Features for predictive dialler deliver flexibility and productivity

Confirmit and Sytel signal continued evolution of CATI

Source: Confirmit

Confirmit, the leading global solutions provider for Customer Experience, Voice of the Employee and Market Research, and Sytel, a global provider of IP contact centre solutions, have partnered to deliver a series of new Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) features targeting the changing needs of Market Researchers using this core data collection method.

The combination of Sytel’s Softdial Contact Center (SCC®) and Confirmit’s world-leading CATI solution now delivers a unique range of new capabilities including Redial, Reconnect and Seamless Survey Switching, all designed to improve the flow and flexibility of CATI interactions.

“More and more of today’s respondents are mobile users and they take an increasingly collaborative approach to survey participation than respondents using landlines,” said Richard Compton, VP at Sytel with responsibility for the Market Research sector. “They expect to have a say in how and when they take part in a survey which means we must be able to respond to any interruptions to mobile connections. In order to maximise the number of successful completes, we also need to acknowledge preferences for certain mobile devices to be used in different circumstances.”

Redial and Reconnect help interviewers to more easily maintain contact with respondents, while Seamless Survey Switching gives supervisors greater control and improves interviewer productivity.

“We know that in order to run a profitable and efficient business, it is vital to make the best possible use of interviewers,” continued Compton. “To do this, we ensure that the right staff are assigned to the right job at the right time. Our joint development work with Confirmit has enabled us to improve respondent experience and drive much greater interviewer productivity, and we look forward to working with them on further developments in the future.”

The new features within the combined solution are immediately available:

• Redial: enables the interviewer to quickly re-establish a call with respondents and resume the interview in the event that the call is cut off
• Reconnect on an alternative number: allows an interviewer to continue a survey on a new number if the respondent would prefer to speak on a different phone
• Seamless Survey Switching: enables supervisors to quickly reassign interviewers to a new project without the need to logout or disconnect from the dialer (for example when quotas have been reached).

“We know that Sytel and Confirmit listen to our problems and understand our business challenges; they always work together to come up with great solutions,” explained Sean Regan, Head of Global CE Business Applications, GfK.

“One of the major frustrations was the dropping of calls to mobile numbers as the customer moved in to a poor connection area. The latest features introduced to our solution allow our interviewers to quickly re-establish the call and complete the survey. So, not only have we increased the percentage of completed calls per list, but the interviewer/customer relationship is maintained. It’s a real win-win for us”, he said.

Terry Lawlor, EVP, Product Management at Confirmit said: “We are delighted to have worked with Sytel to deliver continued innovation and leadership in CATI solutions. CATI is a critical data collection channel for many of our customers and one for which Confirmit is uniquely placed to support them. We are committed to creating the best possible experience for respondents and we are also determined to support the Market Research industry in its quest to gather insight in the most cost effective and efficient manner. Increasing respondent engagement and maximising interviewer productivity are essential in CATI solutions, and we will continue to work with our customers and partners to maintain our leadership in meeting the evolving needs of the insight industry.”