Call center dialers, also known as contact center dialers, automate outbound call placement and connect call representatives with potential customers. Sales floors, collection agencies, doctor’s offices, and service centers all use call center dialers to reach clients.
When combined with a CRM, call center dialers become powerful tools. They allow your representatives to build relationships with customers and ensure every call ends well. We’ll show you the different kinds of call center dialers and how to set them up.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one call center dialer, including AI support and a built-in CRM, book a demo today. We’ll show you how Hooked CRM upgrades your workflows.
What is a Call Center Dialer?
A call center dialer automates outbound calls by connecting representatives with clients. It uses automatic call distribution (ACD) and interactive voice response (IVR) systems to manage calls within your business. If you plan on calling your clients, investing in a call center dialer is essential.
Of course, different industries use specialized programs, such as sales and marketing. Always check to see if the dialer you’re looking for matches your industry.
How Does a Call Center Dialer Work?
Call center dialers use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems to make calls over the internet rather than through an analog phone line. If it’s connected to your CRM, it filters through your DNC list before dialing and connecting representatives to clients.
After the call ends, representatives assign dispositions to the lead so everyone knows where the client is in the workflow.
Dial Ratio & Pacing
Within your call center dialer, be aware of the abandonment rate threshold, which must be less than 3.0% by law. If your call center dialer uses auto-dialing, ensure that you can adjust the dial ratio.
For most auto-dialing systems, you can call multiple lines within one phone number. However, this can cause your phones to call more people than available representatives. That’s why a dial ratio is essential to control call pacing. Always ensure there is a way to adjust the number of lines called.
Types of Call Center Dialers
Each call center dialer mode serves distinct operational needs, offering tailored functions and pacing capabilities. Here are the different types and what you can expect from each one:
Preview Dialer
A preview dialer uses your CRM to display client information before a call. Think of it as a more powerful caller ID that’s powered by your CRM, giving you access to their notes and customer journey.
You will need to integrate your CRM with your dialer for this system to work, but these tools have become essential in customer care. Before purchasing a dialer, make sure it works with your CRM, so you have the most information available before making a pitch.
Progressive Dialer
With a progressive dialer, your outbound calls are restricted to a 1:1 dial ratio. That means the system will only call when an agent is available. Once agents are out of wrap-up, the dialer calls the next lead on their list, and the cycle repeats until the system finishes.
Progressive dialers are recommended for businesses that are reaching the abandonment rate threshold.
Power Dialer
A power dialer is similar to a progressive dialer, but you can adjust call ratios to dial several clients with one line. This increases the odds your representatives contact someone instead of waiting for someone to pick up.
However, the downside is the abandonment rate threshold will be higher. You must also set up a Safe Harbor Message, a message that plays when calls are not connected. We highly recommend using a power dialer; it requires more maintenance to work properly.
Predictive Dialer
A seamless call transition requires using a predictive dialer. This dialer type starts calling before the current call ends, allowing representatives to be on call with minimal latency. The obvious benefit is that your agents won’t have to wait as long for their calls to connect. However, the biggest downside is that the system uses algorithms or AI to determine when to call the next lead.
So, the system could be misguided and call a lead too early, increasing your abandonment rate threshold. To be legally compliant, organizations must operate these dialer systems carefully.
AI or Voice-Bot Dialing
AI or voice-bot dialing is a new field of call center dialer systems. It uses artificial intelligence to automate dialing, so if your system uses different dialer types, AI will choose the proper system for you. This continuously updates to choose the optimal format for your situation.
Of course, you’ll want an AI system you can trust to handle rapid changes in the sales industry.
Do Inbound Call Centers Use Dialers?
Yes, inbound call centers use dialers to contact their customers. Inbound call centers use ACDs and IVRs to facilitate calls, but those aren’t enough to keep a call center running. Dialers are typically outbound tools; however, most inbound call centers must make outbound calls, so dialers are essential.
