What is Voice Call?

What is Voice Call?

Audience: Admins and operators who need to send automated or agent-led phone calls.
Goal: Understand voice calls and launch an outbound IVR campaign safely and successfully.


Table of contents

  • What is a voice call?
  • Types of voice calls
  • When to use voice calls
  • Prerequisites
  • Set up an outbound IVR campaign (UI)
  • Set up via API (optional)
  • What happens after the call
  • Confirm success & expected results
  • Troubleshooting & limitations
  • FAQs
  • Support

What is a voice call?

A voice call is a phone interaction delivered by a live agent or an automated IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system. It is used to notify, verify, or engage customers using live conversations or pre-recorded messages.


Types of voice calls

  • Outbound IVR campaigns – Automated calls play a recorded message and capture keypad input (DTMF) for actions like renewals or OTPs.
  • Agent-initiated calls – A support or sales rep dials customers from the dashboard or softphone.
  • Inbound IVR calls – Customers call your number and navigate menus (e.g., “Press 1 for Support”).

Alt-text (Figure 1): Screenshot of “Create Voice Campaign” wizard showing Name, Audio, Retries, and Schedule fields.
Caption (Figure 1): Create a voice campaign with audio, retry policy, and schedule.


When to use voice calls

  • Appointment reminders, payment renewals, emergency alerts.
  • OTP and account verification.
  • High-value promotions requiring real-time responses.

Prerequisites

  • Verified caller ID (displayed number) and sufficient voice credits.
  • Consent & compliance: honor DND/Do-Not-Call, local quiet hours, and call-recording laws where applicable.
  • Clean contacts: numbers in E.164 format (e.g., +14155550123).
  • Audio ready: upload MP3/WAV or use text-to-speech.
  • Routing choices: know where keypresses route (agent queue, webhook, or confirmation flow).

Set up an outbound IVR campaign (UI)

  1. Go to Campaigns → Voice → New Campaign.
  2. Name your campaign (e.g., “Subscription Renewal – Sep”).
  3. Upload or record your message. Keep it under 25 seconds and state the brand at the start.
  4. Define keypress actions:
    • 1 → Connect to Renewals Queue
    • 2 → Send SMS follow-up
    • 9 → Do not call again (opt-out)

Upload contacts: CSV with headers:

phone,name,account_id

+14155550123,Alex Chen,AC-00421

+14155550124,Sara Kapoor,AC-00715

  1. Set retry logic: up to 3 attempts, 10 minutes apart, stop on answer.
  2. Schedule: select recipient time zone and call window (e.g., 9:00–18:00 Mon–Fri).
  3. Compliance checks: enable voicemail detection, DND suppression, and opt-out key.
  4. Click Launch. Monitor live metrics in Campaigns → Reports.

Set up via API (optional)

Create a campaign

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/v1/voice/campaigns \

  -H "Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>" \

  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \

  -d '{

    "name": "Subscription Renewal - Sep",

    "audio_url": "https://cdn.example.com/audio/renewal-sep.mp3",

    "dtmf_actions": {"1":"route:queue/renewals","2":"action:sms_followup","9":"action:optout"},

    "retry": {"max_attempts": 3, "gap_minutes": 10, "stop_on_answer": true},

    "schedule": {"tz": "America/Los_Angeles", "days": ["Mon","Tue","Wed","Thu","Fri"], "start": "09:00", "end": "18:00"},

    "voicemail_detection": true,

    "dnd_suppression": true

  }'

Add contacts

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/v1/voice/campaigns/<CAMPAIGN_ID>/contacts \

  -H "Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>" \

  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \

  -d '{"contacts":[

        {"phone":"+14155550123","name":"Alex Chen","account_id":"AC-00421"},

        {"phone":"+14155550124","name":"Sara Kapoor","account_id":"AC-00715"}

  ]}'

Launch

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/v1/voice/campaigns/<CAMPAIGN_ID>/launch \

  -H "Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>"

What happens after the call

  • Key press (e.g., “1”) → call routes to an agent queue or a confirmation flow.
  • No answer → system retries per your rule.
  • Voicemail detected → skip or play alternative message and mark as voicemail.
  • Opt-out (“9”) → contact is suppressed from future campaigns.

Confirm success & expected results

  • Go to Campaigns → Reports.
  • Success indicators:
    • Delivery rate ≥ 95%
    • Connect rate (answered) ≥ 20–35% depending on audience
    • Action rate (DTMF “1”) meets your target (e.g., ≥ 8%)
  • Export logs to verify keypress counts, voicemail flags, and retry outcomes.

Troubleshooting & limitations

  • High voicemail rate → Shorten message; call within business hours; reduce caller ID spam risk.
  • “Spam likely” label → Use verified caller ID; avoid over-calling; vary messaging cadence.
  • Low DTMF capture → Add a brief pause before the menu; repeat options once.
  • DNC/consent errors → Ensure opt-in records; enable DND suppression.
  • International calls blocked → Confirm country access on your account.
  • Legal note → You are responsible for consent and local telemarketing/recording laws.

FAQs

Will the system leave a voicemail?
 If voicemail is detected, you can play a shorter voicemail message or skip and log as voicemail.

Can I personalize the message?
 Yes. Use text-to-speech variables (e.g., “Hello, ”) or create audio variants by segment.

How do I route “Press 1” to agents only during business hours?
 Set the key to route to a queue and restrict queue hours; outside hours, route to a confirmation flow or voicemail.


Support

If you see repeated failures or API errors, open a ticket in Help → Support or email support@example.com with the Campaign ID and timestamps.