There is a lot of excitement regarding Asterisk, the leading hybrid telephony switch. But what makes Asterisk so uniquely beneficial as a contact center technology platform? For starters, the underlying telephony switch is usually a large portion of the initial cost when buying a packaged proprietary contact center solution. Asterisk, on the other hand, delivers a proven, open source, next-generation switch that has been tested and implemented by millions of users. Therefore, a call center technology platform that utilizes Asterisk is capable of delivering an immediate cost savings.
One of the most important component of an outbound contact center is ‘Dialer’. The Dialer refers to the overall dialing system and should offer advanced dialing features capable of running multiple concurrent outbound campaigns in both Predictive and non-Predictive dialing modes. The flexibility of your dialer is a key component to creating successful outreach programs and the minute features of a high quality dialer can make the all the difference when reaching for true differentiation.
Predictive dialing should be self-pacing and efficient in order to increase agent talk time and avoid leaving agents idle while on the clock. The connect time between the caller going OFF-Hook and the agent getting the call should be in the order of milliseconds. Other key features to look for in a high-quality dialer are Concurrent Dialers, Individual Pacing Setup and Drop Rate Controls. Concurrent Dialers allow for multiple outbound campaigns to be operated simultaneously, without exceeding the total calling capacity of your setup. Individual Pacing Setup allows for control of the call pacing for each of these concurrent campaigns and delivers maximum control to call center administrators. The Drop Rate Controls enable call centers operating in multiple countries to easily meet regulatory guidelines for all countries they may be calling. The term drop rate simply refers to the ratio of dropped calls to calls connected to a live agent. Finally, all good dialing algorithms are Self-Pacing with the ability to self adjust the rate of dialing to various factors, including wait-time, dropped call percentage, drop rate, and hit-rate. A self-pacing dialer keeps your outreach operations humming smoothly and requires little overview in order to minimize agent wait time between calls.
Indosoft offers Q-Suite, an ACD and Dialer software for Asterisk. Q-Suite offers a predictive dialer for Asterisk with precision controls for outbound campaigns to maximize productivity. Its Concurrent Dialer, Individual Pacing Setup, Drop Rate Controls, and Self-Pacing algorithm with multiple concurrent dialers enable call center floor managers to achieve the dynamics required for profitability.
Enterprise-grade dialers deliver functionality beyond predictive dialing. For robust control of dialing, and the resulting control over customer interactions, seek a dialer capable of delivering Preview Dialing and Progressive Dialing. Preview Dialing allows agents to review the lead before dialing, with the option to not dial the number but schedule a call for a later time. This feature is useful for targeted, personal outreach programs on a small scale.