How to Ensure Outbound Dialer Software Compliance Before You Buy

Put the credit card away and make sure that outbound dialer software is compliant before you spend your cash.

It’s no secret that we think outbound dialer software can help your business succeed. It’s not just about dialing faster and making more calls, either. Sure, that’s part of it. But the right dialing software can do so much more. 

Good dialing software can help keep you updated on prospect and customer communications even among different team members. It can help you stay on track with an integrated calendar, so you never miss a follow-up call. Emails are a breeze, with built-in email templates, and you have multiple sales scripts at your fingertips with professional quality software. 

And while it’s not hard to find outbound dialer software with these features, there’s one vitally important benefit that is hard to find. Look for software that’s compliant with FTC and FCC regulations, such as the Do Not Call list, and you’ll be hard-pressed to come up with much. 

So, if Do Not Call compliance in dialer software is that rare, do you really need it? Here’s why you do – and what to look for. 

Call Logic’s auto-dialer and call management software offers dozens of helpful tools to increase your success and simplify your daily tasks. Call for your free consultation today to learn more!

Outbound dialer software: How to make sure your calls are compliant

What, exactly, is Do Not Call compliance? You may be familiar with the national Do Not Call (DNC) list. This list allows consumers to register their phone numbers with FTC, so they don’t get unwanted calls from businesses. Aside from a few parameters, such as an existing business relationship, calling numbers on the DNC list is illegal. 

Fines for calling numbers on the list are up to $46,517 per violation. Will you get penalties like that if you make a mistake here and there? Probably not. However, if it happens repeatedly, you could be in for some hefty fines. 

For example, in just the past few years, the FTC has levied fines of $30 million, $18.2 million, $25.3 million, and more. Of course, these weren’t entirely Do Not Call violations. There was a bit of fraud and other illegal activity mixed in. Even so, why take the risk when you don’t need to?

It’s worth mentioning that, in addition to the national DNC list, some states have their own list, with their own set of fines, as well. This all makes it pretty clear that your procedures and your outbound dialer software both need to be compliant with FCC and FTC regulations. But what exactly does that mean?

In the case of Call Logic, in the milliseconds before a call goes out, the software scrubs the list of national and state numbers on the DNC list. That means you don’t have to worry about accidentally calling a number you aren’t supposed to. 

Other call compliance conditions

The Do Not Call list isn’t the only outbound dialer software compliance issue you need to consider. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) both have additional compliance requirements. One of those requirements is that a business has no more than a 3% call abandonment rate for any outbound campaign. 

What does that mean? The FTC defines an abandoned call as “a call that does not connect the consumer to a sales representative within two seconds of the consumer answering the phone.” No doubt you’ve received these calls. 

The phone rings, you answer it, and then there’s silence. At some point, you either get a recording or, after a pause, a sales agent begins talking to you. Any of those calls that either start with a recording or have a delay longer than 2 seconds before an agent responds are considered abandoned. 

With compliant outbound dialer software, that’s not a worry. With a one-call-per-agent dialing system, you don’t have to concern yourself (or annoy prospects!) with the delay so often encountered with predictive dialers. Nor do you need to worry that too many answered calls will get your pre-recorded message. As a result, your call abandonment rate is almost non-existent. 

And not only does that make your calls more compliant, it’s also better customer service. Consider this from your own point of view as a consumer. How likely are you to do business with a company that calls you and doesn’t even have someone to speak to you when you answer? 

Now then, how do you ensure that you’re getting compliant outbound dialer software? To begin with, make sure your system is a preview, progressive, or power dialer. Predictive dialers have notoriously high abandonment rates. 

Secondly, ask questions. Companies with compliant software will be more than happy to share the details with you. It’s really that simple. 

There’s no reason to spend your time worrying about DNC lists, call abandonment, or poor customer service. When your outbound dialer software prides itself on compliance, you can focus on your job.