17 Important Features of Auto Dialer Software

Most call centers run multiple at a time. The outbound calling campaigns differ from each other in several aspects including goals, scale, and nature. In the age of omnichannel customer communication, no call center can run varying outbound calling campaigns efficiently without switching from conventional outbound dialing systems to cloud-based auto dialer software.

Unlike conventional dialing systems, auto dialers dial many telephone numbers from a database automatically. The cloud-based auto dialers do not run on the call center’s onsite IT infrastructure. Instead, they run a remote data center which is provided and managed by the cloud telephony service providers.

Hence, the businesses can leverage cloud-hosted auto dialing service to automate and expedite outbound calling without incurring upfront and recurring infrastructural cost. In addition to expediting outbound dialing, the auto dialer software also has the capability to detect no answers, busy signals, disconnected calls, answering machines, and voicemails intelligently.

They transfer the outbound call to a live agent or play a pre-recorded campaign message only when the call is answered by a real person. The new-age auto dialing service further help call centers to manage multiple and varied outbound calling campaigns by providing a set of sophisticated features. A call center even has the option to choose from different types of auto dialer software – preview dialer, predictive dialer, and progressive dialer.

The auto dialers differ from each other in several aspects including dialing mode support. The call centers need to use the appropriate dialing mode based on the needs of individual outbound calling campaigns.

For instance, some campaigns may require customer interaction personalization, while others emphasize on enhancing customer connections. Hence, decision-makers must understand various types of auto dialer software before comparing their features.

3 Most Common Types of Auto Dialer Software

Let’s see the three most common types of auto dialers:

1. Preview Dialer

Like manual dialers, preview dialers provide agents with options to place an outbound call or skip specific telephone numbers. This type of auto dialer enables agents to preview key customer information before initiating the outbound call. The on-time access to important customer data helps agents to plan the outbound calling process and personalize customer interaction.

But a call center cannot use preview dialers to connect with a large number of existing and potential customers in a short amount of time. Many call centers these days use preview dialers for running small-scale outbound marketing campaigns and make outbound calling process result-oriented. The preview dialers further make it easier for agents to handle complex customer cases.

2. Power Dialer/Progressive Dialer

Unlike preview dialers, progressive dialers do not allow an agent to decide about placing a call or skipping a telephone number. Instead, the auto dialer software places the next outbound call as soon as an agent wraps up the current call. Hence, a power dialer is more effective than a preview dialer in an increasing number of connections between customers and agents.

The auto dialer software further allows agents to access key customer information while placing the outbound call. The customization options provided by cloud-based power dialers further allow managers to set a call ratio according to campaign needs and agent availability.

Many call centers leverage power dialers to boost reselling and up-selling activities. The power dialers help call centers to boost customer experience by minimizing the number of silent calls and abandoned calls.

3. Predictive Dialer

Unlike preview and power dialers, predictive dialers dial multiple telephone numbers at a time. They further use pacing algorithm to decide when an agent will be available to handle the next outbound call. The auto dialers place outbound calls before an agent wraps up the current call.

Hence, predictive dialers are more effective than other types of auto dialer software in enhancing connections between customers and outbound agents.

Many call centers these days leverage predictive dialers to expedite large-scale outbound calling campaigns by contacting more customers and prospects in a short amount of time. But the call centers need to deploy adequate agents to minimize call drops or abandoned calls while using predictive dialers.

The new age cloud-hosted predictive dailer software comes with robust features to help call centers dial the customer contact number at the right time. They further help managers to reduce abandoned calls by several customization options. The managers can use the customization options to control both dialing rate and dialing speed.

17 Important Features Provided by Sophisticated Auto Dialer Software

Here we have, (in no particular order) the list of 17 most important features of an auto dialer:

1. Unproductive Number Detection

The auto dialing services use advanced technologies to detect various unproductive numbers – voicemails, answering machines, no answers, busy numbers, and unanswered calls – intelligently. Hence, they transfer only answered or live calls to a call center agent. The feature helps call centers to boost agent efficiency and productivity by detecting and avoiding unproductive numbers.

2. DNC/DND List Filtering

While running outbound calling campaigns, call centers need to ensure that no call is made to a number appearing in the do-not-call (DNC) or do-not-disturb (DND) list. The DNC/DND list violation make them pay hefty penalties.

The new-age auto dialer software helps call centers to comply with DNC/DND rules by performing DND filtering. The feature helps call centers to run outbound calling campaigns without making unwanted calls to contacts.

3. CRM Integration

A business can integrate the cloud-based auto dialers with its existing customer relationship management (CRM) system seamlessly. Most enterprises these days use CRM systems to manage customer data and streamline customer interaction. They can update customer data automatically by integrating the CRM system with the cloud-hosted auto dialer software.

4. Contact List Management

The cloud-hosted auto dialing system makes it easier for users to import telephone numbers from databases or spreadsheets by providing a contact list uploader. The users can further manage existing customers and lead efficiently using the contact list management features provided by the auto dialer software.

5. Time Zone Management

The robust auto dialers come with specialized features to simplify management of outbound calling campaigns. For instance, they help agents to make outbound calls to customers or prospects at the most appropriate time by adjusting the time zone. Some dialers further adjust time-zone for campaigns automatically according to the geographic location of contacts.

