One of the most important aspects of a successful contact center is its overall efficiency. Automation is a strategy that companies implement to make operations as “hands-off” as possible. Many automated tools and workflows exist to accomplish this. Automatic phone callers are one of these tools. They help boost agents’ productivity and deliver quality support by making the already human-powered customer service process as hands-off as possible. Agents are allowed to focus primarily on every customer interaction and make the most out of their shifts.
What is an automatic phone caller?
An automatic phone caller is a software used to speedily make calls back to back. It saves time by dialing numbers automatically and also bypasses voicemails and busy signals. When someone answers the phone, they can either be connected to the agent or an IVR system.
Why do contact centers use auto callers?
Also known as auto dialers, automatic phone callers are used by contact centers with high call volume. The efficiency they provide helps agents reach their daily call metrics such as X number of outbound calls, new sales, or talk times. Contact centers rely on auto dialers to shave several seconds off of every call, boosting productivity overall.
The time spent manually dialing out significantly adds up because agents can make over 100 calls a day. Auto dialers ensure that agents reach the most customers they can during each shift. Other times, auto dialers are used to deliver a message to a large number of people. This type of call is usually followed by a recorded message. Auto dialers can also be configured to connect to an IVR system once a live person answers. This is often the case for calls requiring identity verification.
How automatic phone callers work
Automatic phone dialer software is installed on computers enabled to make and receive calls. This can be either through a cloud-based solution or through hardware such as a voice modem and telephone line. There are primarily three different types of automatic phone dialers. Each one is designed to fulfill different purposes. Below is a list of the three types of dialers.
Power dialers
Power dialers automatically dial one number at a time after agents initiate it. The slowest of the three options, power dialers still save time by removing the need for agents to manually dial out. Using a power dialer gives agents the time they need to revise a customer’s account and come up with the right approach before calling. They are a better option for phone calls that require a closer attention to detail.
Agents may still encounter voicemails or busy signals, but can quickly disconnect with the click of a button. Alternatively, sometimes agents prefer to leave voicemails. Power dialers give them the option to do that.
Predictive dialers
When contact centers need to make a large number of phone calls, predictive dialers are a great solution .This type of automatic phone dialer makes multiple calls all at once. If the software encounters a busy signal or voicemail, it will automatically disconnect and try another number. When a person does answer, they are automatically connected to a live agent. After the conversation ends, agents go back on queue until the dialer connects them to another live call. These dialers use historical data, agent availability, relevant algorithms and other information to calculate how many outbound calls to make. Agents are only connected if someone answers.
Progressive dialers
Like the predictive and power dialer, the progressive dialer helps agents save time by eliminating the need to manually make each and every phone call. Agents save time and maximize the number of phone calls they make with progressive dialers because they don’t need to look up numbers and manually dial each one. As soon as an agent becomes available, they are placed back on queue to wait for the next call the dialer makes. Agents can leave voicemails or disconnect if they prefer to go on to the next call. Outbound marketing campaigns or other calls that don’t require significant prep time use predictive dialers to maximize agent productivity.
Automatic phone callers and the agent experience
High levels of employee engagement are a key factor that contributes to an overall positive agent experience. One way that contact centers help boost employee engagement is by ensuring that workflows are as smooth as possible.
Automatic phone callers make agents’ jobs easier for several reasons. For one, they relieve agents of the tedious task of combing through phone numbers and making numerous phone calls one by one. This helps save extra time that is better spent on talking to the right person and helping as many people as possible. In addition, automatic phone dialers also reduce the risk of non-compliance. Regulations related to B2C phone contact are enforced by the FDCPA. If broken, these regulations can incur hefty fines. Automatic phone dialers help avoid this by preventing after-hours calls or calling the same number more than once during a certain time frame. Agents are free of having to worry about regulations or wrong numbers. Instead, they can focus on the customer experience.
