Auto Dialer Software: Lifeline of A Call Center

Author: Vert Age

Auto dialer software is a program that is used to automatically place calls to hundreds and thousands of phone numbers saved in a list or database. Depending on the sophistication of the software it can be set to play a recorded message or divert the call to an agent. Quite unsurprisingly, it is a must-have for call centers. And the software option, being far easier to install than hardware, is always preferred.

So, what do you need to set up an auto dialer system?

  • A computer
  • A voice modem to play recorded messages
  • Auto-dialing software
  • An active telephone line

Yup, that’s all. However, you might need multiple headsets and dedicated telephone lines for a large number of agents depending on the size of your call center.

The Auto Dialer Software is definitely the most important part of the whole system. It dictates which numbers to dial, when to dial, and also, how to respond to different situations such as if an answering machine picks up, a human answer or there is a busy signal, etc.

What features does good auto dialer software need to have?

Well, there are many. But some of the most important ones are listed below:

  • Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an auto dialer technology which can additionally be used to provide interactive menus on outgoing calls such as polls which can be answered with the keypad or voice response.
  • Voice broadcast is one of the most used auto dialer software service used to dial with a pre-recorded message. It is predominantly used by companies for marketing and promotional calls, as this allows them to save money on live operators.
  • Preview dialing lets the operator view details about the call before the number is dialed. This allows proper customization of the conversation when making a sales call and gives the operator an idea of what the customer might want.
  • Progressive dialing connects the call to the operator as it is being dialed giving them a few seconds to review the information.
  • Predictive dialing uses complicated algorithms to predict when an operator will be free to handle another call. This maximizes the amount of time the operators are actually on call and thus, results in more calls with fewer operators.
  • Do not call "scrubbing" checks the uploaded number against the National Do Not Call Registry to avoid placing unwanted calls.
  • Callback scheduling is needed when a call ends up unanswered or is received by an answering machine.

As with any other software, it has some limitations too. The lag due to an auto dialer is a sure sign that a solicitor is calling which prompts a lot of people to hang up without even listening to the messages. Also, the Auto Dialer Software runs on sales leads lists which might not always be accurate.

All in all, auto dialer software is easy to use and despite its evident disadvantages, proper usage can work wonders for your company.