follow through with an action associated with a specific number, such as through IVR, the DTMF tone signals user intent as much as the button they press.

One-Time Passwords

Voice APIs can be used to send customers one-time voice-based passwords, which are randomly generated combinations of numbers and letters that are valid for a limited period of time for a specific purpose. Similar to using SMS campaigns to send one-time passwords, voice campaigns offer a more secure way for customers to access this service. Also known as dynamic passwords, one-time passwords can be used for a variety of purposes, including logging in, verifying identities, or completing transactions.

Stream Audio

Web voice APIs can be used for more than simply sending automated voice calls. These APIs can also be used to play music, pre-recorded voice greetings, advertisements, and more. Any communication or marketing component that can be delivered verbally can be delivered via a voice API.