Call Center, Omnichannel
[Ultimate Guide] How to Set Up a Call Center in 2022?
According to LinkedIn to reach a prospect on the phone, it takes at least 18 dials. Without the assistance of a professional, selecting the right technology or applications to resolve this issue can be a herculean task. You don't have to wait years to figure out the best. Instead, let the industry expert C-Zentrix outline the key characteristics that your contact center should consider before using a call dialer app.
Content:
1. What is a Call Dialer App?
2. Types of Dialers
3. Points to consider before choosing a call dialer app
A call dialer is an application that automates both outbound and incoming call processes in a contact center. An agent or operator can dial phone numbers automatically with the use of auto dialer software, which also can record the conversation. Not only will an intelligent contact center dialer solution automate and simplify the dialing process for contact center agents, but it will also deliver valuable analytics to boost contact center agents’ productivity and efficiency.
1. Predictive Dialer
In a predictive dialer, numbers from a list are dialed concurrently by the system without a live agent present on the line. When a live person is connected (it can recognize human voice vs answering machines, busy tones, or Special Information Tones (SIT)), and redirect the call to a contact center representative. When a contact center agent is available, he/she will automatically answer the call. This helps in extending the agent conversation time and lower drop-off rates. This is also one of top most productive ways to contact most customers in the shortest amount of time.
Before connecting the live calls to the agents, predictive dialing uses a dialing engine based on an algorithm to start automatic outbound calls for a particular campaign in the background for contact center agents.
- For a list of contacts in particular campaigns, the predictive dialing engine begins dialing numbers.
- A dialing algorithm that adjusts the outbound dialing rate (pacing ratio) in real-time based on variables like average call length, call type, time of day, and agent availability.
- All answered calls are routed to agents, and the unanswered calls are again automatically scheduled for retry at a later time, depending on the requirement. The contact center manager can also adjust the various dialing algorithm parameters for a customized call pacing rate.
In contact center operations like telemarketing, market research, and sales outreach processes, predictive dialers are frequently used. To maximize the time spent on the phone with prospects during outbound sales prospecting, some outbound contact centers also use predictive dialers for lead qualification.
High call-connection ratio: Predictive dialers eliminate all barriers, such as busy signals, voicemails, unanswered calls, etc., and lead to a higher number of calls being connected.
Reduce Agent Idle Time: When the agents are not forced to manually dial the numbers and wait for the calls to connect each time, they can spend more time conversing with the caller.
Manage Several Campaigns: By automating the dialing process, a contact center's capacity to handle a greater volume of calls increases, and several campaigns can be managed at once.
Improve Productivity: With reduced idle time and increased agent talk time operational efficiency and productivity of a contact center increase manifold.
The predictive dialer and the progressive dialer are similar, but the progressive dialer only calls a number when an agent is available to receive the call. In other words, the pacing ratio is 1:1 in the case of the progressive dialer. The agent no longer has to manually dial every number.
When there is no agent available to answer the call, the progressive dialer stops dialing, which is its principal benefit. Once a call is established, it is forwarded to the agents and the dialing ceases until the agent has ended the contact and is prepared to accept the next one. It increases agent productivity without running the risk of raising abandonment rates by placing an excessive number of calls that the agent is unable to answer. For campaigns with low volume and high value, this is highly important. As a result, communications between agents and clients can be more discreet and productive.
In the progressive dialing mode, a live agent is already on the line as the dialer sequentially dials a pre-selected list of numbers, one after the other.
- In a scenario involving progressive dialing, contact center representatives have total control over the dialing procedure and can start the dialing session by the needs of the chosen list.
- The progressive dialer calls each number one at a time, and if one is busy or disconnected, it calls the next number on the list right away.
- Sequential dialing and the presence of an agent rule out the possibility of a call being abandoned.
- When an agent answers a connected call, there are no delays or pauses, and the call dialer stops dialing the following number on the list until the agent has finished the call.
For contact centers with fewer agents handling high-quality leads, progressive dialers perform better. For B2B organizations working on higher-value leads, it is very effective for outbound agents to use their sales outreach skills to get past gatekeepers and speak with the appropriate party contact.
- Reduce the abandonment rate: Calls are always dialed out when the agent is available. So, there is no pause or delay once the call is connected and hence reducing the abandonment rate.
- Improve conversion rates: An agent has more control over the calling process when a progressive dialer is in use, and calls are invariably connected to agents. This results in more call connections with better call quality and individualized outreach.
- Boost Efficiency: The progressive dialer avoids busy numbers, dropped calls, and bad numbers without taking up agent time. It also minimizes manual dialing errors.
- Increasing agent output: In an hour, a single-line progressive dialer can make 75–80 calls. It dials more than 200% more prospects per hour compared to manual dialing.
