Engage Voice | Intro to dial modes
We currently offer multiple dialers, each designed to serve a specific function.
- Predictive: Automatically dials leads based on the settings set in any campaign that is part of a predictive dial group. The dialer routes calls to the appropriate available agent.
- Preview: Functions on a one-to-one basis, where one lead is connected to one agent. Agents can review lead info before clicking a button that initiates the system dialing the lead for them.
- Progressive: Functions similar to Preview, but instead of the agent pushing a button when they’re ready for the system to dial the next number, you can program the system to pause for a predetermined amount of time between calls and then automatically dial the next lead without any prompt or action from the agent.
- HCI dialing: A ‘clicker agent’ clicks a button to dial a phone number, at which point the system routes the call to another active agent. Human Call Initiator (HCI) dialing has two modes:
- Manual: Calls dialed via the dial pad in the agent interface. Agents can use the dial pad to make ad hoc calls, or calls not related to any outbound campaigns.
Predictive
The predictive dialer (also known as an auto dialer) automatically dials leads based on the settings set forth in any campaign that is part of a predictive dial group. The dialer then routes the connected calls to the appropriate available agents. Its goal is to reach the maximum number of leads in the shortest amount of time.
In addition to dialing faster than a human can and eliminating dialing mistakes due to human error, the predictive dialer can also maintain a consistent dialing balance based on the ratio of calls it deems likely to be successful and the amount of agents available to take those calls at any given point in time.
The predictive dialer follows an intelligent predictive algorithm that continually learns and adjusts itself according to the patterns it detects.
These predictions can then help the system decide a course of action, such as how many numbers it can simultaneously dial based on how many agents are available at any given time and the targeted abandon rate. As calls and agents fluctuate throughout calling hours, the predictive dialer will also adjust its algorithm continuously to match these changes.
Many of the settings you’ll configure within your campaigns will function as direct input into your dialing algorithm, whether it’s the schedule you choose to dial on or the amount of agents you assign to a campaign. Based on these settings, the system will be able to ensure successful dialing.
Predictive dialing is not encouraged for use on campaigns with smaller quantities of lead records and/or agent count.
Preview
The preview dialer functions on a one-to-one basis. One lead is connected to one agent, and there is never a possibility of any ‘extra’ dialed leads waiting in the wings to speak to a live agent. This dialer is designed to ensure agents have the time to view important information about each lead before a connection is made.
When an agent logs in and becomes available, they can use the preview dialer to fetch the campaign’s list of leads (and all the associated data) and review any relevant information before contacting the lead. Once the agent is fully prepared to speak to the lead, they can simply click a button and the system will dial the lead for them.
When the dialer reaches a live person (please note that this dialer can be configured for answering machine detection), it connects the call to the agent and then waits for the agent to wrap up the call and select a new lead before it dials again.
As for any important lead information you want your agents to view, this can include information such as the lead’s full contact record and all related information, including transaction history, past call outcomes, and basic data. This information can also come from different sources, whether from lead lists that contain relevant information (and custom information) agents will need to access before each call, CRMs that you can integrate into the system, or other systems that can allow agents access to even more information about leads before they engage.
The preview dialer offers another option you can use to meet additional dialing needs — the progressive dialer.
Progressive
The progressive dialer functions almost identically to the preview dialer, but with the addition of one feature: instead of the agent pushing a button when they’re ready for the system to dial the next number, you can program the system to pause for a predetermined amount of time between calls and then automatically dial the next lead without any prompt or action from the agent.
This allows you to automate the dialing process and keep call flows moving smoothly, while still giving agents whatever amount of time you think they’ll need to review information about each lead.
Helpful hint!
While using the progressive dialer, agents must manually initiate the dialer via the Start Dialer button at the start of their offhook session. When the progressive dialer is enabled, the system will fetch and dial leads automatically once the agent is Connected (status) and Available (agent state).
You’ll find the option to set your time delay in your dialer configuration settings; please note that these settings will apply to all calls, regardless of whether or not the call was answered. If utilizing the progressive dialer with blended agents, please note that the blended agents will need to restart the outbound progressive dialer after every inbound call, and the agents will only be marked as Available for inbound calls during the progressive dialer’s programmed delay.
Agents will find that the progressive dialer window cannot, at any time, be closed or minimized to prevent dialing. To exit the progressive dialer, agents can either log out, change dial groups, stop the dialer, or go into an unavailable agent state.
