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Auto Dialer vs Predictive Dialer: Know the Difference

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Auto Dialer vs Predictive Dialer: Know the Difference
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The average benchmark for First Call Resolution is 70%. This means that 30% of the customers have to call more than once to resolve their issues. Whether you fall in the 70% or the 30% category, it doesn’t matter if you can’t deliver excellent customer service. 

Ensuring that your team is available is critical for a call center and a sales team. When customer satisfaction and lead generation are your primary goal, you must equip the team with the best call center automation tool. 

Call center automation tools, such as auto-dialers, predictive dialers, progressive dialers, or power dialers, help automate tedious tasks and increase efficiency. In this article, we’ll focus on the difference between two of these dialers. 

Let’s start exploring auto dialer vs predictive dialer. 

What is an auto dialer?

An auto dialer automatically dials a number from a set list, plays a recorded message, and connects the customer/prospect to an agent. 

The working of auto dialing software is simple. An agent uploads a list of contact numbers and starts the campaign. The dialer sequentially dials each number on the lists and connects the answered calls to available agents. 

In case a call is dropped, the dialer plays a recorded message. The sales agents can also leave a recorded message if the call connects to an answering machine. 

The dialer also allows agents to wait before dialing the next number. This allows agents to fill in any details about the previous call and prepare themselves for the next call. 

Let’s also define predictive dialing software to understand the fundamental difference between auto dialer vs predictive dialer.

Related read: Top 15 auto-dialers!

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What is a predictive dialer?

Predictive dialing software is a type of automated dialing software that uses an ML (machine learning) algorithm to connect prospects to agents. 

The dialer dials multiple contact numbers simultaneously and connects the answered calls to any available agent. It uses factors like the number of agents, call duration, the ratio of answered and unanswered calls, etc., to predict the availability of an agent. 

The difference between a predictive and an auto dialer is that a predictive dialer queues up the next call for an agent regardless of the agent’s availability. In contrast, the auto dialer allows agents to have a cool-down time. 

Related read: Best predictive dialer software.

Auto dialer vs predictive dialer: features

Auto Dialer vs Predictive Dialer: Know the Difference

Now that we have established the basic difference between the two let’s also look at how the dialing software differs in functionality. 

Call ratio: 

While using an auto dialer, you can set the dial rate for a 1:1 ratio. This means one number dialer per agent. However, you can also set it for up to 3:1, i.e., three numbers dialed per agent. 

3 is the maximum number because, as per the FCC regulation, the call abandonment percentage should be below 3. (FCC considers a call abandoned when no agent answers the call for 2 seconds).

Predictive dialing software sets the call ratio based on certain factors. It runs an algorithm across the entire call center and evaluates the factor to set the best pace for call ratio. 

Call connected to an agent:

This is another difference between an auto dialer vs predictive dialer. 

An auto dialer connects an answered call to an agent. While this reduces the agent’s idle time as it skips over unanswered calls, busy signals, or answering machines, it doesn’t have the ability to make calls based on the agent’s availability. 

A predictive dialer predicts an agent’s availability and queues calls for agents. It connects an agent only after live human answers a call. Since the dialer calls the numbers before any agent has ended their previous call, this causes a delay. The prospect is left with an awkward silence or call-hold tune. 

Dialing mode:

The campaign manager sets the dialing rate of an auto dialer. It doesn’t predict or calculate the agent’s availability. It dials the next number once an agent ends the previous call. 

A predictive dialer calculates and predicts the agent’s availability and adjusts the dial rate. This dialer works best with a large team and helps you boost productivity. With more agents online, it ensures that no call is left unanswered by the agents. 

Read how Voxco helped ReconMR raise productivity by 40 % & scaled to 5 call centers. 

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Auto dialer vs predictive dialer: how to choose?

All telephony software offers a wide range of features helping you achieve your goal in one way or the other. The same can be said about auto dialers and predictive dialers. 

So how do you determine which is the best for your objective? Here are 3 factors you should consider while selecting your dialing software. 

1. Objective: 

Auto dialer helps your agents deliver a more personalized interaction. So if the objective of your campaign is to have a meaningful conversation with prospects, customers, members, donors, etc., then auto dialing software is a better fit. 

Predictive dialers help speed up the campaign. Your agents can conduct promotional campaigns or quick surveys with multiple active calls. When the intention is to reach a large audience predictive dialer is a better fit.

2. The size of the call center: 

In the debate of auto dialer vs predictive dialer, the size of the call center or the number of agents/volunteers is a key factor. 

An auto dialer is the best fit for a call center with small or mid-sized teams. The dialer helps the agent focus on the conversation and not worry about the queued-up calls. 

A predictive dialer is a better fit for large-scale teams to generate leads or conduct surveys. The agent can speed up the calls and end the campaign faster. 

3. The size of the customer base:

Auto dialers, such as preview dialers, allow agents to see the detail of the next number. Moreover, auto-dialing software waits for the agent to end the call. This allows the agent to engage the prospect. 

Companies with a small customer base that values quality conversation would benefit from the auto dialer. 

In comparison, a predictive dialer dials multiple numbers on the list at the same time; this means the software can handle a large volume of outbound calls. Companies with a large customer base would benefit from the predictive dialer. It will allow the company to reach out to a large customer quickly. 

4. The features:

A predictive dialer needs to evaluate many call metrics; this makes call monitoring and analysis easy for an agent or campaign manager. The dialer helps track the total number of calls made, the avg. duration, the ratio of answered and unanswered calls, etc. This helps you to keep track of the calls and allows the supervisor to evaluate the agent’s performance. 

Auto dialers offer functionalities like answering machine detection, CRM integration, dashboard reporting, etc. 

Related read: Predictive dialer vs progressive dialer.

See how seamlessly you can set up CATI surveys, switch to multiple dialing modes, and monitor interviewer activity with interactive and custom dashboards.

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Auto dialer vs predictive dialer: use cases

We have already established the differences in the capabilities of both dialing software. Now let’s look at the ideal use cases for each. 

Auto dialer use case:

We have already discussed that the auto dialer best suits small or mid-sized businesses. The dialer allows you to set a pace for the call, which helps agents have a meaningful interaction with the prospects/customers. 

The automation enhances productivity and also helps personalize each conversation. The time in between calls allow agents to fill in and save notes. The CRM integration displays the notes to a caller allowing a personalized experience. 

→ Small & mid-sized companies. 

→ Personalized conversation with customers, inactive users, donors, or prospects. 

Predictive dialer use case:

In our debate on auto dialer vs predictive dialer, we have established that predictive dialer is suitable for large teams. The dialer makes lines up multiple active calls which means the team needs to have enough agents to handle the volume of outbound calls. 

It helps boost productivity and efficiency when agents don’t have to manually dial numbers or log calls. 

→ Large-scale companies with a high number of sales calls. 

→  Promotional campaigns, vote campaigns, or conducting surveys. 

→  Follow-up or reminder calls to customers or members.

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Conclusion

This sums up the debate on auto dialer vs predictive dialer. Both dialers make running outbound calls easier. With their long list of capabilities and features, automatic and predictive dialers are key to enhancing productivity and efficiency. 

Cutting-edge telephony software offers you the features your business needs to gather the right data at scale and at the right time. Just like Voxco’s telephony survey software with its CATI, IVR, and multiple dialing modes.

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Auto Dialer vs Predictive Dialer: Know the Difference

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