Another effective one is the preview dialer, which enables contact center agents to go through their customers' information before calling them. Each contact record can be instantly sent to agents using a preview dialer depending on the outbound campaign list. As a result, agents can evaluate contact information and particular consumer information before making a call. It displays the pertinent contact information from the database on the agent’s desktop. Agents choose which contact to call using this form of dialing system, the option to skip to the next contact is also available. As a result, agents can serve potential clients better.
The most practical and simple outbound dialing mode is preview dialing. Based on campaign settings, this contact center solution dialer automatically suggests the subsequent call that should be placed. The agent is given the chance to prepare before placing the call and has the option to skip it and move on to the subsequent contact.
- An outbound campaign is started, and the agent's screen popup displaying contact information appears.
- The agent has the option to preview and accept or decline the call. To call the customer, either the agent presses the call button or, after a predetermined "auto-dial time-out," the number automatically dials.
- The next call request is routed to the agent screen once an agent has finished the current call.
The preview dialer is ideal for contact centers with intricate sales processes that need to pre-research calls to improve conversion rates. Preview dialing mode is preferred for most complex B2B inside sales processes with high value.
Personalized Customer Interaction: The agent can facilitate context-based, personalized conversations by reviewing customer information before dialing the contact number.
More Targeted Dialing: By having the option to view the contact before dialing and choose whether to accept or reject the call, contact center agents have more control over the dialing process.
Preference for High-Value Leads: Preview dialer performs best for calls with very high revenue per call and highly customized customer requirements.
Better Connection Quality: The preview dialer drastically reduces call drop rates and prevents call abandonment.
Predictive Dialer |
Preview Dialer |
Progressive Dialer |
Multiple calls can be made simultaneously. |
Only one call can be placed at a time. |
Only one call can be placed at a time and the current call must have ended.
|
Calls cannot be skipped |
Calls and callers can be skipped |
Callers cannot be skipped |
The agent has no time to get familiarized with the data. |
The agent has time to get familiarized with the data. |
The agent has time to get familiarized with the data. |
The system learns the availability of the agent. |
The system can't learn the availability of the agent. |
The system can't learn the availability of the agent. |
Best suitable for high volume outbound calls. |
Best for low-volume and high-value call |
Optimum for continuous calling without abandonment rate |
It's critical to have a thorough insight and knowledge of your customer base to select the appropriate call dialer app for your contact center.
Do you, for instance, have a sizable or modest customer base? Are all of your consumers in the same region? Or do they reside in several nations?
A predictive dialer might be a smart choice for you if you have a sizable customer base. However, if your clientele is modest, a preview dialer is the best option for you. You may pick the best choice that fits your business needs by responding to these kinds of questions.
When choosing a call dialer app, it's crucial to take your contact center's size into account. For instance, you might not require a dialer that can handle a high call volume if you only have a few agents. On the other hand, you'll need a dialer that can handle a big call volume if you have a lot of agents. The number of agents that is available for the operation should be the first point to consider. Predictive or progressive dialers would be particularly useful for high-volume outbound calling operations. This guarantees that no agent needs to wait to get in touch with a prospective lead. Low-volume operations, on the other hand, would call for a smaller staff to produce the best outcome as much as possible. In these situations, a preview dialer would be quite beneficial in preparing the agents to get started right away.
The nature of the calls is a crucial factor that you should take into account when choosing a call dialer app. A progressive dialer should be chosen if the calls are directed to valuable clients and you can't afford to miss any. Preview dialers will be the best option when you have a conversation history or follow-ups to do with a particular client. A predictive dialer can be used for outbound call campaigns for impending promotions, random sales calls, or providing specialized offers. Dialers can be configured to meet the operation's goals, boost output, and deliver outcomes at the lowest possible cost.
Another crucial feature you should seek in a dialer app is seamless 'CRM Integration'. CRM stores customer contact information, and the dialer should offer simple access to that information through a single interface. The crucial but condensed information about the customer will be displayed on the agent's screen via a dialer coupled with CRM. The agent will have access to information about the client's profile, previous tickets, etc. in one location. This would facilitate a more fruitful interaction with the client. In addition to offering a simple database import option, CZ Dialer also connects with third-party lead sources like websites, CRMs, learning management systems, etc. so that leads can flow directly to the CZ Dialer for a real-time connection.
Conclusion
By using cutting-edge technology, contact center agents' productivity and efficiency can be significantly improved. For your contact center to be successful, picking the right dialer is essential. CZ Dialer has very simple configuration procedures and a seamless web-based user interface for the administrator, making it both adaptable and simple to use. It can aid in the growth of your business and keep your business one step ahead of your competitors. Check out the aforementioned recommendations to ensure that the dialer you choose is the best for your business.