What are Predictive Dialers?

Predictive dialers are highly sophisticated business phone tools. They are the key to call center productivity. They automate the process of dialing numbers, filtering out answering machines, faxes, engaged and disconnected lines ... and then assigning live calls to available call center agents based on availability, skill level, knowledge, specialization and so on.

Predictive telephone dialers attempt to make phone contact with individuals or households whose details are included in a target database specific to a campaign. The campaign may target people with: specific demographics, who own or use particular products, have outstanding debts, entered a competition and so on.

What is predictive dialer? It's a computer based technology that can massively increase the number of human voice contacts that an agent can make in a working day. An objective that is achieved in several different ways:

1. They dial numbers associated with a target database or list.


2. They filter our calls where contact with a live human voice is not achieved and either discard numbers or schedule them for call back at a later date or time based on the type of line activity detected.


3. They continuously monitor the availability of call center agents to take calls using sophisticated algorithms.


4. They allocate calls to agents based on their availability and other factors that may include: skill, experience, knowledge and so on.


5. They comprehensively monitor and report on agent call handling metrics.

Using sophisticated algorithms, the predictive auto dialer can adjust the volume of outbound calls so that the number of successful voice contacts closely corresponds with the availability of agents to handle calls. It's a balancing act between making sure that agents are working at optimum levels of productivity, but at the same time not overloaded to the point where calls must be abandoned. In many countries there are regulatory requirements that stipulate a call must be abandoned within 3 seconds if there aren't available agents to handle it.

The predictive phone dialer is a refinement of auto dialer technology. As the name suggests, auto dialers do the dialing for agents, but they don't have the load balancing and predictive smarts of their more sophisticated relatives. As a consequence they are not able to optimize agent productivity or adjust loads to prevent inundation and the resulting "silent calls."

Types of Predictive Dialers

There are two broad categories of dialer. They are either "hard" or "soft," which means that the smarts are either embedded in a circuit board or in software. In the past the prevailing opinion was that the hard wired option performed better and the soft option was too slow except in boutique call center operations. Developments in hardware and software technology have since progressed and today soft dialers are considered to be the more competitive option in most situations.

Hard Predictive Dialers

The complete box of tricks including: smarts, dialer, lines, phones and headsets in a self contained package.

The logic associated with monitoring call progress and answering machine detection is hard wired into circuit boards for fast execution.

Typically they have a direct ISDN connection to the PSTN, which means they are independent of the PBX and any changes or developments associated with a PBX or ACD.

Generally the more expensive option because it involves a whole package of hardware and then there are the on-site maintenance costs associated with hardware.

Soft Predictive Dialers

A lower cost option providing it can be interfaced to existing components such as a VoIP PBX or ACD, lines, and call center seats.

Most commercial predictive dialer software is now developed with open interfaces and APIs that facilitate integration with other applications and business processes.

Soft dialers had a reputation for poor performance. It's a complaint that has been addressed in new versions by smarter-optimized algorithms and increasingly powerful servers.

Furthermore the technology is readily upgradable without the necessity to replace hardware.

Hosted Predictive Dialer

An option that requires no capital expenditure on either hardware or software. The only requirements are essentially a broadband connection and phone lines for the agents.

It's a utility model that has made the technology accessible to SMBs and compliments the offerings of service providers already offering hosted VoIP PBX and phone recording software solutions.

Predictive Dialers - the benefits

Increased call center productivity. Depending on the nature of the campaign, productivity can increased by 150% to over 400%.

Greater consistency of call quality resulting from the ability to closely monitor call center metrics.

Improved compliance with call center policies as a consequence of an enhanced ability to monitor and manage operations.

Enhanced ability to introduce, train and support new call center agents.

The predictive auto dialer and VoIP phone system are the foundation on which the multi-billion dollar call center industry is built. It is an industry that employs millions and serves tens of thousands of businesses.

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