The Missing Link: The Importance of Adding AI-Powered Phone Calls to Your Customer Engagement Platform
Introduction: Where Customer Engagement Falls Short
Modern Customer Engagement Platforms (CEPs) have revolutionized marketing and sales, allowing businesses to reach customers through email, SMS, push notifications, WhatsApp, in-app messaging, and webhooks. Tools like Braze, MoEngage, Iterable, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and CleverTap give brands the power to automate customer journeys, personalize outreach, and scale engagement across multiple digital channels.
But something is still missing—a crucial link that text-based messaging alone can’t provide.
📉 Low email and SMS response rates limit engagement
📉 Push notifications get ignored or dismissed
📉 Customers feel disconnected from brands relying only on digital touchpoints
The missing link? AI-powered phone calls—an intuitive, high-converting, and controlled engagement channel that turns passive outreach into active conversations that drive real action.
In this article, we’ll explore how adding AI-powered phone calls to your CEP can create a true omnichannel strategy, improve customer activation, sales conversions, and retention, and optimize key KPIs that drive long-term business growth.
Where Current CEPs Excel—And Where They Fail
Braze & Its Competitors: Strengths in Digital Engagement
CEPs like Braze, MoEngage, Iterable, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud have mastered digital outreach. These platforms enable multi-channel engagement across:
✅ Email – Great for newsletters, promotions, and automated drip campaigns
✅ SMS – Used for quick updates, reminders, and transactional notifications
✅ Push Notifications – Effective for mobile engagement and retention
✅ In-App & Web Messaging – Delivers personalized recommendations and promotions
✅ WhatsApp & Chatbots – Used for interactive customer service and lead nurturing
These platforms excel at automating customer journeys, personalizing messages, and segmenting audiences based on data and behavioral triggers.
But here’s the challenge:
💬 Customers read emails and texts on their own time—if at all
💬 Push notifications get ignored
💬 Text-based messaging lacks emotional impact
💬 Low engagement = lost revenue opportunities
What’s Missing? Real-Time, Human-Like Conversations
If your business relies solely on text-based engagement, you’re leaving conversions on the table. Customers often need a direct conversation to take action, clarify concerns, or feel connected to a brand.
The most natural way to engage customers is the oldest and most intuitive—the phone.
AI-Powered Phone Calls: The Missing Link in Customer Engagement
AI-powered phone calls allow businesses to scale real-time, natural-sounding conversations without hiring a massive sales or support team. Unlike traditional outreach, AI-driven voice calls can:
🔹 Deliver human-like conversations that feel natural and engaging
🔹 Handle objections & answer questions in real-time
🔹 Guide customers through activation & conversion steps
🔹 Follow up with prospects automatically at optimal times
🔹 Scale without increasing headcount
By integrating AI-powered calls into your CEP, you can bridge the gap between digital outreach and real-world engagement, creating a true omnichannel strategy that maximizes every interaction.
How AI-Powered Phone Calls Work with CEPs
Adding AI-powered voice calls to Braze, MoEngage, Salesforce, and other CEPs is simple:
1. Sync AI Calls with Customer Journeys
Integrate AI phone calls into existing engagement workflows. Trigger AI-powered outreach based on user actions such as:
✔️ New sign-up or account activation
✔️ Abandoned cart or checkout
✔️ Trial-to-paid conversion follow-up
✔️ Churn risk detected (low engagement, inactivity)
✔️ Subscription renewal or upgrade opportunity
2. Automate & Personalize Conversations
AI-powered phone calls are not pre-recorded robocalls—they’re dynamic, real-time conversations that adapt based on customer input. The AI:
✔️ Pulls CRM & engagement data to personalize interactions
✔️ Uses natural language processing (NLP) for smooth, human-like dialogue
✔️ Adjusts conversation flow based on real-time customer responses
3. Track, Optimize & Scale
AI-powered calls don’t just engage customers—they provide data-driven insights. Businesses can track:
✔️ Call answer rates & engagement
✔️ Conversion & activation rates
✔️ Sentiment analysis (positive vs. negative interactions)
✔️ Objection handling & outcomes
With real-time analytics, you can fine-tune scripts, optimize timing, and continuously improve performance.
The KPIs That AI-Powered Phone Calls Improve
1. Customer Activation Rate
📈 Why It Matters: Activation is the critical first step in the customer journey. If users sign up but don’t engage, they’re likely to churn.
📞 How AI Calls Help: AI-driven onboarding calls walk customers through activation, reducing drop-off.
2. Conversion Rate (Trials to Paid, Lead to Customer, etc.)
📈 Why It Matters: Digital-only engagement often fails to convert leads into customers.
📞 How AI Calls Help: AI calls answer questions, handle objections, and guide users to convert faster.
3. Retention & Churn Reduction
📈 Why It Matters: Customer retention is cheaper than acquisition—but inactive users often leave without intervention.
📞 How AI Calls Help: AI can proactively check in with customers, solve problems, and keep them engaged.
4. Re-Engagement & Win-Back Rate
📈 Why It Matters: Users who haven’t engaged in a while need a strong reason to return.
📞 How AI Calls Help: Instead of an ignored email, a personal AI call reconnects customers at the right moment.
5. Upsell & Cross-Sell Revenue
📈 Why It Matters: Existing customers spend more when approached strategically.
📞 How AI Calls Help: AI agents suggest relevant upgrades & add-ons based on customer history.
6. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) & Net Promoter Score (NPS)
📈 Why It Matters: Positive customer experiences drive brand loyalty.
📞 How AI Calls Help: AI-driven post-interaction calls gather feedback and resolve issues in real time.
Conclusion: The Future of Customer Engagement is AI-Driven & Multi-Channel
💡 Braze, MoEngage, Iterable, and Salesforce have mastered digital engagement—but without AI-powered phone calls, they’re missing a vital touchpoint.
💡 Adding AI-driven calls to your CEP fills the missing link—activating customers, driving conversions, and boosting retention in ways text-based outreach never can.
🚀 Ready to scale customer engagement beyond digital? It’s time to bring AI-powered phone calls into your strategy.
🔗 Learn More About AI-Powered Phone Calls
