A call center dialer might be one of the best tools to have when your call center makes many outbound calls. A dialer isn’t only a needed tool for call centers as a whole, but can also be useful for call center agents as well. Technology is always changing, and with each upgrade and advancement, call centers and businesses’ functionality is also rising. Features of predictive dialers can help outbound and inbound call centers in many ways. Dialers strive to provide agents and customers with outstanding experiences, and take pride in allowing your call center to provide the best services possible.
Types of Call Center Dialers
- Manual Dialer- This is one of the most basic call center dialers, but most call centers don’t use this type of dialer. A manual dialer is hardly used because it’s the least efficient way of doing outbound calls. For larger businesses this isn’t the most efficient way to contact clients, but for some small businesses, this is a great tool to have. All an agent must do is look up the phone number that you wish to reach and press the appropriate button. From there, all calls can be made.
- Preview Dialer or Power Dialer- The term power dialer is used to speak about all types of call center dialers. Technically, this type of dialer is considered to be the same thing as the preview dialer, just the first tier of automated dialing. A preview dialer works like a click to call dialer, and allows you to preview all details about the contact you are calling before making the call. You can start to make calls with a simple click, which saves agents the time it takes to dial every number individually. Agents will also have the option to preselect leads and queue any outbound calls needed, which cuts down on wasted work time. These types of dialers will also allow you to prepare for calls, which is extremely ideal for business to business calls. By being able to pause and take the time to learn about each prospect and call, will make each communication information-driven and personalized.
- Predictive Dialer- A predictive dialer is the best for massive outbound call volumes. This type of dialer is used in large outbound call centers because of the need to go through long lists of customers. A predictive dialer will automatically select customers to call from a preselected database and uses an algorithm to predict agents availability. These dialers will take into account the number of agents working, the average call length, nature of each call, and the time of the day that customers are calling in. Once a live agent responds to the other line, the predictive dialer will transfer the next call to the available agent. This type of dialer will minimize the downtime that customers are waiting for their inquiries to be answered.
- Progressive Dialer- If your call center speaks with many businesses about sales or potential clients, then this is the dialer to use. Similar to how a predictive dialer works, this dialer will only give calls to agents that mark their availability. Instead of automatically giving agents call after call, the agent can communicate with the dialer when they’re ready for another call. Once the call status has been updated, the dialer will then move onto the next caller and next available agent. This type of dialer isn’t as efficient as the predictive dialer, but will give agents more of a leeway for personalized calls. This dialer focuses less on minimizing downtime, and more about agents talk time and the quality of calls.
Which Dialer is Best for your Business?
When it’s time for your call center to step into the world of automated dialing, take a moment to pause and choose the best dialer for your call center. What works best for one business might not be the best option for others, and by taking a look at what your business is wishing to do, should be the driving force behind your decision.
Is your call center making massive amounts of outbound calls to customers? If so, then a predictive dialer might be what your call center needs. If your calls are warm leads, then choosing a dialer that gives agents room for making relationships with each caller will be the best to choose. If your business might need more than one dialer, then purchasing multiple forms of technology can be done as well. By mixing dialers and choosing different ways for customer to agent interactions, you can choose multiple dialers for your call center.
Benefits of Call Center Dialers
In the fast-paced modern world of call centers, agents don’t have the time to look up a phone number, read information about a lead, and then manually dial each digit. In a call center, time is only, and it’s essential that your center utilizes its resources the best it can. By purchasing a dialer that is right for your business, your agents can be productive and function at their peak efficiency levels. Here are some of the added benefits the call center dialers can bring to your center.
- Eliminating Repetitive Tasks- Some small repetitive tasks that agents are normally required to do multiple times a day can be automated with dialers. With small tasks being eliminated, agents can devote all their time to customer calls and customer service.
- Increasing Agent Efficiency- Just like in any line of work, employees become tired and lose their motivation very easily. By using a predictive dialer, agents’ productivity and efficiency will be increased. If agents get a steady flow of calls and workload, they won’t have the downtime to get tired and doze off.
- Managing Data Quality- Sorting and managing data can be very time consuming and always ongoing for most call centers. Using a predictive dialer can improve data collection quality by automatically recording customer data, and saving it for future review and use.