Top-Rated Auto Dialer Software for Call Centers
This article explains how autodialer
software works, the different types of autodialers, their key features and
benefits, and which providers are the best today.
What is an Autodialer?
An autodialer is call center
software that automatically dials phone numbers from a call list until the
caller answers. At that point, the autodialer transfers the call to an IVR menu
or a live agent.
Autodialer ensures outbound
call efficiency by automatically dialing numbers from the contact list at a
constant speed, detecting voicemails and busy signals, and deleting voicemails
if necessary. Auto dialing takes care of the slowest part of the outbound call,
allowing agents to focus on tasks such as searching contact history or
preparing quotes.
Many leading VoIP and contact
center providers, such as RingCentral and 8×8, have integrated this contact
center technology into their cloud-based solutions, which can be accessed via
cell phones, browsers, and mobile apps.
Autodialers retrieve contact
lists from CRM databases, contact spreadsheets, and other sources and use the
generated lists to serve prospects and existing customers by sending messages,
providing customer service, and reminding them of appointments. They
automatically call existing customers via self-service IVR menus and provide
them with notifications, updates, payment options, etc.
How Does Auto-Dialing Work?
Autodialer software
determines the number to dial from a database of contacts, customers, or other
user-supplied contact lists. The software instructs your computer and VoIP
system to make the call without you having to dial the number manually.
Usually, the caller answers within 25 seconds or after four rings. If the call
goes to voicemail, rings for more than 25 seconds, or gets a busy signal, the
caller automatically hangs up and dials other numbers from the list.
Dialing Mode
Automatic dialing uses four
basic dialing modes or styles: predial, automatic dialing, progressive dialing,
and screen dialing.
Predictive Dialer
Predictive dialing uses
machine learning algorithms to determine when to automatically dial a recipient
and how many recipients to dial at once. The Predictive Dialing algorithm
determines this information based on several conversion parameters:
- The number and nature of
available agents.
- The average duration of a
call.
- The probability that each
call will be answered.
- The time it takes for a call
to be answered.
Together, these parameters
determine the "pacing algorithm" for predictive selection, which aims
to determine the best time to place a call so that all agents switch calls
simultaneously.
Power Dialer
Progressive dialing allows
agents to dial phone numbers directly and continuously, one number at a time,
from a list. Predictive dialing dials one digit at a time, unlike Progressive Dialing, which makes multiple simultaneous automatic calls when an agent is
busy.
Unlike predictive dialing,
advanced dialing eliminates the risk of premature dialing when an agent is
still on a previous call and offers the option of leaving a voice message or
hanging up.
Progressive Dialer
Progressive dialing checks
the contact database by only selecting a new contact when an agent is
available. It eliminates the risk of customers being transferred without an
agent, resulting in lost calls and customer frustration.
Preview Dialer
Caller screening allows
agents to review a contact's profile and information (company, role, personal
details, billing details, location) before placing a call.
It allows the agent to
prepare and make necessary changes before making the call rather than calling
on a whim.
What are the key Features of an Automated Call Center?
The key features of an
automated call center are integration with customer relationship management
(CRM) software, agent training tools, call recording, voicemail detection and
recording, and consumer protection law compliance.
Integration with Customer
Relationship Management (CRM) software
Integration with CRM software
provides agents with better context for automated calls by providing richer
contact profiles and historical information. In addition, integration with CRM
software enables the capture and archiving of information gathered during
automated calls, such as customer feedback and agent comments.
The CRM software records and
organizes the data for later analysis. Supervisors can listen to call
recordings and review logs to drill down into customer statements and emotions
and use this data to train agents and adjust scripts.
Call Monitoring
Call monitoring is a feature
of many contact centers, and VoIP phone systems that allow supervisors to
actively listen, interrupt, intervene, and monitor agent calls in real-time.
Typically, monitoring
consists of a control panel that allows the supervisor to view, monitor and
transfer active calls. Supervisors can see the total number of active calls,
the active agents, the number of callers, the duration of each call, and the
number of rings on hold. Some advanced monitoring tools can display call
relationships in real-time and provide call recordings at the click of a mouse.
Call Recording
Many contact centers offer
automatic call recording and on-demand call recording as options. Automated
call recording allows supervisors to record all incoming calls to the contact
center, while on-demand recording will enable agents to record specific calls
at the touch of a button selectively.
Call recording is essential
in areas where HIPAA/HITECH compliance is required, as it allows agents to
verify compliance.
Pre-recorded Voicemail Detection
Audible Message Detection
(AMD) technology recognizes pauses, speech patterns, and phrases as
"messages" to determine whether an answering machine is talking to a
live person or an answering machine.
AMD technology saves time by
preventing Auto Dialer systems from redirecting agents' numbers to the answering
machine. Many autodialer systems automatically send pre-recorded messages to
the answering device that the agent must "repeat" during the call,
increasing the effective length of the ring.
Benefits of Automated Search Software
Automated search software
provides several essential benefits to call centers: improved call and call
rates, efficiency, accurate call center tracking, increased agent productivity,
and increased customer contact rates.
Improved Call, Connection, and Contact Performance
Calls, connections, and
contacts are three key performance indicators for call centers that measure the
total number of outbound calls entering the call center.
Number of calls: the total
number of calls made in a given period, indicating the effectiveness of the
call center and its agents.
Call rate: the percentage of
calls answered by a live person rather than a busy signal or answering machine,
indicating which numbers and times of day are most effective in contacting a
particular customer or demographic group.
Call Rate: the percentage of
all calls that a live person answer. This percentage is not a call flow but an
indication of the messages and times of day that callers may be put on hold.
Improve Contact Center Performance
By using any of the above
forms of auto dialing, incredibly progressive or pre-targeted dialing increases
contact center efficiency and improves communication in call distribution
management.
This contact center-level
auto-dialing technology not only frees agents and supervisors from needing to
identify and contact contacts manually but also allows them to identify the
most appropriate agent for each contact. It makes contact centers more
efficient and better able to manage call distribution.
Proper Contact Center Tracking
Autodialer features typically
include dashboards with specific metrics and performance indicators, such as
the number of calls, completed calls, contacts, and real-time call logs for
each agent and the contact center. These tools allow managers to view contact
center performance in real-time and based on the history of daily operations
and ad hoc outbound campaigns.
Increased Agent Productivity
With auto-dialer software,
agents no longer need to manually dial a phone number, wait for it to ring, and
give a busy signal. Instead, auto dialer software eliminates these concerns,
allowing agents to spend all their time dealing directly with customers,
selling, and servicing.
Increased agent productivity
translates into happier, less frustrated agents.
Increased Lead Conversion
By combining CRM with a
pre-engagement system, agents can contact more prospects more quickly, with
deep knowledge of the customer's history, profile, and needs.
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