Power dialer technology has changed the way contact center agents work by eliminating the need for operators to manually dial all the numbers on their call lists. This saves your team members time, but it’s far from the only dialing technology available to help you be more productive and streamline workflows.
To help you make the right choice for your business, we’re going to talk about and compare some popular kinds of dialing technology. Plus, we’ll show how RingCentral RingCX’s dialing modes can help you make the right choices for your business or call center.
What is a power dialer?
A power dialer—also referred to as a progressive dialer—is a piece of telephone technology that automates the dialing of leads in a list to help reach contacts more efficiently.
Power dialing software lets your team members be more efficient because they don’t have to spend time figuring out which number to call next. Plus, your agents won’t be wasting time manually looking up and dialing numbers—the auto dialer does it for them.
Power dialing software lets your team members be more efficient because they don’t have to spend time figuring out which number to call next. Plus, your agents won’t be wasting time manually looking up and dialing numbers—the auto dialer does it for them.
How does a power dialer work?
So, that’s the power dialer definition, but what does that mean in practice?
It means that as soon as an agent completes a call, the power dialer will automatically dial the next phone number on the contact list on behalf of the agent. There’s no learning curve in terms of how to use a power dialer—it’s automated.
It means that as soon as an agent completes a call, the power dialer will automatically dial the next phone number on the contact list on behalf of the agent. There’s no learning curve in terms of how to use a power dialer—it’s automated.
What is a predictive dialer in a contact center?
Predictive dialers are another type of auto dialer. They automatically dial multiple contacts at the same time, understanding that a certain portion of calls will not be answered.
These outbound dialers use algorithms to predict the typical amount of time it takes for a call to be answered and completed, as well as information on agent availability, to make successful live connections.
In a sense, predictive dialing anticipates when an agent will be available and adjusts the dialing rate accordingly.
This dialing technology makes sure that your team members spend their time on the phone only with calls that are answered by a live person.
It doesn’t have to be a case of power dialer vs predictive dialer, though. If you choose the right contact center solution, you can have both.
Understanding auto dialers: The differences between predictive and progressive or power dialers
As you’ve read, both predictive and power (or progressive) dialers increase agent productivity and efficiency by freeing your agents from having to dial phone numbers themselves. However, the best dialer for your business is going to depend on your operations.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the differences between the dialers.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the differences between the dialers.
Abandoned calls and possible fines
For outbound dialing, any call that is answered by a customer but no agent is available is considered an abandoned call.
Did you know that it’s actually illegal to have an abandoned call rate of over 3% in the US? Predictive dialers call more than one number at a time. If the algorithm contacts more customers than you have agents available, this will result in call drops and the possibility of risking going over your allotted dropped call percentage.
So, if you’re going to use a predictive dialer, you need to guarantee that you have enough team members to answer the calls when multiple calls connect at the same time, or have a prerecorded message play if no agent is available.
Since a power dialer or progressive dialer only dials when an agent is available, you can avoid these risks.
Did you know that it’s actually illegal to have an abandoned call rate of over 3% in the US? Predictive dialers call more than one number at a time. If the algorithm contacts more customers than you have agents available, this will result in call drops and the possibility of risking going over your allotted dropped call percentage.
So, if you’re going to use a predictive dialer, you need to guarantee that you have enough team members to answer the calls when multiple calls connect at the same time, or have a prerecorded message play if no agent is available.
Since a power dialer or progressive dialer only dials when an agent is available, you can avoid these risks.
Answering delays
When you answer the phone, you expect the person who called you to be present. Yet, we’ve all sometimes picked up the phone to say hello but found that nobody was there to respond. It’s a very frustrating experience.
It’s also a downside to predictive dialers, as since they use an algorithm to anticipate agent availability, a customer can answer an outbound call before an agent is ready to respond.
This delay at the beginning of a phone call can be a negative experience for your customer and, in the worst case scenario, may be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful customer engagement experience.
Agents who use power dialers will always be present the moment a customer answers their phone call. While agents with predictive dialers might miss a customer’s greeting causing an awkward delay in response, agents with power dialers are more likely to be there the moment a live connection is made.
It’s also a downside to predictive dialers, as since they use an algorithm to anticipate agent availability, a customer can answer an outbound call before an agent is ready to respond.
This delay at the beginning of a phone call can be a negative experience for your customer and, in the worst case scenario, may be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful customer engagement experience.
