What is a predictive dialer?

Predictive dialers, automatic dialers, preview dialers – what’s the difference and how do each of them work? This predictive dialer FAQ answers all of your top questions.

A predictive dialer is an automatic phone dialer system that makes phone calls before an agent is available. The dialer makes multiple calls across lines and either hangs up when it reaches an answering machine or leaves a message. When a live person is detected on the phone, the dialer connects the right agent to the line.

A predictive dialer is a type of automated dialer. It’s designed to increase agent efficiency by calling as many leads as possible. Predictive dialing systems screen out busy signals, unanswered calls, disconnected lines, and fax machines, and use answering machine detection. This minimizes the number of abandoned calls, so agents get more time with customers.

Predictive dialers come in many forms like hardware systems, cloud-based providers, or as part of a contact center platform.

What are the benefits of a predictive dialer?

A predictive dialer is designed to increase the efficiency of agents by calling as many leads as possible. Here are a few key benefits:

Increased employee productivity: Less agent downtime equals more one-on-one customer time. Predictive dialers use algorithms to determine call duration and assign it automatically to a specific agent.

Improved lead generation: Predictive dialers help increase the number of calls made while also improving the quality of calls. When agents can answer more calls, there’s a higher probability that they can convert more leads.

More closed sales: More leads mean more opportunities for closed sales. Your agents can spend their time on what matters for your company: closing sales.

Enhanced customer service: Predictive dialer software reduces the chance for human error, especially during times of high call volume. It also lets customers schedule calls with agents at times that are convenient for them.

How does a predictive dialer work?

To predict when an agent can take their next call and begin to dial the next phone number, predictive dialers use mathematical algorithms. Predictive dialer software calculates the average length of a phone call and the average number of dials it takes to connect with a live customer or lead. It then uses this information to dial accordingly.

When a call goes unanswered, the dialer moves on to the next in a pre-uploaded list. Agents don’t have to search for contacts and wait for a connection. Predictive dialers ensure minimal downtime and maximum productivity for agents. Agents can spend this extra time actually talking with leads and customers.

Do I need a predictive dialer?

The short answer? Yes. With the right software, a predictive dialer is easy to integrate into your outbound services and greatly improves outbound call performance. It benefits agent performance as well as the customer experience.

What’s a preview dialer?

A preview dialer is a tool that displays a customer’s record before dialing their phone number. It works in conjunction with a predictive dialer. Agents use this tool to get helpful information about a customer and their previous interactions before talking with them on the phone. A preview dialer enables agents to create a personalized and effective customer experience.

Preview dialer software features a single-window panel with key information about the customer and agent scripts which can be automatically presented based on customer characteristics and an array of scenarios.

What’s an automatic dialer?

An automatic dialer is a tool that dials numbers for agents. A predictive dialer and preview dialer are types of automatic dialers. They all help streamline outbound call services.

Are predictive dialers illegal?

Automatic dialer software is not illegal. But they must adhere to regulations like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Companies that don’t adhere to regulations can face legal repercussions. Don’t leave compliance up to chance. Find a software that simplifies risk management for your company by taking into account local and federal guidelines.

Should I use a cloud-based predictive dialer?

Traditionally, predictive dialers began as hardware systems. But omnichannel contact centers benefit more from a cloud-based dialer. The benefits of a cloud-based predictive dialer include reduced upfront expenses and IT costs. This means more time spent talking to customers.

Facilitate highly efficient and targeted outreach with automatic dialer software. A few key features include call and screen recording, quality monitoring and performance reporting, CRM integration, agent coaching, and more. As with all solutions, we offer simplified risk management that makes it easy to address TCPA, FDCPA, and other regulations.