Outbound Dialer Methods

Progressive Dialing

The outbound dialer will generate one call as soon as there is an available agent in the queue.
The system calls before the customer and when he/she answers the call, the system switches call to agent.

During the creation of a queue campaign, if you choose Progressive Method, you just need to insert the following parameters:

• Max Concurrent Calls:: the maximum number of concurrent calls that will be originated by the dialer for this campaign (where 0=unlimited calls)

• Queue Timeout: time in seconds the dialer waits for a call in the queue to be answered before dropping it. If the call is dropped, the dialer will not recall the contact in this queue campaign (Default value=3)

• Agent Timeout: How long in seconds to ring an agent’s device

Power Dialing

This method is similar to progressive dialing but it works as a call multiplier. Calls are generated according to a defined power level, i.e. the number of contacts to call for each available agent. This strategy is efficient when we have a non-clean contact list.
So for this method you need to choose:

• this Power Level and the range can be set between 1 and 10, with decimals as intermediate levels (e.g. 1.4 calls per available agent), but pay attention not to increase too much this value in order not to lose calls.

• Max Concurrent Calls: the maximum number of concurrent calls that will be originated by the dialer for this campaign (where 0=unlimited calls)

• Queue Timeout: time in seconds the dialer waits for a call in the queue to be answered before dropping it

• Agent Timeout: How long in seconds to ring an agent’s device

Preview Dialing

This is a very simple method which does not differ too much from manual dial.
The dialer selects a customer record from a call list and proposes this call to an agent (the "preview" phase), who can accept it and let the dialer starts the call or decline it. In this case, the Agent will stay on the line during the progress of the call, until the customer answers or any other event (line busy, call unanswered, and so on).
There is a Preview symbol, which agent clicks and calls contacts directly from phonebar.

Here you have only to insert Agent Timeout, how long in seconds to ring an agent’s device.

Booked Progressive Dialing

The outbound dialer will book an agent (the first available in the queue and he/she doesn't receive other calls from the queues he/she belongs to) before to start the call. In this way System calls before the agent and then customer.
This method avoids the risk of abandoned calls, because the call is immediately associated with agent.
System shows contact preview and agent clicks to start call.

Here you have to indicate:

• Max Concurrent Calls: the maximum number of concurrent calls that will be originated by the dialer for this campaign (where 0=unlimited calls)

• Agent Timeout: time in seconds an agent phone will ring (Default value=3).

Predictive Dialing

In this method the dialer uses the predictive interval to gather statistics about the calls and predicts the number of contacts to call that optimizes the Predictive Optimization, so the factor used to optimize the predictive algorithm, that can be:

• Drop rate: is the number of dropped calls per total number of generated calls. Low predictive optimization percentage will minimize the number of dropped calls.
  = - DROPPED CALLS

• Agent busy factor: is concerned with agents idle time. High predictive optimization percentage will maximize agents working time.
  = + AGENT'S OCCUPANCY

This system starts by working in progressive method (1 call for 1 agent), after enough time for the algorithm to understand how calls are handled, algorithm collects real data statistics on how calls go (number of real connections, call length) and efficiency increases.

(Read more about Agent Availability Thresholds for Predictive Campaigns clicking here)

For this dialing method you need to set the following parameters (change default only if you are expert about predictive dialer algorithms):

• Predictive Optimization Percentage: percentage based on the selected predictive optimization factor (the range is between 1-95)

• Predictive Interval: Time interval in minutes to be considered by the predictive algorithm to calculate amount of calls to generate for optimizing the predictive optimization factor Realtime 

• Max Concurrent Calls: the maximum number of concurrent calls that will be originated by the dialer for this campaign (where 0=unlimited calls)

• Queue Timeout: time in seconds the dialer waits for a call in the queue to be answered before dropping it

• Agent Timeout: How long in seconds to ring an agent’s device
  

To make valid predictions, the contact center must have at least 20-25 operators.