Callmedia responds to Ofcom consultation
Feb 2008This month Ofcom closed its latest consultation on the use of predictive diallers in the UK. As had been predicted by Callmedia, the consultation focussed heavily on the use of Answer Machine Detection and its impact on predictive diallers.
Callmedia’s response was in line with its ground-breaking white paper of 2006, Secret Silent Calls, arguing that the use of AMD is bad practice in a predictive dialler because it generates silent calls. Silent calls from a mis-classified answer machine, which cause nuisance and anxiety to consumers. Turning off AMD also benefits call centre operators because:
• Agents hear the first “hello” from the consumer, enabling them to build rapport, and making a successful outcome more likely
• Connected calls are no longer discarded in error by Answer Machine Detection technology, increasing your connect rate, productivity and profitability
• Your brand reputation is protected against the poor consumer experience of an silent call
• You are not wasting your abandoned call quota of 3 in 100 live connections on falsely detected answering machines, increasing productivity and profitability.
Ofcom’s consultation period closed on 1st February and a revised set of rules on predictive diallers is expected in the next couple of months.
Call centres using a predictive dialler need to take extra care if they are using Answer Machine Detection to ensure that they don’t find themselves foul of the Ofcom rules. Any dialler user, of whatever make, can contact Callmedia for advice on implementing an Answer Machine Detection strategy.
For more information, see Ofcom’s consultation and Callmedia’s response. Callmedia’s full recommendations on the use of answer machine detection are in the Secret silent calls white paper.
