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How To Choose The Right Dialer Software?

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Choosing the right dialer for your organization’s needs is a critical decision.

Saving time, driving productivity, and delivering survey results in an efficient manner are directly related to the capabilities of your selected dialer, so choose wisely.  

Often, survey call centers are forced to put together piecemeal solutions for the phone surveys, employing CATI software that needs to be linked up with a separate dialer solution. This adds to the workload that call center managers and/or survey programmers need to put into projects to bring them to life and get the research they need for clients.

In this blog, we’ill dive deep into how to choose dialer software. 

Before we jump into what makes a dialer effective and which hosting option best suits your organizational needs, let’s cover what a dialer is exactly.

What is a dialer?

In a few words, a dialer is a system for placing outbound calls from a call center to respondents. Using a dialer reduces the cost of making phone calls by reducing repetitive tasks and human error.

Of course, the added benefit is that dialers improve call center efficiency. Automating the dialing process means that call center interviewees don’t waste time physically dialing numbers – and instead are spending more time with respondents!

Your organization’s dialer should be flexible in its capacity and mode of functioning – you likely deal with a wide range of research projects, so it’s important that your tools can be varied in their functionalities as well.

Read how Voxco helped Modus Research increase productivity and reduce connect time with our scalable telephone platform.

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What are your options for hosting the dialer?

While we are deliberating over how to choose dialer software, it’s important also to understand the two ways of hosting the solutions. Most early dialers were hardware based. Today, it’s also possible to have a dialer hosted in the cloud.

Practically, there is no real difference in terms of function whether you choose a hosted or on-premise dialer. It all depends on your needs as an organization to have your own server or not.

On-premise

If hosting all software and hardware solutions on-premise is the cornerstone of your IT department’s policies, then your organization will likely be required to take the on-premise option for dialer hosting.

In this scenario, there is the upfront cost of purchasing the equipment, but afterward, the costs will remain minimal.

Cloud-based

This option is the more flexible option of the two. It can be more affordable to use a cloud-hosted dialer, as you only pay for your license on a month-to-month basis if a research project doesn’t call for a dialer – no problem!

There is also less of a responsibility for maintenance on your staff, no upfront costs, and it is scalable based on your needs.

What are the types of dialers?

There are different types of dialer software with its own set of capabilities. One of the most popular types is auto-dialer. As the name suggests, the software automatically makes outgoing calls. In this section, we will look into the four types of auto-dialer offered by Voxco. 

The Voxco Dialer has a versatile dialing solution with 4 built-in modes. These modes enable you to tailor the dial pattern per project:

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Preview Mode

Numbers are automatically pushed to interviewers’ screens for case review. When ready, they instruct the dialer to place the call.

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Predictive Mode

The dial rate is constantly adjusted based on prediction of interviewer availability. This maximizes interviewer productivity and minimizes the risk of dropped calls.

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Power Mode

The dial rate is set to prohibit dropped calls. It will only dial as many phone lines as there are free interviewers.

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Hybrid Mode

Simultaneously use multiple dialing modes within a single project. Predictive and preview modes are blended, eliminating the need for interviewers to switch between modes.

Let’s look into each of these dialers and their benefits to understand how to choose dialer software based on the different types. 

1. Preview dialer: 

This type of dialer software presents the relevant information about the contact to the agent before the call is dialed. The dialer gives the agent the ability to control whether to initiate the call or skip it.

Additionally, with the information displayed before the call, your agent gets the time to prepare for the conversation. 

Benefits of preview dialer – 

  1. Agents can review the contact information with details such as name, purchase history, and previous interactions allowing them to personalize the conversation with the customer. 
  2. It is suitable for complex sales or technical support where historical data and prior research can help agents tailor their approach based on customers’ needs. 

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2. Predictive dialer:

This auto-dialer type uses an algorithm to predict the availability of your agents. It then automatically dials the numbers from the contact list based on its prediction. The dialer software helps accelerate the pace of data collection by connecting agents only to live calls as soon as they become available. This ensures a steady stream of calls. 

Benefits of predictive dialer –

  1. The system optimizes the dialing process, minimizes agent idle time, and increases call connect rates. 
  2. It is ideal for large call centers dealing with high call volume. 
  3. It increases productivity as agent spends more time speaking with customers and less time dialing numbers. 

3. Power dialer:

This dialer mode automatically dials a set of numbers from the uploaded contact list and connects your agents to live calls. The dialer skips unanswered numbers and also eliminates the need to dial numbers and wait for the call to connect. 

Benefits of power dialer – 

  1. It minimizes downtime and increases call volume by keeping agents engaged with live calls. 
  2. The automated dialing and call disposition reduce wait times. 
  3. It is ideal for contact centers with a high volume of outbound sales campaigns. 

4. Hybrid dialer:

By combining the predictive and preview dialer software, you can leverage the features and capabilities of both without needing to switch. The system automatically dials the contact number based on the agent’s availability and presents the information of the customer. 

Benefits of hybrid dialer – 

  1. The hybrid mode strikes a balance between the efficiency of the predictive dialer and the personalization of the preview dialer. 
  2. Agents can handle a higher call volume while also maintaining a personalized approach. 

