A predictive dialler is software that makes calls to customers automatically, and connects a call to an agent only when a person answers. It is also called an outbound dialler or an auto-dialler. A contact centre uses it to call customers first, instead of waiting for them to call. Typical calls are payment reminders, policy renewals and delivery confirmations.
Why is it called predictive? Most outbound calls are not answered. The phone rings out, is busy or is switched off. If an agent dialled each number by hand, the agent would spend most of the day listening to ringing. So the dialler dials several numbers for each free agent at once. It predicts how many calls will be answered, from the answer rate of the last few minutes. It also predicts when each agent will finish the current call. It then dials just enough numbers so that an answered call is ready when the agent is free.
Consider a two-wheeler insurer in Pune. 6,000 customers have policies that expire this month. The insurer loads the list from its customer relationship management (CRM) system into the dialler. 40 agents are on shift. In the last ten minutes, only about one call in four was answered. So, for each agent about to become free, the dialler dials about four numbers. It drops the calls that ring out or reach voicemail, and marks them for another try in the evening. When a customer answers, the dialler passes the call to the free agent within a second, with the customer's policy on the screen. The agent offers the renewal price and can send a payment link.
The prediction can go wrong. If more people answer than expected, a customer picks up and hears silence, because no agent is free. This is called an abandoned call. It annoys customers, so the dialler adjusts its rate all the time to keep these low. Simpler modes avoid the problem. In preview mode, the agent sees the customer's record first and then the dialler places one call. In progressive mode, the dialler places one call for each free agent.
Rules limit these calls in India. Telecom rules from TRAI require businesses to respect each customer's choices in the national "do not disturb" register, for promotional calls. Promotional calls must come from numbers that start with 140. Banks, insurers and other financial companies must make service calls to their customers from numbers that start with 1600. Electricity, gas and courier companies are now getting numbers that start with 1601 for such calls. So customers can tell promotional calls from service calls. Spam calls have made many people distrust unknown numbers, and phones now label them, through caller ID and spam call blocking.
Some contact centres now pass the answered call to a voice bot instead of a person, for simple reminders. Lenders use the same idea for loan reminders, through an AI collection voice agent. The dialler itself is part of the contact centre software, or a product sold alongside it.