Learn More About Auto Dialer Software
What is Auto Dialer Software?
Auto dialer software automates telephone dialing using numbers pulled from a list and connects either to a live agent or a prerecorded message. These tools eliminate the tedious task of manual dialing individual phone numbers, enabling representatives to focus on the content and delivery of their message.
Auto dialer software often requires a computer, a voice modem, and an active telephone line; though cloud-based solutions are becoming more prevalent. Some solutions require businesses to buy and host the necessary hardware themselves, while others bundle hardware hosting into their product for free or offer an additional subscription. The required hardware isn’t always specific, and the application can run on a computer or cell phone.
What are the Common Features of Auto Dialer Software?
The following are some core features within auto dialer software that can help users make the most of them:
Predictive dialing: This dialing type allows for multiple phone numbers to be called at once. Predictive dialers use an algorithm to time dial the next number by identifying when an operator is towards the end of their script or active call. Predictive dialing increases the efficiency of call center agents, as there is less idle time in between calls.
Progressive dialing: Progressive dialers, also known as power dialers, allow for a seamless transition between calls by placing the next call immediately after the current call has finished. Teams can gather notes or strategies prior to each call as the dial rate is not predetermined, as they are with predictive dialers.
Preview dialing: Preview dialers enable the operator to skip or delay the next call, allowing them time to prepare information and personalize the call. This automatic dialing method is typically used when organizations are focused on quality, rather than quantity.
Interactive voice response (IVR): IVR enables callers to retrieve information through a voice response system without having to speak directly with an agent. It allows callers to use touch tone selections or voice recognition to resolve their inquiries or route their call accordingly.
Call recording: These products provide the ability to record calls to access or evaluate at a later time to ensure that quality and compliance standards are being met. Some solutions also provide the ability to pause live recordings, typically to ensure compliance with local regulations.
Location generation: Auto dialer software can generate a local area code to assist the caller in increasing the likelihood of pickup.
Voice broadcast: Voice broadcasting allows users to present a pre-recorded audio message when a call is answered.
API/Integrations: Auto dialer software provides multiple APIs or integrations with other software within an organization’s tech stack to ensure data is transferred to the source of truth, typically a CRM, to manage all interactions with prospects or customers.
Call scrubbing: This feature of auto dialer software removes numbers from an uploaded list of numbers in the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry or other industry sources.
Voice activity detection: Voice activity detection enables dialers to recognize if a human answered the call or an answering machine. If a human answers the call, the dialer routes the call to an available agent. For an answering machine detection, the call is typically dropped.
Callback scheduling: This feature enables users to reschedule calls for follow-ups within the dialing solution itself, either through an agent or through a prompt.
Whisper coaching: Some solutions enable supervisors or call center operators to listen to a call in real time and train reps, or agents.
What are the Benefits of Auto Dialer Software?
Auto dialer software can have its own set of benefits, as mentioned below.
Improved efficiency: These dialing systems, regardless of dialing mode, increase the efficiency of agents and reps by eliminating manual dialing and minimizing wait times. Auto dialers enable organizations to streamline the dialing process, allowing reps to gather information around the call recipient and personalize conversations, leading to more productive conversations.
Performance monitoring: Auto dialers provide managers and operators with key performance data of reps or agents. With call recording, whisper coaching, and other vital features, managers can gain insight into the productivity and performance of their team, as well as ensure that they adhere to best practices and remain compliant.
Filtering out invaluable numbers: Auto dialer software provides CRM integration to update the information on the customer record in the CRM to avoid future calls to disconnected numbers, ‘Do Not Disturb’ numbers, or other invaluable numbers. This improves a business’ data quality and saves the organization time in the future.
CRM integration: Auto dialing solutions that integrate with an organization’s CRM allow agents to easily access customer data to tailor conversations accordingly. This allows the reps, or contact center agents, to have a more productive call, enhancing the customer experience.
Who Uses Auto Dialer Software?
Given its focus on increasing the productivity of inbound and outbound callers, a variety of organizations leverage auto dialers. A few of the primary users are listed below.
Contact centers: Contact centers are key users of auto dialers as they typically are customer support teams to manage inbound calls and ensure quality assurance of customer inquiries. While contact centers are generally omnichannel, such as SMS and email support, they leverage an automated dialer to eliminate manual dialing and improve agent productivity. Given the volume of inbound calls, contact centers leverage the call routing and call distribution capabilities of some auto dialer solutions to ensure that calls are supported by the next available agent. Contact centers in various industries use auto dialers, such as telemarketing agencies, staffing services, nonprofit organizations, and contact center outsourcing service providers, among others.
Sales teams: Sales teams can also leverage auto dialing solutions to improve outbound sales and lead generation efforts. Outbound sales teams use auto dialing solutions by integrating with CRM software to begin the customer relationship and streamline the lead management process by ensuring that all interactions are recorded in the CRM software. Reps, particularly at outbound call centers, leverage automated dialers to streamline their process and ensure timely follow-up with prospective customers. While many sales teams leverage auto dialers to increase reps’ efficiencies, they are particularly effective for lead generation and outsourced sales providers who seek to source new leads.
