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{{Short description|Computer telephony software}}{{Use British English|date=April 2024}} |
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{{no footnotes|date=October 2011}} |
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{{one source|date=October 2011}} |
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An '''automatic dialer''' (also spelled '''auto dialer''', '''auto-dialer''', and '''autodialer''') is an electronic device or software that automatically dials [[telephone number]]s. Once the call has been answered, the autodialer either plays a recorded message or connects the call to a live person. |
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In [[computer telephony]] an '''automatic dialler''' (shortened to an '''auto-dialler''' or more simply in context just a '''dialler''', and also known as an '''outbound dialler''') is a computer system that makes outgoing calls from a [[call centre]] to customers from call agents based upon a loaded list of contacts.{{sfn|OECD|2014|p=62}}{{sfn|Calvert|2017|p=319}} |
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When an autodialer plays a pre-recorded message, it is often called [[voice broadcasting]], or [[robocall]]ing. Some voice broadcasting messages ask the person who answers to press a button on their phone keypad, such as in opinion polls in which recipients are asked to press one digit if they support one side of an issue, or another digit if they support the other side. This type of call is often called outbound [[interactive voice response]]. |
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Whereas [[automatic call distribution]] (ACD) distributes ''inbound'' calls to a call centre amongst its agents, an auto dialler makes ''outbound'' calls and comes in several forms.{{sfn|Calvert|2017|p=319}} |
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Auto diallers are responsible for providing management information to call centre operators, including how many outbound calls each agent has handled.{{sfn|Meikle-Small|1997|p=544}} |
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In more sophisticated computer telephony systems, a single system handles both ACD of inbound calls and dialling of outbound calls, allowing agents to be switched between the two as traffic volumes require.{{sfn|Meikle-Small|1997|p=544}} |
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In their earlier forms, diallers would be proprietary standalone systems that connected directly to a [[private branch exchange]] or even to the [[public switched telephone network]].{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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When an autodialer connects an answered call to a live agent, it is often called a [[predictive dialer]] or power dialer. A predictive dialer uses real-time analysis to determine the optimal time to dial more numbers, whereas a power dialer simply dials a pre-set number of lines when an agent finishes the previous call. |
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However, with the advent of customer-owned [[telephone switch|switching equipment]] providing call-control interfaces, diallers shrunk to being external adjunct systems that controlled existing switches.{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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== |
== Types == |
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===Answering machine detection=== |
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An important technology for autodialers is the ability to distinguish live human pick-ups from answering machines. Since there is no indication hardware signal when a call is answered by an answering machine or voice-mail system, autodialer systems have to analyze incoming audio for a prediction. |
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=== |
=== Preview === |
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In its most primitive "preview" form, an auto-dialler operates by first presenting contact details to the call centre agent on a computer display, who then initiates the call with a mouse gesture, a keyboard press, or some other [[human interface device|human input device]] action.{{sfn|Calvert|2017|p=325}}{{sfn|Meikle-Small|1997|p=544}} |
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Anybody wishing to use an autodialer to contact many people will need to maintain compliance with the relevant laws in their country. The ability to maintain records, demonstrate drop call percentages on campaigns and avoid calling numbers listed in any federal, state, or company 'Do Not Call' lists is essential for continued legal use of any autodialer. Certain organizations are exempt from certain compliance laws, but the bulk of autodialers are built for the bulk of users who are required to comply, and in many cases must be able to demonstrate their compliance upon demand of a regulatory entity. |
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However, this is inefficient from a business perspective, as the result is that agents spend a lot of time waiting through [[call-progress tone|call progress]], and when calls are connected listening to answering machine messages and the like.{{sfn|Meikle-Small|1997|p=544}}{{sfn|Yarberry Jr|2002|p=56}} |
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=== Power dialler === |
