Predictive dialers are used extensively by telemarketing firms to increase outbound call efficiency. Earlier, call center agents has to make calls to users from the database, and wait for a person to attend the call. Sometimes or most of the time the call may be unanswered or end up with busy tone or receive reply from answering machine or fax machine. So valuable call centers resources were wasted.

With predictive dialing, the computerized predictive dialer routes only the calls answered by real persons, dropping busy tones, unanswered calls etc.

Predictive dialer actually dials contact’s numbers from database. If call centre agents available are say 50, then the system makes say 100 calls. It drops unanswered calls, busy lines, answering machine and fax machine replied lines etc and route the calls answered by real human to the call centre agent. By doing so, the call centre agents are kept busy with the customer.

If call centre agents are not available at a time, the system silently drops the call after a brief time of silence. This may be annoying to the customer. In UK and USA there is strict regulation as to how these systems to be used effectively to reduce dropped calls. Regulatory authorities charge hefty fine for companies indulging in more than 3% dropped calls.

There are software based and hardware based predictive dialers. Of these hardware based dialers are feature rich. They are faster in call switching, having higher capacity line handling etc. Hardware based predictive dialers are more expensive.

Progressive dialing is also an automated dialing system, where the call center agent is displayed with the contact information for a brief amount of time before making the call. So the agent can talk more personally.

These dedicated computer based dialers are costly and the software license fees are also prohibitive. As an alternative to these dedicated computerized telephony systems, web based or hosted platforms are launched by companies like mxdigital, centric etc in the United Kingdom.
Hosted predictive dialers are cost effective. They are known as virtual predictive dialer, VOIP predictive dialer or web enabled predictive dialer. In this setup, the company to use hosted predictive dialer, they need internet connections, a computer system and a telephone line for each agent. These setups reduce initial cost involved in computer or telephony equipments, and software licenses.

These methods rely on VOIP. So the performance may be slightly degraded depending on internet connection quality.

MX Digital is a leading supplier of automated dialing solutions, including predictive, preview, precision and progressive dialing equipments and services.

MX Digital’s on-line hosted service offers a complete and robust set of contact centre systems such as Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), Predictive, Preview, and Progressive Dialler, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Multimedia Recording & Quality Monitoring, Campaign Management & Interaction History, Web Chat & Web Collaboration, Email Management, Administration & Reporting, Video Conferencing etc.

With the advent of these call center hardware and software based telephony equipments, the call center agents and their time are most effectively utilized, increasing overall agent productivity.