What Is an Auto Dialer and How Does It Work?

An auto dialer is a special type of outbound dialer software that automatically dials telephone numbers from a contact list. Once the call is answered, the auto dialer will either connect the caller to a person or a prerecorded message.

Auto dialers are mostly used in work settings that include a lot of repetitive phone conversations, including sales, call centers, healthcare, hospitality, and even education.

The purpose of auto dialer software is to eliminate the need for users to spend pointless time manually dialing each and every phone number they need to call. This way, they can focus more on the content and successful delivery of their message and can increase talking time of agent's

How Does It Work?

For an auto dialer to run successfully, a user will need three things: a computer for the software, a  voice modem, and an active telephone line. The voice modem is what allows the computer to play recorded messages over the phone. And of course, the people on the sending and receiving end of the phone call.

Auto dialer software application layered on top of contact centers, communication systems, or using an embedded telephony connection. They automatically call a phone number and connect it to an agent or associate. Depending on the software, the computer can detect if a live agent is answering the phone, and then hand it over to a human operator. The computer can also be programmed to leave a message on answering machines, play a recorded message, or list options to the person on the receiving end.

Auto dialer software uses multiple trunks to connect to telephone or IP networks and perform multiple dials simultaneously. It can also play or record audio. An auto dialer can overdial, calling multiple numbers on behalf of one associate to ensure at least one will get connected. To further improve the productivity of agents, they use headsets connected to their workstations instead of telephone handsets.

While the calls are being made, auto dialer will also collect data regarding pick up rate, the length of phone calls, and the number of calls that are sent to voicemail.