How to choose a dialer software?

Choosing the right dialer for your organization is crucial to optimize call center operations and achieve business goals. Take some time to analyze your needs before selecting the software. 

Here we have made a list of factors to consider when selecting a dialer system. Let’s look into it. 

1. Industry or business type: 

It is important to consider the type of business you have.  For example, for healthcare, enterprises, or the real estate industry, where cold-calling won’t yield the same result as a targeted approach, a preview dialer might be a better choice. The information on the contacted person can help the agent personalize their approach and engage the customer more animatedly. 

Industries like telemarketing, political campaigns, and finance, which involve high call volumes, can benefit more from predictive dialers. In these industries, abandoned or rejected calls have a higher rate which predictive mode can counter by ensuring more connected calls. 

2. Call volume:

Consider the call volume of your call center on a daily basis when deliberating over how to choose dialer software. 

Predictive or power dialers are most suitable when your call volume is high. These two dialers automatically dial multiple numbers and connect your agents to live calls only. 

The preview dialer is more useful for lower call volume. It allows agents to review customer information and offer a personalized approach.

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3. Call center size/ number of agents: 

Similar to call volume it’s also important to consider the size of your call center, i.e., the number of agents active during a call campaign. For example, if your campaign requires a small number of agents, then a preview dialer may benefit the campaign more. A dialer that can handle a large volume of calls will be a waste of efficiency. 

4. Demographic of audience:

The type of customers or target demographic is also a factor to remember when choosing the right dialer software. There are two factors to consider. 

  • Time zone – If your target audience is spread across different time zones, then the most appropriate system is predictive or power dialer. This dialer software ensures that calls are made at the most convenient times for the customers. 
  • Customer preference – Age and technological proficiency can reflect the customers’ preferred mode of contact. Younger audiences may prefer an automated voice call. However, older audiences may prefer talking to a live agent and be more receptive to personalized conversation. 

5. Regulatory compliances:

It is significant that you also ensure that the dialers are in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Dialers such as the ones offered by Voxco adhere to all relevant regulatory, such as the DNC list or TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act), to avoid legal issues and protect customer data. 

6. Scalability:

Consider the growth of your call center in the future when selecting the dialer software. If your campaign size starts growing, you will need a system that scales to accommodate the change in requirements. Moreover, most services and products-based companies have peak seasons. It’s important to ensure your dialer system can scale up and down efficiently without manual intervention. 

A scalable software allows you to hire seasonal staff better to conclude heavy outbound campaigns with maximum productivity successfully. 

7. Flexibility:

Consider a platform that allows you to integrate multiple dialer modes efficiently. Voxco Dialer offers a flexible dialing mode that includes a versatile 4-in-1 dialing solution. 

Manage high call volume and supercharge phone surveys by integrating multiple dialing modes. The flexible dialing system enables you to leverage the advantages of each mode and tailor your campaign accordingly. 

8. Reporting and analytics: 

Look for dialer software that offers comprehensive reporting and analytics features. The platform should enable you to evaluate the quality of your campaign performance. A dashboard to help you monitor the ongoing interview can help you track agent performance, campaign results, and call center productivity, enabling you to make data-driven decisions. 

9. Integration capabilities:

CRM integration is another aspect you must consider when choosing the right dialer software. The system should seamlessly integrate with your existing CRM for a smooth implementation. Look for a dialer that can integrate with your system to ensure easy access to customer data without needing to re-upload the data. 

10. Training and support:

When contemplating how to choose dialer software, also make sure the vendor provides proper training and support to your agents. A user-friendly interface and excellent support will help you transition smoothly into the new dialing software. 

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Conclusion

Choosing the right dialer for your organization is a decision that will directly impact your researchers’ success. The good news is that there are plenty of flexible options to match your research goals.

The success of your outbound campaigns depends on your dialing software. By considering the factors like business type, call volume, scalability, flexibility, regulatory compliances, etc., you can make an informed choice in selecting the system that aligns with your organization’s needs.

FAQs

1. What are the different types of dialers?

The different types of dialers are:

  • Preview dialer, which presents the customer information before placing the call. 
  • Power dialer, which automatically dials a set of numbers and connects agents to live calls. 
  • Predictive dialer, which predicts agents’ availability to dial the next number. 
  • Hybrid dialer, which combines the features of predictive and preview dialer. 

2. What is the difference between a predictive and a progressive dialer?

The difference between the two dialers is based on two factors – call pacing and agent availability. 

A predictive dialer dials multiple numbers simultaneously and connects live calls to agents when they are available. 

Progressive dialer dials one number per available agent, ensuring that an agent is available to handle each call. 

3. What is the difference between an autodialer and a power dialer?

An auto dialer is a term that defines all types of dialers that automatically dials phone numbers. A power dialer is a sub-type of auto dialer that automatically dials a set of numbers and connects agents to a live call by skipping unanswered or busy numbers. 

4. What is a dialer software?

Dialer software refers to the technology used to automate outbound dialing in call centers. The system automates the dialing process and skips over unanswered numbers or answering machines, improving agent efficiency and call center productivity. 

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