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Although such devices are being used legitimately all over the world, there are also companies, organizations, and individuals who use them to commit fraud and perpetrate scams on unwitting recipients, often the elderly, or those unaware of their rights. In this event, the existence of government 'Do Not Call' registers or lists has little effect on their operations.<ref>Caputo, Ashley (2013). Auto Diallers turned into scamming machines. (Web page) Retrieved on 19 February 2014 from http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/predictive-dialer/articles/336155-auto-dialers-turned-into-scamming-machines.htm</ref> In order to try and control what is a growing business, organizations have attempted to create codes of practice for those operating in their industry which may make use of auto dialers.<ref>Association of Data-driven marketing and advertising; Code of Practice. Retrieved on 19 February, 2014 from http://www.adma.com.au/comply/code-of-practice</ref> |
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The next step up is the "power dialler" form, whereby agents do not become party to the call until the [[called party]] has picked up.{{sfn|Calvert|2017|p=325}} |
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A power dialler usually dials as many (as yet uncontacted) contacts from its list as the call centre has outgoing circuits available and the agents are not party during call progress.{{sfn|Calvert|2017|p=325}} |
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Instead, the power dialler performs answer detection and connects the agent, the system only presenting contact details to the agent (a so-called "screen pop"), when the call has been answered, often filtering out [[answering machine]]s and [[fax machine]]s, timing out unanswered (RTNR a.k.a. "ring tone no reply") calls, and performing so-called "hello" detection.{{sfn|Calvert|2017|p=325}}{{sfn|Meikle-Small|1997|p=544}}{{sfn|Yarberry Jr|2002|p=56}}{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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==== Regulations ==== |
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==Modem versus telephony boards== |
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However, this in turn has problems, as if there are more outgoing circuits for making calls than there are agents available, at the point that the dialler has recognized a human it has to drop the call, generating an abandoned [[nuisance call]] from the callee's perspective, or wait until an agent is available resulting in a silent call.{{sfn|Calvert|2017|p=325}} |
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A regular PC, desktop or laptop, can be turned into an autodialer by using a telephony board or [[modem]]. There are software programs that can set up an autodialer-like function over a physical [[telephone line]] using such hardware. It is also possible to run cheap or free autodialers without a modem or telephone line using the Internet and [[VoIP]]. |
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This was such a problem in some jurisdictions in the early years of the 21st century that government regulators imposed rules upon companies that used auto-diallers; [[Ofcom]] in the United Kingdom, for instance, imposing a rule that an auto-dialler had to at minimum play some sort of recorded message identifying the calling party to the called party within 2 seconds of connection, and constitute no more than 3% of the total outbound call volume in a 24-hour period, or the company in charge would pay fines of anywhere between {{GBP|50000|year=2010}} and {{GBP|2000000|year=2010}}.{{sfn|BPP|2010|p=390}}{{sfn|Farquhar|Meidan|2017|p=27}}{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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One telemarketer hit by fines was [[Barclaycard]] who was found by an Ofcom investigation from October 2006 to May 2007 to have broken this rule, having no mechanisms to prevent customers who have received one silent or abandoned call from receiving many other successive ones.{{sfn|Farquhar|Meidan|2017|p=27}} |
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After pressure from telemarketing companies, who claimed that this was simply not achievable with the technology of the time, Ofcom extended the permitted period of silence.{{sfn|BPP|2010|p=390}} |
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<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mike |first1=John |title=Auto dialer |url=https://hodusoft.com/auto-dialer-software/ |access-date=29 July 2021}}</ref> |
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=== Predictive dialler === |
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Further improvements are thus the "predictive" dialler, which uses heuristics, and the "progressive" dialler, which directly keeps track of agent availability, and does not make further outbound calls where no agent would be available to handle the call when the callee answers.{{sfn|Calvert|2017|p=325}}{{sfn|Meikle-Small|1997|p=544}}{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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Agent availability is tracked using an application on the agent's computer that enables the agent to log on and register as an available agent.{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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Using agent availability alone to set the maximum number of parallel outbound calls is not as efficient as it is possible to be, since a large fraction of all calls in practice are RTNR or not answered by humans, meaning that a similar fraction of agents goes unused if an agent being available at the point of call initiation is a requirement.{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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Traditional advantages of using [[telephony]] cards over simple modems include detecting [[DTMF|touch tones]] and transferring calls directly through to the caller. |