Agents who use power dialers will always be present the moment a customer answers their phone call. While agents with predictive dialers might miss a customer’s greeting causing an awkward delay in response, agents with power dialers are more likely to be there the moment a live connection is made.
Voicemail connections
When you’re making large numbers of calls a day, not everyone is going to pick up. Depending on the dialing mode, when a call goes to an answering machine different things will happen.
If you’re using predictive dialers, any call that’s picked up by a voicemail is immediately dropped. The machine will then move on to the next number on its contact list.
With power dialing, voicemail is typically not detected, which can result in wasted agent time. However, team members can leave voicemail messages, which may be useful if you’re contacting a lead or when leaving a message is good enough.
If you’re using predictive dialers, any call that’s picked up by a voicemail is immediately dropped. The machine will then move on to the next number on its contact list.
With power dialing, voicemail is typically not detected, which can result in wasted agent time. However, team members can leave voicemail messages, which may be useful if you’re contacting a lead or when leaving a message is good enough.
General efficiency
Strictly speaking, predictive dialers are more efficient than power dialers. By working with algorithms, a predictive dialer makes sure that when your agents are at work, they’re always working. It uses statistics from contactcenter operations to know when calls should be made to maximize agent availability.
Power dialers work by lining up each phone number with a live agent. Rather than making multiple calls at a time, they call phone numbers one-by-one. This means that they’re unable to match the level of efficiency that predictive dialers can reach.
However, that doesn’t mean that power dialer software shouldn’t have a place in your contact center. In fact, there are a number of circumstances in which using power dialing is the smartest choice.
However, that doesn’t mean that power dialer software shouldn’t have a place in your contact center. In fact, there are a number of circumstances in which using power dialing is the smartest choice.
When should you use power dialing?
Although predictive dialing is better in terms of efficiency, power dialing gives your agents more control. A predictive dialer’s dialing speed is determined by an algorithm. A power dialer’s speed is controlled by the amount of time you set for agents to have between calls. So, if you find it dialing too fast, you can simply change the settings.
Since power dialers go through a contact list one-by-one, your agents are always present at the moment a call is connected. This guarantees that you don’t miss any leads because of delays which cause customers to hang up live calls before an agent can get on the line. So, if your connect ratio is above 50% (more than half of the calls made are answered), power dialing is the better choice.
A perfect time to use power dialers is when a contact list is large enough to need automatic dialing, but the contacts still require personalized care. Example use cases include appointment setting and sales calls. Your agents will be able to reach their contacts quickly without dropping any calls. Additionally, with the right power dialer system, your team members will be prepared with relevant customer info when they connect with customers.
While predictive dialers are more efficient than power dialers, they are not always the best choice for a business. If, for example, you have less than ten agents making calls or you are only making a handful of calls per day, you will not see significant efficiency improvements. Predictive dialers work best with a large team of agents (fifteen or more) and high call volume (for example, hundreds of calls per day), where the calls are highly repetitive and not personalized (for example, market research).
Since power dialers go through a contact list one-by-one, your agents are always present at the moment a call is connected. This guarantees that you don’t miss any leads because of delays which cause customers to hang up live calls before an agent can get on the line. So, if your connect ratio is above 50% (more than half of the calls made are answered), power dialing is the better choice.
A perfect time to use power dialers is when a contact list is large enough to need automatic dialing, but the contacts still require personalized care. Example use cases include appointment setting and sales calls. Your agents will be able to reach their contacts quickly without dropping any calls. Additionally, with the right power dialer system, your team members will be prepared with relevant customer info when they connect with customers.
While predictive dialers are more efficient than power dialers, they are not always the best choice for a business. If, for example, you have less than ten agents making calls or you are only making a handful of calls per day, you will not see significant efficiency improvements. Predictive dialers work best with a large team of agents (fifteen or more) and high call volume (for example, hundreds of calls per day), where the calls are highly repetitive and not personalized (for example, market research).
Benefits of power dialing
- Increased agent efficiency
- Better lead management
- Personalized customer service
- Higher sales conversions
Since we migrated our sales and customer success reps to RingCX, we’ve gotten up to about 1,500 inbound and 1,000 outbound calls a day—and we’re still able to keep our abandonment rate to 3%. No matter how much our operations grow, we’re still consistently able to provide a world-class customer experience.
