The RingCX automated outbound dialer brings voice broadcast, preview, predictive, and progressive dialing into one platform with your CRM, call recording, and reporting.
Manual dialing is slow and error-prone, and unanswered calls lower a contact center's efficiency. A predictive dialer automates that work by placing several calls at once and connecting answered calls to available agents. This page explains how it works, how it compares with other dialer types, which rules apply, what to look for, and what it costs.
Key takeaways
A predictive dialer is a type of automated dialing system commonly used in an outbound contact center . It places multiple simultaneous phone calls, using an algorithm to predict the likelihood of a customer answering the call, so agents spend less time dealing with busy signals and voicemails.
For sales teams, integrating a sales dialer with a predictive dialing system ensures that agents spend less time manually dialing and more time engaging with potential customers. The system quickly moves on to the next lead after an unanswered call, while answered calls are immediately routed to the next available agent.
Predictive dialers are most beneficial to industries and projects that prioritize leads and volume, such as high-volume sales, market research, and political campaigns. Teams that need more personalization on each call often choose preview or progressive dialers instead. Predictive dialing is a core tool in outbound call centers.
Predictive dialers use mathematical algorithms to predict when agents will be available and automatically dial numbers on their behalf. The system's pacing algorithm calculates average call lengths and connection rates, then adjusts the dialing speed accordingly to keep agents continuously engaged. By dialing multiple numbers simultaneously and automatically skipping unanswered calls, predictive dialers minimize downtime and maximize agent productivity.
Here’s a breakdown of how predictive dialing works:
Pacing sets how many calls the dialer places for each available agent. When more people answer than there are agents free, the extra calls are abandoned. Under FTC and FCC rules, a call is abandoned if a person answers and is not connected to a sales representative within two seconds of their greeting, and telemarketers must keep abandoned calls to no more than 3% of answered calls per campaign, measured over each 30-day period under the FTC rule.
Pacing setting | Calls placed per available agent | Agent wait time | Risk of abandoned calls |
|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Close to one | Longer | Lower |
An auto dialer is a contact center tool that makes the agent's life easier by removing the need for manual dialing. It systematically dials phone numbers and connects the call to the agent if someone picks up their phone.
A predictive dialer, on the other hand, is a type of auto dialer that aims for a higher calling rate by trying to connect to as many customers as possible. It will do this by dialing multiple phone numbers at once and then automatically connecting answered calls to the next available agent.
Predictive dialers should not be confused with other outbound dialers, such as progressive dialers, preview dialers, and voice broadcast. The table compares each type. For more on how they differ, read about which type of auto dialer your contact center needs.
Type | How it dials | Best for | Calls per agent per day | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Predictive dialer | Dials a set ratio of customers, such as three per available agent, and connects the call to an agent only if the customer answers. Dials numbers even before an agent becomes available and uses a pacing algorithm to determine availability of agents | High-volume sales, market research, and political campaigns |
Depending on your individual marketing needs, your contact center platform can switch between these two different outbound dialing modes. But rather than getting them separately, you’re better off getting contact center software like RingCX. Its automated outbound dialer includes voice broadcast, preview, predictive, and progressive dialing in the Standard plan. That way, you won’t have to look elsewhere for different dialing modes.
Yes, predictive dialers are legal when they are used within federal and state rules on consent, Do Not Call lists, and abandoned calls. However, like anything else, it’s prone to abuse.
This is where the TCPA comes in. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) restricts autodialed calls and prerecorded or artificial-voice calls to cell phones without the called person’s consent. For telemarketing calls of that kind, FCC rules require prior express written consent. Courts have narrowed what counts as an autodialer under the TCPA, so whether a particular system is covered depends on how it works. Prerecorded-voice rules and some state telemarketing laws still apply, and the rules continue to change, so confirm the requirements for your campaigns with legal counsel.
In fact, there is even a National Do Not Call Registry where people can register their phone numbers to signify that they want to limit the number of telemarketing and solicitation calls they receive. Telemarketers must check their call lists against the registry, keep an internal do-not-call list, and honor opt-out requests promptly. Telemarketing calls are also limited to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the called person’s time zone.
The abandoned-call rules add more requirements. When no agent is free within two seconds of an answer, callers must play a recorded message that names the seller and gives a phone number. Unanswered calls must ring at least 15 seconds or four rings before disconnecting, and callers must keep records showing they meet the abandoned-call limit.
Caller ID must also be accurate. The number you display must belong to you, be active, and connect to an inbound service staffed by live agents, an IVR, or an intelligent virtual agent that states your business name and offers a way to join your Do Not Call list. A local number is allowed, but a false or misleading number is not.
The recommended maximum for both is 3%. The DNC Manager keeps an internal Do Not Call list and scrubs numbers from outbound call lists. Scrubbing against external state and federal lists requires your own DNC.com subscription.
If an organization does its due diligence in keeping a Do Not Call database and provides consumers an avenue to give or take their consent, it will significantly reduce its risk of breaking any laws.
As one example of how a platform can support these rules, RingCX automated dialers include three features. Caller ID display lets you set the number recipients see. Call abandonment rate control uses a Seed Abandon Rate, which slows the dialer automatically when it is reached early in a campaign, and a Target Abandon Rate, which also factors in the predicted future rate. The recommended maximum for both is 3%. The DNC Manager keeps an internal Do Not Call list and scrubs numbers from outbound call lists. Scrubbing against external state and federal lists requires your own DNC.com subscription.