Agents will find that the progressive dialer window cannot, at any time, be closed or minimized to prevent dialing. To exit the progressive dialer, agents can either log out, change dial groups, stop the dialer, or go into an unavailable agent state.
HCI dialing
If you choose to enable HCI dialing on your account, then one designated agent can click a button to dial a phone number, at which point the system immediately routes the call to another active agent.
Please note that the clicker agent should set their agent state to Working (never Available) so they can avoid receiving calls while they manually dial calls for other agents.
Another feature that the clicker agent can utilize is the use of keyboard shortcuts. Instead of manually clicking a button with your mouse, an agent can use the tab key to select the lead number they want to dial. Then they can just press the enter key to start dialing. In HCI Fetch mode, agents can use the up or down arrow keys on their keyboard to move between leads in the lead list. A selected lead number will be underlined.
If you wish to enable HCI dialing, please contact your CSM.
Helpful hint!
Please note that if lead caching is enabled at the dial group level — that is, if Enable Agent Filter and Lead Searching are not enabled — and there are multiple campaigns, the system will try to pull as many leads from those campaigns as possible on each fetch. For example, there are three campaigns, and all three set at a high priority of 1, and the dial group is set to pull back 10 leads at a time, then the leads pulled from each campaign would be three for the first two, and four for the last campaign for a total of 10 leads for each pull. All campaigns being equal, the system will try to pull an equal number of leads from each campaign as much as possible.
However, if lead searching or agent filtering features are turned on, then in a similar situation such as the example given above, leads for the first campaign will be pulled first until they are exhausted before moving on to the second campaign, and so on.
There are two types of activities a clicker agent can engage in, and they differ based on dialing speed preferences: HCI fetch and HCI paced.
HCI fetch
One activity a clicker agent can engage in is referred to as HCI fetch, which allows agents to fetch new leads and click a button to dial those new leads at their own pace.
Clicker agents using HCI fetch will also be responsible for monitoring agent availability and the abandon rate of calls in order to adjust the rate at which they dial leads.
HCI paced
The second type of clicker agent activity is referred to as HCI paced. HCI paced is a compliance-supporting tool that uses a proprietary algorithm to dynamically adjust dialing speed so lead agents can manually click on call opportunities.
This version allows agents to dynamically adjust their dialing speed while still maintaining the human dialing component. This can be useful for businesses who wish to ensure they have sufficient live agents available to speak with the leads they’re connecting to.
Typically, a clicker agent can click an average of 1.5 leads per second — in an hour a clicker agent can click around 5000 leads. So if your target amount of leads is, for example, 20-25k per hour, then you need four to five HCI paced clicker agents logged in. Remember that clicker agents should set their agent state to Working (never Available) so they can avoid receiving calls while they manually dial calls for other agents.
In the case of leads with multiple numbers, the system will display one number at a time for each lead, with a fraction at the top right of the lead card indicating which number they see over how many numbers are available for that lead. The behavior for multiple number leads will not change, except that the system will choose which number will be shown to the clicker agent to be dialed. If the first number dialed is busy, the next number will then be displayed on the lead card but will not be automatically dialed.
Helpful hint!
By default, lead details are turned off in HCI Paced. This means that when agents click on a lead card at the left-hand panel, lead information will not be displayed. This is to stop the system from getting overwhelmed, since clicking on a lead card with the Lead details toggle switch turned on will fetch lead information every time an agent tries to dial a new lead. The Lead details toggle switch is located at the bottom of the left-hand panel.
Manual
Manual outbound calls refer to calls dialed via the dial pad in the agent interface. Agents can use the dial pad to make ad hoc calls, or calls not related to any outbound campaigns. These calls by default will not be associated with any campaign, dial group, or lead, but they will be tagged as manual calls in reporting.
Some businesses, however, may have a need to link manual outbound calls to an existing campaign. This can occur, for example, when an agent calls a lead and is given an alternate phone number for that lead.
If you want the agent to dial that alternate number right away — but you still want to link that manual dial to a campaign, you can use your inbound Routing settings to link any manual outbound calls to a specific queue — which then gets linked to the campaign of your choice. Some more popular use cases for associating manual outbound calls to a campaign include instances in which businesses wish to leverage scripting tools, dispositions, and Caller ID settings associated with certain campaigns.
Read more about manual outbound dialing in Manual outbound dialing overview.
Additional outbound dialing products
If an automatic dialing system is not appropriate for your needs and you require human intervention when making outbound calls, we offer another product to address those needs. For more information, please check out Intro to ManualDial.
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