The Best Predictive Dialler for Contact Centres: Boost Efficiency with SCAPE

Using a preview dialler, call centre agents are able to review customer information before initiating a call. Preview diallers are ideal for organisations where their success depends on their frontline staff being familiar with the customer's details before the interaction begins. Being equipped with relevant information can aid in enhancing customer satisfaction and building a strong relationship, helping to achieve future sales.

In comparison, predictive dialler software does not provide contact centre agents with time to review the customer's record before a call is made. Instead, it uses an algorithm to calculate the number of outbound calls that will likely be answered, while reducing the chances of an unanswered call. It then places enough calls to ensure agents are connected to people who answered the phone. As soon as the call ends, the next call is immediately passed to the agent, maximising efficiency.

A progressive dialler automatically dials the next call on the list as soon as an agent becomes available. Progressive diallers can help your organisation minimise the number of abandoned calls, reduce wait time between calls and can significantly improve staff productivity.

Whereas, predictive diallers automatically predicts the productivity of agents and places multiple calls simultaneously in anticipation that an agent will become available. This prioritises efficiency, a high contact rate and aims to maximise total output.

At the core, predictive diallers use an algorithm to forecast how many calls will be answered and when agents will be available to handle the conversations, which is achieved through drawing on historic metrics such as average call duration and the number of unanswered calls i.e. voicemail. The algorithm accounts for real-time data, continuously optimising its calculation and adjusting the dialling rate when necessary.

Let's break down the key variables the predictive dialler algorithm accounts for:

Call abandonment rate: this factor measures the percentage of calls disconnected before the agent is available to connect to the call. Using SCAPE, a cloud contact centre platform, managers have the ability to set their own abandonment rate threshold. Setting the abandonment rate too high may lead to a large portion of the calls being flagged as SPAM. Thereby, it is advised to keep the abandonment rate low to reduce this risk. In America, the 'Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991' regulated by The Federal Communications Commission, states the call abandonment rate must stay under 3%.

To put this into perspective, if a call centre's dialling strategy involves making 100 outbound calls per hour, the number of abandoned calls must not exceed 3 calls within this time frame. To adhere to this regulation or the manager's pre-determined abandonment rate, the predictive dialler's algorithm automatically adjusts its dialling rate if it detects a spike in abandoned calls.

Agent availability: this measurement incorporates the number of agents working in a given shift and each agent's historic Average Handling Time (AHT). The algorithm factors these two elements to predict when an agent will be available to connect, minimising abandoned calls.

Picture this, a contact centre employs 20 agents, each with an AHT of 10 minutes. If 5 agents go on break at the same time, the algorithm automatically adjusts and reduces the number of outgoing calls it makes to minimise abandoned calls and maintain an effective workload.

Contact rate: the algorithm analyses historic data to calculate the percentage of calls that were unproductive i.e. busy signals, answer machines etc. and the number of calls answered. This calculation is applied in the algorithm to predict the number of calls to place simultaneously to connect agents to live calls in a pace that aligns with agent availability.

In the United States of America, this legislation restricts any organisation from using a predictive dialler to make unsolicited calls to anyone without their prior consent. This law states that without consent, companies must follow set rules when initiating contact with people over the phone. Companies that do not adhere to this law can risk facing hefty penalties for non-compliance.

Predictive diallers are suitable for business departments that spend majority of their working day making outgoing calls and need to transform their operational activities with efficiency. A predictive dialler works well for:

Sales teams - to increase the number of conversations and thereby sales opportunities

Market research companies - to efficiently get in contact with their participant list to interview

Debt collection agencies - maximise recoveries through increasing contacts

The most effective solution will depend on the nature of your organisation. When choosing a predictive dialler, consider the importance of CRM integration, whether the call centre software vendor can scale according to call volume your business will make, compliance with regulations and customisation capabilities. Additionally, evaluate the value of features such as call recording, performance management, machine learning for enhanced call predictions and AI-driven analytics.