6. Call Transfer Options

The agents can access the cloud-based auto dialers over the internet. The feature helps call centers to run outbound calling campaigns without investing in expensive equipment.

Many call centers leverage this flexibility to work with remote or work-from-home outbound agents. The cloud-hosted auto dialing systems even allow users to transfer calls between a variety of devices – mobile phones, office phones, and softphones.

7. Dialing Rate and Speed Customization

The cloud-based auto dialers are easier to use, customize, and extend than conventional outbound dialing systems. They allow managers to adjust the dialing rate and dialing speed according to the precise needs of individual outbound calling campaigns.

The adjustable dialing ratio makes it easier for managers to initiate outbound calls according to the available number of agents. The managers can further change the dialing ratio to help agents handle complex customer cases.

8. Message Broadcasting

In addition to expediting outbound calling campaigns, the auto dialing service helps businesses to broadcast a variety of voice messages to a large number of customers and leads at a time. Both B2B and B2C businesses leverage this feature to broadcast campaign messages, deliver service notifications, deliver event notifications, and send reminders as broadcast campaign messages to the customers without deploying extra agents.

9. Press 1 Campaigns

Along with broadcasting messages, auto dialers also help businesses to collect customer response, conduct market research and carry out opinion polls by launching press 1 campaigns.

The cloud-hosted auto dialing service allows customers to share response by pressing a specific key after listening to the pre-recorded voice message. Many businesses these days launch press1 campaigns to boost lead generation and accelerate customer response collection.

10. Interactive Dashboard

A manager can scale up or scale down the cloud-based auto dialers according to requirements of campaigns and size of contact base. The interactive dashboard provided by the auto dialer software helps managers to monitor and review outbound campaigns continuously. The manager can use the interactive dashboard to monitor various activities along with assessing performance based on results and statistics.

11. Real-Time Call Monitoring

The cloud-hosted auto dialers allow managers or supervisors to monitor live calls or ongoing conversations. The manager can use the web-based portal provided by the auto dialing system to listen to an ongoing conversation between an agent and a customer as well as check call attempts.

The real-time call monitoring helps managers to assess the performance of outbound agents and implement the changes required to boost outbound campaigns.

12. Call Recording

In addition to facilitating real-time call monitoring, the cloud-based auto dialer software also record every outgoing call. They record the calls in HD audio format and store the audio files in the cloud.

The feature helps managers to measure agent performance and identify agent inefficiencies by reviewing recorded conversations between agents and customers. The feature helps call centers to resolve customer disputes and meet compliance requirements.

13. Callback Scheduling

Sometimes the agents fail to connect with a customer on the first attempt. They need to call the customer or lead again to carry out the telemarketing activities.

The cloud-hosted auto dialers allow agents to reconnect with the customers by scheduling callback. The callback scheduling feature helps call centers to increase customer connections and boost telemarketing campaigns.

14. Real-Time Reporting

The cloud-hosted auto dialer software enables decision-makers to generate a variety of reports based on real-time statistical data. The managers can further use the dashboard to generate the reports without putting extra time and effort.

The reports generated based on real-time call data helps managers to monitor and measure the performance of various outbound calling campaigns. The feature makes it easier for call centers to run multiple outbound campaigns simultaneously.

15. Downtime Minimization

Both power dialers and predictive dialers help call centers to improve agent productivity and reduce downtime by reducing the time gap between two consecutive outbound calls.

The power dialers reduce downtime by placing outbound calls as soon as an agent is available to handle the next call. Likewise, the predictive dialers boost agent productivity by dialing multiple numbers at a time. They further dial the numbers before agents complete the current calls.

16.  Agent Script Uploading

The cloud-hosted preview dialers allow managers to upload agent scripts. The feature helps agents to access the script while interacting with customers. The agents can further refer to the script to increase call quality and drive sales conversion by adhering to specific instructions and accessing relevant information at the right time.

17. Data Security

The cloud-hosted auto dialer help call centers to manage contact lists and customer data efficiently. In addition to storing data in secure data centers, they allow managers to impose data access restrictions.

The built-in security features provided by the new age auto dialer software helps call centers to prevent data breaches and data loss while ensuring business continuity and accelerating disaster recovery.

On the whole, a call center has the option to choose from different types of auto dialer software. Each type of auto dialing system supports a specific dialing mode. Also, the auto dialer services differ from each other in terms of features.

It is always important for the decision-makers to keep in mind the precise goals and requirements of an outbound calling campaign while comparing the important features of auto dialer software.

Most cloud telephony service providers allow call centers to access preview dialers, power dialers, and predictive dialers based on the pay-as-you-go pricing model. They further allow call centers to customize and extend the auto dialing system according to precise campaign needs.

Hence, it becomes easier for call centers to boost outbound marketing campaigns by selecting the most appropriate auto dialer systems.

The cloud telephony services further help call centers to overcome major differences between these auto dialers while availing robust campaign management features.

But the features provided by auto dialing software differ across cloud telephony service providers. Hence, it is always important for the decision-makers to choose the right cloud telephony service, along with selecting the right auto dialer software.