Glossary

Predictive dialer

A predictive dialer is an auto dialer mode that dials ahead: it places more calls than there are agents free right now. Based on answer rates and call length, it predicts when an agent will be free and connects them only to people who picked up. Ringing, busy lines, and answering machines never reach the agent, so agents spend most of the hour talking.

Why it mattersIn large outbound campaigns, agents barely sit idle between calls.

Also called: Predictive dialing, Predictive auto dialer, Predictive dialer

How it works

The system constantly calculates what share of calls get answered, how long conversations last, and when each agent is likely to finish. New calls start in advance, so a live person is already on the line when an agent frees up. No-answers, busy lines, and answering machines are filtered out before they reach an agent.

Dialing ratio – how many numbers to dial per available agent; the system adjusts it automatically
Answering machine filter – only live people reach agents
Abandoned call cap – the share of answered calls with no agent available stays below a set threshold
Retries – the system calls unanswered and busy numbers again later

Example

A person answers 25% of numbers. One attempt – dialing and ringing – takes about 30 seconds, a conversation takes 3 minutes, and another minute goes to updating the record after the call.

If numbers are dialed one at a time, each conversation takes 4 attempts, or 2 minutes of waiting. The cycle is 2 + 3 + 1 = 6 minutes: 10 conversations and 30 minutes of talk time per hour.

Predictive mode dials about 4 numbers for each agent who's about to free up (100 ÷ 25 = 4), while the agent is still on the call. If the agent waits about 15 seconds between calls, the cycle is 4 minutes 15 seconds: about 14 conversations and 42 minutes of talk time per hour. The actual gain depends on your list and answer rate.

Limitations

Risks and how to reduce them

If the prediction is off, a person picks up and no agent is free. The customer hears silence and hangs up – the call is abandoned. These calls annoy people, so keep their share low and play a short message if an agent can't connect in time. Keep US rules in mind as well: under the TCPA, telemarketing calls need the recipient's consent and must respect Do Not Call lists, and FCC rules cap abandoned telemarketing calls at 3% per campaign over 30 days. This is general information, not legal advice. Predictions are accurate when many agents work the campaign – roughly 30 or more.

PredictiveLarge cold lists where few people pick up, and teams of roughly 30+ agents.

ProgressiveDials the next number when an agent is free. Almost no abandoned calls; fits small teams.

PreviewThe agent reviews the customer record first and decides when to call. Fits complex B2B calls.

In CONTACT.WORK

How it works in CONTACT.WORK

In the CONTACT.WORK auto dialer, each campaign gets its own mode: predictive, progressive, or preview. In predictive mode, the dialing ratio adapts to the agents on the line and the quality of your list, you set a maximum abandonment rate, and answering machines are filtered out before reaching an agent. Numbers on your Do Not Call list are skipped automatically. Call lists are loaded from your CRM through the API, and results flow back to the CRM and reports.