Software Related to Auto Dialer Software
Contact center software: Contact center software provides organizations with the capabilities to run a cloud-hosted customer contact center. This software is closely related to auto dialer software, as it provides similar features. However, contact center software extends further by providing multiple channels for call center reps to leverage in addition to dialing systems.
Call center infrastructure (CCI) software: CCI software, similar to auto dialer software, assists in managing inbound and outbound communications. However, CCI software provides additional features to manage operations and back-office tasks, as compared to auto dialer solutions which are focused primarily on eliminating manual dials and increasing efficiencies of operations.
Outbound call Tracking: Outbound call tracking and auto dialers have broad overlap in benefits and use cases, but outbound call tracking needs to be prompted to call and is primarily focused on storing data from the call. Alternatively, auto dialing systems are focused on streamlining workflows by providing automated dials and increasing agent productivity.
Challenges with Auto Dialer Software
Auto dialer software solutions can come with their own set of challenges. A few of them are listed below.
Legal constraints: There are various laws and regulations pertaining to the use of auto dialers, most notably, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which prohibits the use of these tools for uninvited calls. Additionally, the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) requires telemarketers to note specific disclosures of information and sets parameters on an acceptable time zone to call consumers. These regulations also prohibit placing calls to consumers who have noted a desire to be removed from a contact list, and thus are placed on a ‘Do Not Call’ (DNC) list. The federal and state regulations pertaining to the use of auto dialing are ever-evolving, so it is imperative to understand the rules for the buyer's geographical area and industry when selecting a software.
Blocking and hang-ups: Given the increasing use of auto dialing, many individuals have technology in place to block calls from auto dialers. Additionally, there is typically a delay between a recipient picking up and the call connecting back to the agent, allowing the recipient to realize it's an automatic dialer and potentially discontinue the call.
Voicemail incompatibility: Automated messages from auto dialers sometimes do not mix seamlessly with voice mailboxes. The message can be recorded incompletely, and any interactivity in the message does not function properly in the recordings. While the technology has evolved and mitigated some of these challenges, it is still important to note when evaluating these products.
Negative opinions: Due in part to the artificial element of auto dialing, many people report a dislike for auto-dialed calls. Excessive or indiscriminate use of these tools may harm customer opinion, or potentially violate laws and regulations.
How to Buy Auto Dialer Software
Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Auto Dialer Software
Requirements gathering for auto dialer software is critical to ensure that the business is leveraging a product that meets their needs. To do so, companies must evaluate the software based on their critical needs, as given below.
Compare Auto Dialer Products
Create a long list
Long lists are created by eliminating software options that do not provide critical functionality. To make a long list for an auto dialer vendor, a buyer should look at the essential functionalities and determine which products provide the necessary features. Auto dialer software enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of high-volume calling campaigns, can assist in streamlining customer service support, and ensures compliance to industry standards and regulations. A typical long list should not contain more than 10 products unless there are many similar options. In this case, buyers should consider a product’s ability to integrate with existing software, scalability, customization, and any relevant industry or geographical regulations to eliminate products.
Create a short list
From the long list of auto dialer vendors, it is helpful to narrow down the list and develop a shorter list of contenders, preferably no more than three to five. With this in hand, businesses can produce a matrix comparing the various offerings’ tiers, features, compatibility, and pricing.
Conduct demos
To ensure the comparison is thoroughgoing, the user should leverage a free trial or demo for each software solution on the short list with the same use cases and criteria for evaluation. This will allow the business to evaluate like for like and see how each product stacks up against the competition.
Selection of Auto Dialer Software
Choose a selection team
Auto dialer software can play a central role in an organization’s operations, particularly in contact centers or outsourced sales providers, emphasizing the importance of selecting a solution that best fits your requirements. It is important to consider how implementing an auto dialer system will impact the buyer's organization; thus an IT administrator should be a key decision maker. Managers, or operators, should also play a crucial role in the selection as they are familiar with how the auto dialer will be leveraged and understand the key functionalities to evaluate.
Other members of the selection team may include a legal and finance representative, to ensure costs and compliance regulations are met, as well as other members of departments which plan to leverage this technology. This selection team will ensure that all use cases and potential applications of the software can be assessed and ensure the compliance of a potential auto dialer software.
Negotiation
When negotiating a software contract, it is crucial to minimize risk in terms of performance or security and accurately assess the business needs relating to this software. Some solutions are priced based on the number of licenses (or the number of users), with the potential for additional charges based on add-on features, businesses should estimate the number of users they may require. If the company has cash flow, it behooves them to ask for a discount in return for an annual upfront payment rather than a monthly fee.
Buyers should also determine if they need assistance implementing the auto dialer solution or integrating it with another system. Lastly, businesses should also decide how long they will need this solution to better negotiate with longer-term contracts.
Final decision
The final decision should be made based on all the information gathered previously. Businesses should seek to prioritize needs and select the tool that meets most, if not all, of their requirements. Companies should remember that there is likely no one perfect software, but one that best meets the needs of their business.