Bill Heep
Director of Communications and Systems
Call center software with flexible dialing options is a must
Power dialing with RingCX’s progressive mode can achieve better customer experiences and more successful call interactions. Coupled with CRM integration, you get a CRM power dialer that can increase efficiency by retrieving the relevant history and any previous call data of the customer your agent is contacting.
RingCX provides additional dialing options, too, that can be used in tandem for different campaign goals:
RingCX provides additional dialing options, too, that can be used in tandem for different campaign goals:
- Voice broadcast dialing - Dials multiple customers simultaneously and plays a prerecorded message to them
- Preview - Provides an agent time to review the next customer’s details before clicking to dial
- Human call initiator or manual dial - A supervisor or agent clicks to dial the next lead, at which point the system routes the call to an active agent. This setting is used when compliance is critical.
That’s not all you get in terms of outbound call center features with RingCX, either.
During live calls, your managers can whisper instructions to your agents if they require support on a call, or they can join or even take over a call if the need arises. In addition, RingCX provides detailed analytics to effectively monitor your team’s historical dialing performance with logs, call storage and call recording.
During live calls, your managers can whisper instructions to your agents if they require support on a call, or they can join or even take over a call if the need arises. In addition, RingCX provides detailed analytics to effectively monitor your team’s historical dialing performance with logs, call storage and call recording.
See RingCX in action
Power dialer FAQs
The main difference between a predictive dialer and a power dialer lies in how and when they dial new numbers. Predictive dialers use algorithms to estimate when agents will be available to handle new calls, and dial accordingly. Power dialers will only dial the next number a set amount of time after an agent finishes their previous call.
Both types of auto dialers, therefore, automate the dialing process. Predictive dialers aim to minimize downtime between agent calls as much as possible. That can, however, lead to more abandoned calls or delays where those called have nobody to speak to. Power dialers won’t dial as many calls in a given period, but mitigate those issues.
Both types of auto dialers, therefore, automate the dialing process. Predictive dialers aim to minimize downtime between agent calls as much as possible. That can, however, lead to more abandoned calls or delays where those called have nobody to speak to. Power dialers won’t dial as many calls in a given period, but mitigate those issues.
What about power dialer cost? How much is a power dialing solution? Well, you’re not going to want to invest in a standalone power dialer. Instead, you want a comprehensive contact center solution with flexible dialing options built-in. And that’s what you get with RingCentral RingCX.
RingCX pricing starts at $65 per agent, per month—when paid annually. Among the solutions core features are voice broadcast, preview, predictive, and progressive/power dialer modes. You also get a plethora of other functionalities, including ACD, IVR, skills-based routing, and other inbound call features, call recording, and built-in analytics.
As well as power or progressive dialers and predictive dialers, you can also get preview dialers and voice broadcast dialers.
Preview dialers are similar to progressive dialers in that they don’t predictively dial numbers based on algorithms (like predictive dialers). Where they differ is that they also provide agents with key information about who they’re going to call (a preview) before the call. The agent can peruse this information as preparation before then okaying the call to go ahead.
Voice broadcast dialers are the most automated of all auto dialers. Just like power dialers, they auto dial numbers from a pre-defined call list. Unlike power dialers, though, they don’t connect agents to those calls. Instead, the dialing system plays the call recipients a pre-recorded message.
Preview dialers are similar to progressive dialers in that they don’t predictively dial numbers based on algorithms (like predictive dialers). Where they differ is that they also provide agents with key information about who they’re going to call (a preview) before the call. The agent can peruse this information as preparation before then okaying the call to go ahead.
Voice broadcast dialers are the most automated of all auto dialers. Just like power dialers, they auto dial numbers from a pre-defined call list. Unlike power dialers, though, they don’t connect agents to those calls. Instead, the dialing system plays the call recipients a pre-recorded message.
RingCentral RingCX is designed to be easy and intuitive to use. Setting up and tailoring power dialing capabilities, therefore, is straightforward and simple.
All you need to do is to head to the configuration panel for the campaign your agents are calling on. Once there, you’ll find a dialer settings tab where you can customize things like ring time, caller IDs, and plenty more besides. In most cases, it takes no more than a couple of clicks.
All you need to do is to head to the configuration panel for the campaign your agents are calling on. Once there, you’ll find a dialer settings tab where you can customize things like ring time, caller IDs, and plenty more besides. In most cases, it takes no more than a couple of clicks.