For example, if a client contacts you and disconnects, calling them back to continue the conversation is a priority. Without an outbound dialing system, you can’t contact them.
Call Center Compliance: Abandonment, Consent & Calling Hours
Call center compliance is a set of rules every call center must follow to comply with federal and state laws. Here are just a few of the rules you should know about:
- The 3% Abandonment Threshold Rate: You can’t have more than 3% of your answered calls dropped.
- Opt-Out Messages: You must give callers the ability to opt out of calls at any time.
- Appropriate Calling Hours: You can only call a client from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the client’s local time.
Especially in sensitive fields like insurance, these security and compliance features become the bedrock of your business. You should always find a call center dialer that keeps your client’s information safe.
Call Center Dialer Metrics to Track
Each call center is different, so the metrics you track will vary based on your goals. You will want a dialer that can track a variety of metrics since it’ll benefit your call center. Here are a few call center metrics you should consider:
| Call Center Metric | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Contact Rate | The number of contacts called. |
| Connect Rate | How many people picked up the phone when you called. |
| Abandonment Rate | Number of calls that ended in a dialer being hung up on by a representative or the system. |
| Agent Utilization | How many agents were actively calling. |
| Talk Time per Hour | The time the representative and agent talk, respectively. |
| Calls per Agent Hour | Number of calls an agent takes within the hour. |
Tracking these metrics creates opportunities to improve your call center training and efficiency.
How to Set Up a Call Center Dialer
Setting up your call center dialer customizes your system and workflow to your needs. While each program is different, each one has a basic checklist you can use to create the best dialer for your business:
- Clean & Segment Lists
- Load DNC & Suppression Lists
- Set Calling Windows by Time Zone
- Choose a Mode per Campaign
- Set the Ratio and Abandonment Threshold
- Configure Retries & Caller ID
- Map Dispositions to the CRM
- Monitor
If you’re confused about any step in the process, contact the support team that manages your dialer. If you have any concerns before making the switch, ask the relevant questions when you book a demo.
How to Choose a Call Center Dialer Software
Choosing a call center dialer software comes down to a few questions you need to answer:
- How many dial modes do you need?
- Are there specific abandonment-rate controls?
- Does it integrate with our CRM?
- How does it handle DNC lists?
- What kind of metrics does it track?
- Can it handle the number of clients we plan to call daily?
- How much does it cost?
Answer these questions before you make the switch to a new dialer software for an outbound call center. This guarantees you invest in a call center that serves your business instead of becoming a burden.
Hooked as Your Call Center Dialer
Hooked CRM works as the perfect solution for your call center dialer. Our dialer system can dial up to five lines simultaneously with our power dialer and an Abandon Rate Governor that prevents you from exceeding the abandonment rate threshold. Plus, we’ve combined our dialer with our built-in CRM and AI assistant, so you’ll have the tools you need to succeed in every circumstance.
Book a demo today to see how you can upgrade your system. One of our qualified representatives will walk you through your process and see how Hooked can improve your workflow. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Frequently Asked Questions
A predictive dialer is a type of auto dialer that starts dialing numbers while a current call is occurring. A typical auto dialer waits until the current call is complete to start dialing the next set of numbers.
Ideally, you would like your abandonment rate to be zero. However, that is almost statistically impossible, so instead, you should aim to be lower than 3.0%, the legal maximum for call abandonment rate.
Yes, predictive dialers are legal. However, you must keep watch over your abandonment rate threshold.
A dial ratio measures phone numbers dialed per agent when they become available. For example, if the dial ratio is set at 3, the call center dialer will dial three lines for the agent.
This depends on your call center's goals. Each dialer has different purposes that fit a number of separate industries, so it's hard to say what works best for your situation. We always recommend using a power dialer that can dial at least three lines.
Not always. Sales dialers have specific features that are native to the sales industry, but they should have the same basic backbone as a regular call center dialer.