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The heuristic approach of "predictive" diallers is based upon how long agents have remained on calls to predict the availability of agents, and how many calls have been answered by humans recently to predict how much instantaneous demand there will be on the available agent pool.{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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However, the heuristic approach that increases agent use also increases the risk of abandoned calls when the heuristic does not make a correct prediction and not enough agents end up being available.{{sfn|Walker|Morris|2021|p=179}} |
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{{Reflist|20em}} |
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==Sources== |
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{{refbegin}} |
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* {{cite book|title=The Handbook of Banking Technology|author1-first=Tim|author1-last=Walker|author2-first=Lucian|author2-last=Morris|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2021|isbn=9781119328018}} |
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* {{cite book|ref={{harvid|OECD|2014}}|title=Working Smarter in Tax Debt Management|publisher=OECD Publishing|year=2014|isbn=9789264223257}} |
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* {{cite book|chapter=Glossary|title=Gower Handbook of Call and Contact Centre Management|editor1-first=Natalie|editor1-last=Calvert|publisher=Routledge|year=2017|isbn=9781351932363}} |
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* {{cite book|chapter=Harnessing new technology|author1-first=Martin|author1-last=Meikle-Small|title=Gower Handbook of Customer Service|editor1-first=Peter|editor1-last=Murley|publisher=Gower Publishing|year=1997|isbn=9780566076886}} |
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* {{cite book|ref={{harvid|BPP|2010}}|title=Business Essentials: Marketing Principles|publisher=BPP Learning Media|year=2010|isbn=9780751776645}} |
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* {{cite book|title=Marketing Financial Services|author1-first=Jillian|author1-last=Farquhar|author2-first=Arthur|author2-last=Meidan|edition=2nd|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|year=2017|isbn=9781349924011}} |
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* {{cite book|title=Computer Telephony Integration|author1-first=William A.|author1-last=Yarberry Jr|edition=2nd|publisher=CRC Press|year=2002|isbn=9781420000405}} |
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{{refend}} |
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== Further reading == |
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With the advancement of computer software technology at the end of the 20th century, many hardware-based telephony capabilities for auto dialing can be implemented in software. Voice modems are much less expensive and some computers have them pre-installed already. Touch tones, [[call transfer]], call progress detection, detection of answering machine and [[voice mail]], and other telephony card features, are available in voice modem-based auto dialing systems. For a simple autodialer supporting only a few phone lines per PC, telephony cards offer few advantages over simple voice modems. |
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* {{cite encyclopaedia|article=Dialer|pages=217–218|encyclopaedia=Computer Telephony Encyclopedia|author1-first=Richard|author1-last=Grigonis|publisher=CRC Press|year=2000|isbn=9781482280654}} |
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* {{cite encyclopaedia|article=Predictive Dialer|pages=342–344|encyclopaedia=Computer Telephony Encyclopedia|author1-first=Richard|author1-last=Grigonis|publisher=CRC Press|year=2000|isbn=9781482280654}} |
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However, with single systems that initiate large volumes of calls simultaneously, telephony cards offload the PC by performing most of the telephony functions (call status determination, playing [[music on hold]], answer machine detection, etc.). Calls can likewise be cross transferred at the telephony board level. |
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* {{cite web|title=Abandoned and silent calls|url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/8523/silent-calls.pdf|publisher=[[Ofcom]]}} |
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With the ever-increasing power of modern computers, especially those with multiple cores and multiple processors, autodialers that utilize VOIP can be scaled up well. In today's call centers, autodialers that do not use telephony board can easily make hundreds of simultaneous calls. In addition, call transfer to remote agents is much easier with VOIP technology since no physical telephone wires are needed. |
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==Smart autodialer== |
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A Smart Autodialer is an autodialer capable of personalizing messages and collecting touch-tone or speech feedbacks. A speech engine is usually included for converting text to speech and recognizing speech over the phone. |
