What is a progressive dialer?

A progressive dialer is an auto dialer system that is widely used in outbound call centers. The progressive auto dialing technique automates the process of making outbound phone calls so call center agents don’t have to manually dial each number from the contact list. Progressive dialers are considered as the middle-ground between manual dialing and predictive dialing solutions.

The major distinction that sets progressive dialers apart from predictive dialers is that the progressive dialing system waits for an agent to complete their current call before dialing the next number. Besides, it dials only one number per each available contact center agent. E.g., if there are 10 available agents, the dialer places 10 calls. With the progressive dialing mode, the system analyses the calling statistics such as the rate of connection and the abandonment rate to determine the pace of dialing.

Combined with automatic answering machine detection and its ability to screen out busy signals and disconnected numbers, progressive dialer software ensures agents are only connected when a live person is on the line. Since agents are available to immediately engage on the call as soon as someone picks up, it eliminates call abandonment. On the other side, using progressive dialers may result in increased agent idle time which means lower agent productivity comparing to power dialers and predictive dialers.

Progressive dialers can be used in a variety of industries for a range of purposes, including outbound sales, telemarketing, collections, customer service follow-up calls, etc. As the dialing rate of progressive dialers is lower as compared to predictive dialers, it’s considered to be a less efficient dialing mode and is not recommended to use in cases when agents need to make outbound calls over hundreds or thousands of contacts.

Benefits of progressive dialers

Increased agent efficiency

Since progressive dialers dial numbers automatically and filter out busy lines, answering machines and disconnected numbers, agents don’t have to waste time on manual dialing and failed calls.

Fewer hang-ups

As progressive dialers ensure agent availability (there’s always an available agent ready to handle the call, once it’s connected), it reduces wait times and results in fewer dropped calls in comparison to predictive dialers.

Better goal conversion

Reduced call abandonment means improved call connection ratio and higher agent talk time that may lead to increased goal conversion rates (sales, collections, etc.) and better customer satisfaction.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does a progressive dialer work?
A progressive dialer automatically dials phone numbers from the database and connects agents to calls only when there is a live contact on the line bypassing busy lines, answering machines and unresponsive numbers. In the progressive outbound dialing mode, the system waits for a call center agent to finish their current call and only then moves on to dialing the next number (and it dials one number per agent only).
When do you use progressive dialers instead of predictive dialers for your contact center solution?
While predictive dialers are great for large outbound call center teams and proactive outbound calling campaigns for telemarketing, sales, market research and collections, progressive dialers might be a better option for small and mid-sized teams with fewer agents available to keep up with the predictive dialing mode. Progressive dialers are also better suited for B2B outbound calling because these types of calls typically have a higher success ratio due to fewer hang-ups and better answer rates (over 80%).
Can I use a progressive dialer with LiveAgent?
Though LiveAgent’s call center solution includes both inbound call center and outbound calling capabilities, it currently doesn’t offer progressive outbound dialer. Instead, it’s web-based version provides the ability to call any number on the web. With the click-to-call option agents can initiate outbound calls right from the LiveAgent dashboard while browsing the websites of your potential customers.

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After learning about progressive dialers, you might be curious about how they compare to other dialing systems. Check out our article on predictive dialer. It explains what a predictive dialer is, its features, and how it differs from progressive dialers, helping you decide which system suits your needs best.