All of you working in a call center know what it feels like to be told 'no' throughout the entire day. In all honesty, it sucks..
Dropped calls is an ongoing challenge for call center agents, causing frustration and hindering productivity in the call center environment. Discover effective strategies to reduce waiting time between active calls and optimize your agents' efficiency. Let's dive into the solutions!
One of modern outbound call centers' most significant challenges is balancing average wait time and the dropped call rate. For an efficient call center, the acceptable average waiting time falls between 15 and 40 seconds, while keeping the dropped calls rate under three percent is crucial.
However, achieving these targets becomes particularly challenging when dealing with a high volume of daily calls. In response to this dilemma, Douglas A. Samuelson, an American scientist and statistician, took on the task of finding a better solution.
The result was the invention of the Predictive Dialer in the late 1980s. This innovative system aimed to tackle inefficiencies and revolutionize the performance of call centers, offering new possibilities for improved customer engagement.
A Predictive Dialer is an automated outbound calling system meticulously designed to minimize the waiting time between active calls. It operates using sophisticated mathematical algorithms that track various factors, including lead data, average talk time, available agents, and the number of missed calls.
The dialer places simultaneous calls to multiple leads based on these behavior patterns. The call is swiftly transferred to an available agent when a lead answers. As the name implies, this dialing method predicts the optimal moments when agents will likely be free to initiate a call. The result is a reduction in dropped calls and minimized idle time, maximizing the efficiency of the call center.
A Predictive Dialer also ensures that the number of active calls remains manageable and doesn't exceed the available agents. Unlike the Progressive Dialer, which places calls only after agents indicate their availability, the Predictive Dialer uses the current dialing ratio to initiate calls. This strategic approach increases the likelihood of agents being free to handle calls when a lead answers.
While we can't guarantee the complete elimination of waiting time or the end of missed calls, the statistics speak for themselves. Let's explore the benefits a Predictive Dialer can bring to your business.
According to a recent survey, Predictive Dialing can increase talking time up to 40-50 minutes per hour. It boosts the agents' productivity by 200-300 percent.
With a Predictive Dialer, you can reach more prospects in less time. It will ultimately boost your sales, and you will see a higher return on investment as you can reach more prospects simultaneously.
When it comes to reducing the average waiting time and drop rate, there are many factors that you should take into account. Although you can't have full control of it, you can set the Predictive Dialer settings according to your needs and make adjustments if needed. Here are some key points and terms you should pay attention to.
This is the most critical point. The more free agents you have, the less are chances that you will experience dropped calls. Having enough free agents will ensure that at least one available agent will always be when someone picks up the phone.
It defines the intensity of the dialing level. The higher it is, the more lines it calls simultaneously. However, don't be too aggressive with it. Keep in mind that a high dialing rate will result in more dropped calls if there are too many calls than the number of available agents.
It indicates the maximum acceptable ratio for the number of dropped calls. The higher the ratio, the more dropped calls. It's recommended to keep the ratio under two percent.
The leads' quality is just as important as the setup of the Predictive Dialer. The Predictive Dialer's efficiency will decrease drastically if your leads have a low answer rate or contain wrong numbers. Why? Because it will take more time to find a live connection and then transfer it to an available agent.
It's no secret that the Telemarketing industry has gotten the reputation of being pushy and, more times than not, someone you don't want to be contacted by. Authorities apply strict regulations to ensure that telemarketers don't abuse it.
Remember that there are different regulations for different parts of the world. E.g., the US and Canadian legislations are not the same as in Europe or Asian countries. Still, there are some similarities as they address the same issue. Before you start dialing, you should research the region or country where the leads you expect to call are located and make sure you're fully compliant with the laws and regulations.
Following and complying with current laws is important, as you will experience punishments if you don't. There are different limitations the government can use, depending on the country. You can risk massive fines, getting banned from using telecom resources, and if it's done repeatedly, you can even face imprisonment. Following the guidelines and obeying the rules are essential for your company's reputation and prosperity.
The Predictive Dialer is a real game-changer for call centers that prioritize efficiency. It significantly reduces the drop rate, boosts your agents' productivity, and makes contacting your potential customers easier and hassle-free.
Time is money. If you're not using the Predictive Dialer in your call center, you're probably wasting a lot of valuable time, thus losing some great potential customers. So what's the hold-up? Get started today!