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To customize or personalize messages, a smart autodialer system uses a message template, which contains variables that can be replaced later by actual values. For example, a time variable included in the message template can be replaced by the actual time when a phone call is made. |
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==Semi-automatic dialer== |
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A semi-automatic dialer is a human-controlled dialer. All actions, such as dialing, playing the audio messages, recording, are initiated by a human, normally by the press of a key. It is a productivity tool for telemarketing agents. The first semi-automatic dialer was offered on the commercial market in 1942. It was manually operated and came in two models; one that stored 12 numbers and a second which could store up to 52 numbers. <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=stYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA70&dq=popular+Mechanics+1942+Short&hl=en&ei=SnahTLSMIoifnQfxu6SJBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=popular%20Mechanics%201942%20Short&f=true "Phone does its own dialing when lever pushed"] ''Popular Mechanics'', February 1942, p. 70.</ref> |
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==Telemarketing dialer== |
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An enterprise-grade dialer must provide two key features. First, it must be capable of making a large number of simultaneous phone calls; and second, it must provide an application programming interface (API) for system integration. Almost all enterprise-grade autodialers employ computer networking technology since voice boards have a fixed number of ports and cannot be scaled up. In order to make 2000 simultaneous phone calls, for example, a group of computers has to be linked together to provide support for that many phone lines. |
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Some advanced enterprise dialers are distributed dialers, i.e., independent dialers that are linked together through the Internet and controlled by a call dispatching program. With distributed computing, there is virtually no limit on scalability. All distributed dialers, by definition, can be accessed remotely. Today with optimized and highly specialized coding some companies have been able to sustain 2000 simultaneous calls using only one server and a single 100 Mbit connection. |
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==Natural predictive dialer == |
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[[Natural predictive dialing]] has the benefits of all of the above dialing modes. With natural predictive dialing, [[call progress analysis]] (CPA) occurs in parallel with the agent connection, as opposed to the agent being connected after the CPA has determined that a live person is on the phone. This results in the benefits of CPA automation as in predictive dialing while also allowing an agent to always be available as in power dialing. The primary disadvantage of natural predictive dialing is that it is patented and is only available through a single vendor. |
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==Restrictions== |
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The [[Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991]] was signed into law, in the United States, in an effort to put restrictions on auto dialing systems. Since then, the [[Federal Trade Commission|FTC]] has taken additional measures to ensure that consumers can block robocalls and other automated calls by requiring expressed written consent from consumers in order to receiving marketing and other solicitations over the phone. {{cn|date=December 2015}} |
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==See also== |
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*[[Spam (electronic)]] |
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*[[Telemarketing]] |
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*Autodialer alarm, which is different from an alarm autodialer |
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*[[Predictive dialer]], a type of autodialer |
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*[[Dialer]], dialers in general |
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*[[Speed dial]] |
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{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:Communication software]] |
[[Category:Communication software]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:00, 27 July 2024
In computer telephony an automatic dialler (shortened to an auto-dialler or more simply in context just a dialler, and also known as an outbound dialler) is a computer system that makes outgoing calls from a call centre to customers from call agents based upon a loaded list of contacts.[1][2] Whereas automatic call distribution (ACD) distributes inbound calls to a call centre amongst its agents, an auto dialler makes outbound calls and comes in several forms.[2] Auto diallers are responsible for providing management information to call centre operators, including how many outbound calls each agent has handled.[3] In more sophisticated computer telephony systems, a single system handles both ACD of inbound calls and dialling of outbound calls, allowing agents to be switched between the two as traffic volumes require.[3]
In their earlier forms, diallers would be proprietary standalone systems that connected directly to a private branch exchange or even to the public switched telephone network.[4] However, with the advent of customer-owned switching equipment providing call-control interfaces, diallers shrunk to being external adjunct systems that controlled existing switches.[4]