Start with neutral criteria, then compare providers against them. The outbound dialer selection guide goes into more detail.
Criteria | What to check |
|---|---|
Cloud or on-premises | Cloud-based systems reduce upfront capital and IT costs. On-premises systems put maintenance and upgrades on your in-house IT team. |
Pacing controls | Whether you can set and adjust how many calls are placed per available agent, and cap the abandoned call rate. |
Busy tone and voicemail detection |
These criteria apply to every vendor you are considering, so check each one against the same list before comparing price. To show how that looks in practice, here is how RingCX, one platform in this space, maps to them.
RingCX is cloud-based, and its automated outbound dialer includes voice broadcast, progressive, preview, and predictive modes. Its compliance features are covered in the legal section above. RingCX also works with CRMs including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, and Microsoft Dynamics 365, and the Standard plan includes call recording, real-time dashboards, and historical reports.
See the dialing modes and how they fit your campaigns: See RingCX outbound dialers.
Pricing depends on the provider and how the system is deployed. Common models are per seat (a recurring fee for each agent), per minute (a charge for each minute of dialing), and upfront (a one-time purchase or license for an on-premises system). Dialer software providers can also charge per call, monthly, or annually.
Call center dialers are available as both an on-premises and a hosted solution. When you choose to install it on your computers and have it managed by your in-house IT team, an on-premises solution could take up a lot of your resources. After all, you’ll be the one shouldering maintenance and upgrade costs. A hosted solution reduces upfront capital expenses and IT costs.
With RingCX, the automated outbound dialer is part of the Standard plan, which includes inbound and manual outbound minutes. Unlimited dialer minutes can be added for outbound-focused organizations. For current plan details, see plans and pricing.
As a team grows, a predictive dialer tends to deliver more value because the pacing algorithm has more agents to work with, which helps it predict availability more accurately. Larger teams can also track metrics such as connection rate, abandoned call rate, and occupancy rate to tune each campaign, and they can match the dialing mode to the goal, for example predictive for high-volume sales and preview or progressive for calls that need more personalization.
Growth also raises the stakes on compliance, so abandoned call limits, Do Not Call scrubbing, and caller ID controls need to be in place before call volume increases. RingCX is one example of a platform that supports this, with voice broadcast, progressive, preview, and predictive modes, abandon rate control, a DNC Manager, and real-time and historical reporting that teams can use as their outbound programs expand.
A predictive dialer automates the dialing process, using call metrics and pacing to increase the dialing rate and improve outbound call center efficiency. To get the most from it, your team should exceed the minimum required number of agents or you might encounter prediction failures.
A cloud-based predictive dialer is hosted by the provider instead of being installed on your own computers. Benefits include reduced upfront capital expenses and IT costs as well as more time spent talking to clients.
A predictive dialer places multiple calls for each available agent and uses a pacing algorithm to predict availability. A progressive dialer places one call for each available agent and dials only when an agent is ready, so it has fewer abandoned calls but more agent wait time.
Predictive dialers vs. progressive dialers
Predictive Dialer
Aggressive
Several, such as three |
Shorter |
Higher |
200 or more |
Risks having no agent on the line when a customer answers, and adds compliance challenges such as the 3% abandoned-call limit |
Progressive dialer | Places one call at a time, and only dials numbers when an agent is available. The next number dials within seconds, and no pacing algorithm is needed because dialing happens in real time | Prioritizing quality interactions over quantity of calls, such as appointment setting, scripted or repetitive calls, and upsell or cross-sell | 100 to 250 | Waiting for a customer to answer lowers agent productivity |
Preview dialer | Enables agents to view customer call records before they choose to dial | Low-volume calls to high-value clients, complex sales, and follow-ups, such as fundraising, financial portfolio discussions, collections, and targeted sales | 50 to 100 | Limits calls per day, and agents can sit idle while reviewing details |
Voice broadcast (robo-dialer) | Dials many customers and plays a pre-recorded message. Customers can interact with an IVR, an intelligent virtual agent, or connect to a live agent | Appointment reminders, patient follow-up notices, utility notifications, and emergency alerts | Not applicable | No guarantee of connection, and customers can hang up before the message ends |
Note: This section is general information, not legal advice. Learn more about call center compliance.
Whether the dialer detects busy tones and voicemail automatically instead of passing them to an agent.
CRM integration | Whether the dialer works inside your CRM and logs calls and contact data automatically. |
Compliance tools | Caller ID controls, abandoned call rate controls, Do Not Call list management, and call recording. |
Reporting | Real-time and historical reports on abandoned call rate, connection rate, answer seizure ratio, average talk time, calls per agent, and occupancy rate. |
Pricing model | Per seat, per minute, or upfront, and whether dialer usage and extra minutes are billed separately. |
Progressive Dialer
Yes, when they are used within consent, Do Not Call, and abandoned-call rules such as the TCPA and the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule. See the legal section above for the basics.
Many contact center platforms offer predictive dialers, including RingCentral RingCX, an omnichannel contact center solution. Your best option is the one that can give you everything you need now and in the future.
Pricing depends on the provider and the model, such as per seat, per minute, or upfront. See the cost section above for details.
