Twilio Flex is a relatively new cloud-based contact center platform. As the name implies, it is part of Twilio. This company provides cloud-based services that help businesses upgrade their communication systems without investing that much in the hardware that most contact centers require. Today, we’ll review Twilio Flex to see what it's all about.
What is Twilio Flex?
Twilio Flex is a cloud-based contact center meant to help medium and large businesses manage their communication with customers. Twilio Flex is omnichannel, highly customizable, and fully programmable. You can choose from such channels as:
- Voice – can be used in 180 countries with PSTN support
- VoIP – Can be embedded in web and mobile apps
- SMS
- Chat
- Line
- + Add your channels using the API
You can also make every element of the contact center work for you by adjusting the agent interface, conversation routing, reports, etc.
Other Benefits of Using Twilio Flex
The software's strengths include the channels that can be deployed and customized.
1. Twilio Flex User Interface
Anyone can easily navigate the user interface of Twilio Flex. However, true to its programmability nature, every UI element can be customized. A business can add components for the agents or even buttons for customers. Each customization can link to new channels or perform functions such as generating reports on agent performance or showing customer satisfaction. All of this allows you to enhance all your contact centers without the need to restructure anything.
Twilio Flex agent dashboard. Source: TechCrunch
2. Drag-and-drop Application Builder
As previously stated, users with little to no coding know-how can program or customize Twilio Flex. The WYSIWYG or drag-and-drop builder is easy to use. It can create virtually any type of application inside the Twilio Flex environment without the need for coding. This will cut work times, as agents won’t have to wait for developers to come up with customized applications.
3. Integrations
Using Twilio API, you can connect Flex with other necessary apps. The list includes but is not limited to:
- Salesforce
- Zendesk
- Workforce management apps
- Customer relationship management apps
- Workforce optimization apps
- Analytics apps
The API is so versatile that Twilio Flex promises it can be integrated with almost every third-party app. This opens up endless possibilities for your contact center, as no architectural dependencies hold you back.
4. Contextual Intelligence
Twilio Flex also gains many upgrades via the Twilio platform, including machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Twilio uses Google’s Natural Language Processing Capabilities (NLP) to create Twilio Understand, which uses ML and AI to gather contextual data to better understand Twilio customers' needs. The titular contact center software uses Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and voice recognition.
All three, plus the AI infrastructure in Twilio Flex, translate into better services via advanced speech analytics. However, Twilio charges an additional fee for speech analytics.
5. Twilio Flex Autopilot
From contextual intelligence comes Autopilot, Twilio Flex's conversational AI. You can use Autopilot to build bots, interactive voice responses (IVRs), and Alexa and Google assistants apps.
Autopilot aims to answer frequently asked questions. However, it can do so much more than that. For instance, it can support a natural conversation and hand-off tasks that require human attention. It transforms your contact center into a help desk-like system.
Twilio Flex Autopilot
6. Twilio Pay
Businesses can also use Flex with Twilio Pay. With just one line of code to activate the service, you can provide a secure payment channel for your customers. You can also process payments over the phone while keeping credit card information safe.
7. Omnichannel Conversation Integrity
An omnichannel approach is now a requirement for almost any app in the customer service industry. Twilio Flex promises seamless integration between the channels. An agent can follow a conversation from one channel and transfer it to another contact center without losing track of the main query.
8. Analytics on Real-time Interaction Data
Twilio Flex can give you complete control over contact center interaction data. A real-time stream of everything happening in your contact center can be viewed by a supervisor desktop and an admin desktop. Catch any negative feedback and appropriately train agents on the fly.
Twilio Flex Pricing
Twilio Flex offers competitive pricing that is sure to entice business owners. They offer several subscription plans that will fit anyone’s budget. The company charges customers in two main ways: per-hour base and named user pricing per month.
Free Twilio Flex
Price - $0
The free Twilio Flex plan gives you 5,000 hours of use. Deploy Twilio Flex, start creating dashboards and channels, and use almost all of the features of the cloud-based help desk software. However, you won’t be able to use workforce optimization (WFO) and self-hosted UI. Still, a 5,000-hour demo is already very generous, considering that one month is approximately 730 hours. You can have one agent use up the 5,000 hours for up to 6 months with 24/7 operation times. A team of 5 agents can use it for up to one month, more if you operate 8 to 12 hours a day.
Active User Pricing
Price - $1 per active user per hour
This pricing plan accommodates your business needs. You can distribute 6 to 8 working hours daily to simulate a 24/7 operation or scale it to 24/7 during peak seasons. Here are some calculations of the costs.
- 8 hours a day / 1 active user x 20 days (Mon to Fri) = $160
- 8 hours a day / 1 active user x 30 days (Mon to Sun) = $240
- 24 hours a day / 1 active user (every 8 hours) x 20 days (Mon to Fri) = $480
- 24 hours a day / 1 active user (every 8 hours) x 30 days (Mon to Sun) = $720
- Advanced speech analytics = +$0.25 / active user per hour
Essentially, this pricing plan is excellent for a business that doesn’t expect 24/7 customer service. It’s ideal for those that run an 8 am to 5 pm working hours and 5 days a week only contact center. You can check out the Twilio Flex price calculator for specific costs. The prices can be scaled depending on peak season, but it will be on a case-to-case basis.
Name User Pricing
Price - $150 per named user per month
A flat rate charge, regardless of traffic spikes or volume of activity for one named agent, supervisor, or admin. The flat rate gives you a predictable pricing plan, making it easier for you to estimate the costs.
- 8 hours a day / 1 active user x 30 days = $150
- 24 hours a day / 3 active users (every 8 hours) x 30 days = $450
- Advanced speech analytics = +$40 per named user
Cost-wise, the named user pricing might be cheaper in the long run, even with the flat rate advanced speech analytics price tag. Again, consult the price calculator on the Twilio Flex website for a detailed costing.
Who Can Use Twilio Flex?
Weighing the costs and services provided, one might say Twilio Flex, a programmable contact center, is ideal for small businesses. However, Twilio says their target is businesses that need more than 1,000 agents. On-premise contact center software is often expensive as you must pay for hardware and the whole software plus the per-user price. Twilio Flex offers an intuitive and highly customizable pricing plan that might fit your budget more.
Pros and Cons of Twilio Flex
Positive Reviews
Most favorable reviews about Twilio Flex focus on the software and the price. The number of channels, customization, and price points are game-changers. Users love that they can start from scratch and build their contact center system at a cheaper price than most services claiming the same benefits.
Negative Reviews
Perhaps it’s high customization is a double-edged sword. Some users warn of creating bugs while customizing Twilio Flex. This could lead to some problems like Zapier integration problems, SMS not showing up at all, sub-menus can act differently, and more. While non-developers can use the Twilio Flex contact center, it’s still a good idea to let devs do the tinkering.
Overall – Is Twilio Flex Worth It?
Twilio Flex is worth a try. With a free, fully functional demo, you can decide on your own if it’s worth the price tag. Besides, you have the backing of a company with many products at your disposal. The dedication of Twilio to always innovate is also a big plus, as evident by the fact that it is fully programmable. This ensures that you will get updated software for as long as you use it.
