What Is a Predictive Dialer And How Does It Work
What Is A Predictive Dialer?
A predictive dialer is essentially a computerized telephone system for call centers designed to connect sales agents to potential customers the software calls automatically. When the Computer Telephony Integration industry began (in the late 1990’s), auto dialer software applications were created to automatically dial telephone numbers for call center agents who were waiting for the next customer connected.
A predictive dialer goes a step beyond auto dialer software by using algorithms to analyze the call statistics and performance of the call center agents to predict when the next agent will be available and therefore adjusting the rate it calls potential customers. The goal is to minimize idle time for the call center agents and get more sales.
Statistics show that call center agents increase their sales time on the phone from 20 minutes per hour on average to just under fifty minutes per hour. This is achieved by saving the agent from dialing numbers, waiting for the phone to ring, and dealing with unanswered or answering systems.
How The System Works
A list of numbers to call is loaded from a database into the system. The system begins making calls and collecting statistics to make its predictions and increase efficiency.
Generally, the software will monitor everything from answering statistics to agent call period statistics and settle on a call-to-available agent ratio between «1.5 to 1» and «2 to 1». In other words, approximately 2 numbers are dialed for each «soon to be available» agent. If the predictive dialer software under estimates and dials too few numbers, agents will sit idle. If it over estimates and makes to many calls, customers will say «Hello» a couple of times and hang up or the predictive dialer will drop the call.
Some of the statistics the software collects to optimize this delicate balance are listed below:
* Number of phone lines available
* Current call connection rates (i.e., probability of answered calls versus busy, unanswered, fax/machines, voicemail, and network dropped calls)
* Average call connection rates in the recent past (by day and time of day)
* Average agent connection time (average conversation time and average time to enter relevant data)
* Geographic location called
The smaller the cadre’ of call center agents, the more likely the predictive dialer system will «miss the mark» in matching calls dialed to available agents.