Auto Dialer and Automated Calling: 11 Questions to Ask Your Provider

Are you searching for a company to handle your robocalls? If so, this is not a very easy task. Here are some things to ask auto dialer providers before you sign up the deal:

• Will the automated voice messaging campaign be delivered on time? If not, you should not be made to pay. You are the one who gets to choose the best time for your automated calling messages to be delivered according to your target audience preferences. Delivering the messages later than agreed might hurt your campaign.
• Will you be in charge of managing and scheduling your robocalls or will someone else do that for you? For reliability purposes, the first option is better.
• What are the hidden fees for the auto dialer campaign? Some providers charge extra for each person on the line or for a transfer. Make sure you know all these details in order to avoid ending up with a huge bill on your hands.
• Are there extra fees for setting up the automated voice messaging campaign? The answer should be “no”! Your provider may charge you for extra ports if you want to reach multiple recipients simultaneously, but not for setup, busy signals, disconnected numbers or unanswered calls. In a nutshell, you should only pay for what you get.
• What is the per minute rate of automated calling campaigns? The fees can go as high as 10-12 cents per minute, but no higher than that!
• Will they offer high volume discounts? If you are planning to send out numerous robocalls, it is expected to receive a significant discount.
• Does the auto dialer campaign provider abide by FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule regarding opt-out? In other words, they need to have “do not call” lists and, obviously, never call those numbers. Otherwise, you may be held liable along with them.
• Do you have complete control over the automated voice messaging campaign? If you are calling in order to generate more leads and your campaign is effective, your sales agents may be overwhelmed sooner than expected. In that case, it is important to have the option of pausing your campaign and resuming it when it suits you best.
• Can the automated calling software detect voice mail? It is important to know this because you need to adapt your message in case it is picked up by an answering machine and listened by its intended recipient later.
• Do the robocalls have Interactive Voice Response (IVR) capabilities? If you wish to get the feedback of your customers via voice broadcasting or conduct a survey, then you should ask about IVR, which allows the recipient of the call to answer questions by pressing certain keys on his/her phone or even record a message and send it back to you.
• Can the automated voice messaging campaign provider ensure call transfer? You may want to insert a call to action in your message, such as: “Call us today and benefit from our promotional discount.” In this case, you can insert the option for the recipient to be transferred to one of your sales agents by pushing a key.