Types
[edit]Preview
[edit]In its most primitive "preview" form, an auto-dialler operates by first presenting contact details to the call centre agent on a computer display, who then initiates the call with a mouse gesture, a keyboard press, or some other human input device action.[5][3] However, this is inefficient from a business perspective, as the result is that agents spend a lot of time waiting through call progress, and when calls are connected listening to answering machine messages and the like.[3][6]
Power dialler
[edit]The next step up is the "power dialler" form, whereby agents do not become party to the call until the called party has picked up.[5] A power dialler usually dials as many (as yet uncontacted) contacts from its list as the call centre has outgoing circuits available and the agents are not party during call progress.[5] Instead, the power dialler performs answer detection and connects the agent, the system only presenting contact details to the agent (a so-called "screen pop"), when the call has been answered, often filtering out answering machines and fax machines, timing out unanswered (RTNR a.k.a. "ring tone no reply") calls, and performing so-called "hello" detection.[5][3][6][4]
Regulations
[edit]However, this in turn has problems, as if there are more outgoing circuits for making calls than there are agents available, at the point that the dialler has recognized a human it has to drop the call, generating an abandoned nuisance call from the callee's perspective, or wait until an agent is available resulting in a silent call.[5] This was such a problem in some jurisdictions in the early years of the 21st century that government regulators imposed rules upon companies that used auto-diallers; Ofcom in the United Kingdom, for instance, imposing a rule that an auto-dialler had to at minimum play some sort of recorded message identifying the calling party to the called party within 2 seconds of connection, and constitute no more than 3% of the total outbound call volume in a 24-hour period, or the company in charge would pay fines of anywhere between £50,000 (equivalent to £80,975 in 2023) and £2,000,000 (equivalent to £3,239,000 in 2023).[7][8][4] One telemarketer hit by fines was Barclaycard who was found by an Ofcom investigation from October 2006 to May 2007 to have broken this rule, having no mechanisms to prevent customers who have received one silent or abandoned call from receiving many other successive ones.[8] After pressure from telemarketing companies, who claimed that this was simply not achievable with the technology of the time, Ofcom extended the permitted period of silence.[7] [9]
Predictive dialler
[edit]Further improvements are thus the "predictive" dialler, which uses heuristics, and the "progressive" dialler, which directly keeps track of agent availability, and does not make further outbound calls where no agent would be available to handle the call when the callee answers.[5][3][4] Agent availability is tracked using an application on the agent's computer that enables the agent to log on and register as an available agent.[4]
Using agent availability alone to set the maximum number of parallel outbound calls is not as efficient as it is possible to be, since a large fraction of all calls in practice are RTNR or not answered by humans, meaning that a similar fraction of agents goes unused if an agent being available at the point of call initiation is a requirement.[4] The heuristic approach of "predictive" diallers is based upon how long agents have remained on calls to predict the availability of agents, and how many calls have been answered by humans recently to predict how much instantaneous demand there will be on the available agent pool.[4] However, the heuristic approach that increases agent use also increases the risk of abandoned calls when the heuristic does not make a correct prediction and not enough agents end up being available.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ OECD 2014, p. 62.
- ^ a b Calvert 2017, p. 319.
- ^ a b c d e f Meikle-Small 1997, p. 544.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Walker & Morris 2021, p. 179.
- ^ a b c d e f Calvert 2017, p. 325.
- ^ a b Yarberry Jr 2002, p. 56.
- ^ a b BPP 2010, p. 390.
- ^ a b Farquhar & Meidan 2017, p. 27.
- ^ Mike, John. "Auto dialer". Retrieved 29 July 2021.
Sources
[edit]- Walker, Tim; Morris, Lucian (2021). The Handbook of Banking Technology. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781119328018.
- Working Smarter in Tax Debt Management. OECD Publishing. 2014. ISBN 9789264223257.
- Calvert, Natalie, ed. (2017). "Glossary". Gower Handbook of Call and Contact Centre Management. Routledge. ISBN 9781351932363.
- Meikle-Small, Martin (1997). "Harnessing new technology". In Murley, Peter (ed.). Gower Handbook of Customer Service. Gower Publishing. ISBN 9780566076886.
- Business Essentials: Marketing Principles. BPP Learning Media. 2010. ISBN 9780751776645.
- Farquhar, Jillian; Meidan, Arthur (2017). Marketing Financial Services (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781349924011.
- Yarberry Jr, William A. (2002). Computer Telephony Integration (2nd ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 9781420000405.
Further reading
[edit]- Grigonis, Richard (2000). "Dialer". Computer Telephony Encyclopedia. CRC Press. pp. 217–218. ISBN 9781482280654.
- Grigonis, Richard (2000). "Predictive Dialer". Computer Telephony Encyclopedia. CRC Press. pp. 342–344. ISBN 9781482280654.
- "Abandoned and silent calls" (PDF). Ofcom.