I am sure you must have experienced receiving a call and when you answer it either there is noone on the other end or you hear and dial tone and the phone disconnects. You my friend has been on the receiving end of an outbound dialer call.
What is an Auto Dialer?
Outbound dialer or more commonly known as an auto dialer is a system or tool that allows the call centers to automate their their calling process. The way it functions is that the supervisor upload the contact list either manually or automate the sync between a CRM or a third-party system. Once the contacts have been entered into the, the auto dialer system dials them. Thus, eliminating the need for manual dialing.
What are the different types of Call Center Dialers?
The good news is that there are a number of auto dialers available. You can select the best dialer based on your business requirements. Let us look at some of them in detail.
Predictive Dialer
A predictive dialer is one of the most commonly used dialer for call centers as it allows you to bulk dial and enables call center agents to dramatically expand their number of live connections. It enhance an agent’s productivity by 150% to 400% as it effectively avoids dropped calls by connecting them to a rollover IVR system. This eliminates the lag time for customers due to absenteeism of the agent at the concerned desk.
Preview Dialer
This is another type of auto dialer wherein the agent can view the customers information before the call is dialed out. The call center manager can configure the display setting to set the time duration for which the information is displayed. When it comes to engaging with high value customers, preview dialer is the choice. As it allows the sales rep/agent to view the relevant information and accordingly change her/his sales pitch. Thus, increasing the chances of conversion.
Power Dialer
Power dialer which is also sometimes called progressive dialer is a dialing mechanism where the agent is connected on a call before the customer. That is, the agent is already live on a call and the customer joins the session. One of the biggest advantage of this auto dialer is that the customer does not get a blank call. Which not only improves the customer experience but also allows the agents to be in control of the dialing session.
Some Features of an Auto Dialer Software
An effective and intelligent auto dialer software comprises of the following features:
- Defining the pacing ratio i.e. the number of calls dialed per agent
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Call drop ratio to define the maximum acceptable threshold for the number of dropped calls per contact list
- Segmenting the contact list based on call disposition and automate call retry
- Defining Agent Idle time which refers to time gap between the agent wrapping up an ongoing call and initiating a new call
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Automating outbound calling based on previous behavior – best time to call
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Answering machine detection to save agents’ time and connect only when a human answers the call
What Auto Dialers Can Do For Your Business?
Auto dialers can change the way you handle your call center operations. An outbound call center software comprises of predictive dialer that adapt quickly to dynamic conditions, answer calls within seconds, and accommodate various combinations of traditional switched telephone networks (PSTN) and IP (VoIP). Not only this, they also offer access to numerous VoIP services, manage telephone lists and bring flexibility on capacity increase. If you are still considering whether you need an outbound dialer, here’s a look at how they help:
Enhanced Agent Efficiency:
The time and effort required to dial a number, listen to voicemail, deal with busy tones and no-answer or schedule call backs eat away 10-15 minutes of talk time per hour. This, in the long run, affects the productivity of the organization to a great extent. With the call center dialer, the average agent can contribute 40 or 50 minutes in the hour, which increases productivity to 200%-300%. Moreover, it ensures response to a fixed number of calls per hour, which translates to the highest possible agent talk time with a very small percentage of dropped calls.
Increased Productivity with Blended Campaigns:
An effective call center software allows the business to handle both inbound and outbound campaigns with ease. This is achieved with the help of auto dialer software wherein the call center agent remains connected to clients via a “blended’ campaign. Which means – the same team of agents handles both outbound and inbound calls at the same time. It automates and balances the process of switching between inbound and outbound calls, with features like call queuing and variable dial ratios. It also allows flexibility for multi-tasking, which positively boosts their morale, especially in high throughput predictive dialing campaigns.
High Rate of Prospect to Client Conversion:
Once the data is uploaded to a dialer manually or via database synchronization, the hot prospects need to be contacted on a priority basis. Agents need to call the prospects promptly, more so in the case of sales leads. Auto-dialers ensure this, while also automating the process of recycling (calling back) voicemails, busy numbers and calls not answered. Thus, a large percentage of leads are followed up on very quickly and professionally within a short span of time, increasing the sale conversion rate substantially.
Boost Sales Conversion and Collections
An intelligent predictive dialer solution while automating your outbound calling allows your agents to dial more in less time. The company’s ability to address customer issues promptly and professionally, can offer a substantial differential advantage. Moreover, it also enhances the agents’ morale by streamlining their work, enhancing their productivity and accelerating the sales or debt collection rate. This also translates into better incentives and recognition for them. And we all know that happy employees ensure happy customers!