Getting Started with Voice and IVR in Telerivet
Learn when to use voice over SMS, what you can build with our IVR and outbound calling capabilities, and how to connect a voice route in your market.
Most communication programs run on text. Voice becomes the right choice when text is not enough: when the audience includes people with low literacy, when a message needs to be spoken to be understood, when a call is the expected interaction mode, or when an emergency requires a channel that reaches people immediately regardless of whether they check their messages.
Telerivet supports outbound voice calls, inbound call handling, interactive voice response (IVR), and voice polls, all manageable from the same platform as your SMS and chat app workflows. This article covers when to use voice, what you can build, and how to connect.
When voice is the right channel
Voice is not a fallback for when SMS doesn't work. It serves genuinely different situations.
| Situation | Why voice fits |
|---|---|
| Low-literacy audiences | A spoken message reaches people who cannot read an SMS |
| Emergency alerts and dispatch | An outbound call commands attention in a way a text notification does not |
| Verbal confirmation required | Some workflows require a human response that a keypress cannot substitute for |
| Inbound inquiry routing | Callers reaching your organization can be routed, queued, or served automatically |
| Voice polls and data collection | Collecting structured responses from populations who are more comfortable speaking than typing |
| Authentication and verification | Speaking a code or confirming identity over a call in markets where OTP SMS delivery is unreliable |
For a broader look at how voice fits alongside SMS and WhatsApp in early warning and dispatch workflows, see How Organizations Use SMS, WhatsApp, IVR to Build Early Warning and Dispatch Systems.
What you can build with Voice and IVR in Telerivet
Outbound voice calls Send automated calls to a contact list, either immediately or on a schedule. Message delivery options include text-to-speech (type the message and Telerivet reads it aloud), a pre-recorded audio file, or a live recording made in your browser. You can prompt recipients to press a key to acknowledge receipt, confirm attendance, or opt out.
IVR call flows Build interactive voice response menus that handle inbound or outbound calls with branching logic. A caller dials your number, hears a menu, and navigates by pressing keys on their keypad. Telerivet provides two ways to design IVR flows:
- Drag-and-drop (Custom Call Flow): design call flows visually in your browser without writing code, using the same rules-based approach as Custom Actions for messaging services
- Cloud Script API: write JavaScript to build more complex call flows, query data tables, or integrate with external systems
Voice polls Conduct automated voice polls via inbound or outbound calls. Ask one or more questions and collect keypad responses. Results are recorded against the contact's record, the same way a text poll response would be. Voice polls are particularly effective for health programs, beneficiary surveys, and data collection in low-literacy contexts.
Inbound call handling Configure what happens when someone calls your Telerivet number. Options include playing a pre-recorded message, forwarding the call to another number, recording a voicemail and sending an email notification, or routing the caller into an IVR menu.
Virtual caller ID Make outbound calls from a virtual number so your team's personal phone numbers are never exposed to contacts. Contacts see your organization's number as the caller ID.
Common use cases
| Use case | How voice fits |
|---|---|
| Emergency alerts | An automated outbound call reaches a contact list immediately, with a keypress acknowledgment to confirm receipt |
| Appointment reminders for low-literacy populations | A spoken reminder is more effective than an unread SMS for audiences where reading is not the primary interaction mode |
| Beneficiary verification | A voice call confirms identity or collects a spoken response in programs where keystroke responses are not sufficient |
| Inbound support routing | An IVR menu routes callers to the right team or plays self-service information without requiring a live agent |
| Field dispatch confirmation | Field agents receive an automated call with a task briefing and press a key to confirm they received it |
| Voice-based data collection | Health workers or community volunteers respond to structured questions by keypad in areas where smartphone literacy is low |
Connecting a voice route
Telerivet supports two ways to connect to phone networks for voice.
Virtual phone numbers Local phone numbers are available in 64 countries. A virtual number lets your organization send and receive calls without managing physical phone infrastructure. To see availability and check whether a virtual number is available in your target country, visit telerivet.com/product/virtual.
VoIP providers and devices If you already have a VoIP provider or a SIP-enabled device, Telerivet can integrate with any voice-over-IP provider that supports a SIP interface. This is the right option if you have an existing telephony relationship you want to keep, or if you need a configuration that a virtual number does not cover. See telerivet.com/product/sip for more.
To find the recommended connection method for a specific country, use the country selector on the Voice product page.
For setup steps, see Introduction to Voice Calls, Configuring Voice Functionality, and Custom Call Flows in the User Guide.
Voice alongside other channels
Voice works best as part of a multi-channel setup, not as a standalone replacement for SMS. A common pattern is using SMS or WhatsApp for routine outbound communication and voice for situations that require higher urgency or guaranteed acknowledgment. An emergency alert that goes out as both an SMS and an automated call reaches a wider audience and is harder to miss than either channel alone.
Telerivet's service architecture means you can trigger a voice call from within the same workflow that sends an SMS: an incoming message, a scheduled trigger, or an event in an external system can all initiate a call alongside or instead of a text. For more on how these multi-channel patterns work in practice, see What is IVR? Use Interactive Voice Response in Your Business Like a Pro and The Top 3 Emergency Notification Software Solutions to Mitigate Harm in a Crisis.
Best practice tip
For outbound voice campaigns, always include a keypress acknowledgment prompt rather than relying on delivery confirmation alone. A call that connects and plays does not mean the recipient heard and understood the message. A keypress response, press 1 to confirm you received this message, press 2 to be called back, gives you an actual record of engagement and surfaces contacts who need follow-up. It also gives recipients an active role in the interaction, which improves completion rates for surveys and data collection calls.
Reach out to your customer success lead or get in touch if you need help designing a voice workflow or figuring out the right connectivity option for your market.