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The predictive dialler – what is actually behind it
Predictive dialling is often used as a buzzword and rarely explained. This page describes what the technology really does, where its limits are and which controls you have in mmDial.
The basic principle
An agent waiting for the next call costs money. Somebody who picks up and reaches nobody costs reputation. A predictive dialler mediates between those two costs.
It starts dialling before the agent has finished their current call. How many lines it occupies at once follows from the observed answer rate: if only two calls in ten are answered, it has to dial correspondingly more than with an easily reachable list.
Because not every answered call is a conversation, the system filters before putting calls through: busy signals, unassigned numbers, fax machines and answering machines are detected and sorted out without tying up an agent.
What mmDial regulates for you
- Dialling ratio – set it fixed or let it regulate itself
- Automatic levels: average, aggressive, strict
- Limit for the abandon rate
- Cap on records used per minute
- Maximum lines per agent
- Waiting time after which a call is dropped
- Answering-machine detection
- Call distribution (ACD) to free agents
Putting it in context
Predictive, power or manual – when each one fits
| Predictive | Power | Manual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dialling speed | recalculated continuously | fixed overdial factor | the agent decides |
| Agent utilisation | highest | medium | lowest |
| Record consumption | low relative to utilisation | higher | minimal |
| Sensible from | around 5–8 simultaneous agents | any team | a single seat |
| Typical use | cold calling with a large stock | small teams, thin stock | callbacks, existing customers, appointment confirmation |
| Included in mmDial | included | included | included |
Switching between the modes is possible at any time and costs nothing. You can even do it while a campaign is running.
A word on our own account
Many providers already call plain automatic pre-dialling without an overdial factor and without call distribution a "power dialler" – and dialling with a fixed overdial factor a "predictive dialler". When you compare offers, it is worth asking whether the system really brings a call distribution with it and whether it genuinely adjusts the dialling speed by itself.
With mmDial both are the case. On top of that the abandon rate can be capped, which is the decisive point for operating within the law in Germany.
Frequently asked
Predictive dialling in detail
What is a predictive dialler?
A predictive dialler is a dialling system that calls several numbers at once, before an agent even becomes free. From the answer rate, call duration and number of free agents it continuously calculates how many lines are needed. Results that will never become a conversation – busy, number unobtainable, fax, answering machine – it filters out before an agent is tied up.
How does a power dialler differ from a predictive dialler?
The power dialler dials with a fixed overdial factor: always the same number of lines per free agent. It does not adapt. The predictive dialler, by contrast, recalculates continuously and changes the speed on its own. In mmDial the same campaign can be switched between the two modes.
What is the abandon rate and why does it matter?
Abandoned calls happen when somebody picks up but no agent happens to be free. A high abandon rate annoys the people you call and damages your reputation. In mmDial you set the permitted limit; the dialler throttles itself before it reaches it.
What does ASR mean?
ASR stands for Answer Seizure Ratio and describes what share of dialling attempts leads to a conversation with an agent. mmDial shows the ASR live over 60 minutes and over 24 hours. A drop is usually a sign that the records are used up.
How many agents does a predictive dialler need?
Predictive dialling starts to make sense from around five to eight agents working at the same time – below that the statistical basis is too thin and the abandon rate rises. For smaller teams, power dialling is the better choice. mmDial includes both.
Best of all, try it yourself
With €10 of starting credit you can run the dialler on a test list of your own straight away.