Popvox: A Breakthrough in Phone Banking

So, what’s a predictive dialer? Basically it’s a system that uses some high-tech gadgetry to minimize dead time between calls made by paid staff or volunteers (referred to as “call agents”). And, what’s Popvox? Popvox automates the work of reaching a list of people by phone, by providing a system that quickly dials (and redials) the numbers for you, reducing the time between live calls. Popvox arranges calls so agents connect only with live pickups. Whenever the Popvox predictive dialer detects busy signals, fax machines, changed numbers, etc., the call is filtered out of the contact queue. Direct Leap, the providers of Popvox, insist that their predictive dialer reverses the usual ratio of talk time to dead time. When dialing manually, volunteers typically spend 27 percent of their time talking and the remaining 73 percent listening while the phone rings or redials after busy signals. According to Direct Leap product reps, with the Popvox predictive dialer, agents spend 78 percent of each hour talking instead of waiting. In short, predictive dialers can double or triple the productivity of an average call agent.

A client subscribing to the Popvox service designates an administrator who receives 60 to 90 minutes of online training on the mechanics of uploading targeting lists, providing their survey scripts and contact result reporting forms, retrieving lists updated (enhanced) with contact results, and getting performance reports on each call agent. A trained administrator can create a questionnaire for any campaign where agents are able to collect information on each call. This makes it easy to gather all sorts of critical campaign information and append to the record of each voter contacted. In nonpartisan civic engagement campaigns, the system can be used to build very valuable lists of undecided or reluctant voters, voters needing registration forms or absentee ballots, voters needing rides to the polls, and voters wanting to volunteer for the campaign. Agents can also easily record email addresses.

One of the attractive features of the Popvox system is that it’s so easy for a computer literate person to become a call agent. Only four things are needed: (1) a computer, (2) Internet access, (3) a phone, and (4) some quiet space. No more scrambling for office space with enough phones to do a serious phone canvass. The virtual phone bank is as large as the number of agents or volunteers the campaign can recruit and support.

Call agents with computers and phones can simply log in to their online Popvox account from wherever they are. Building a network of volunteer call agents all working from the comfort of their homes is easy. The interface is so user-friendly that call agents need little or no preliminary training. After logging in, they connect to the Popvox call center by entering their 10 digit phone number. The call agent’s phone rings and, as they pick up, they are connected automatically to the call center – ready to place their first call with a click of the mouse. When a call is connected, the voter’s name and address appears on their computer monitor along with a campaign-specific script and questionnaire that the agent can use to record the voter’s responses when canvassing, recruiting, or surveying. If an answering machine or voicemail answers, agents can save time by leaving a pre-recorded celebrity message, or can start the voicemail off with their own personal introduction. During the USAction EF GOTV campaign one volunteer was overheard saying, “I love Popvox!”

Best of all, by minimizing the up-front investment required to use the Popvox predictive dialer system, Popvox is making predictive dialing both practical and affordable for campaigns. The Popvox service requires only a minimum start-up deposit of $500. This deposit stands as a credit line for subsequent calls priced at 15 cents per minute.

We contacted Maude Bauschard, who administered Popvox services for USAction EF in 2006 and asked her how well it worked. Her reply was that “it worked really well.” Popvox is expanding its infrastructure for a re-launch of services in Fall 2007. It’s good to see them growing, as somehow we think that in 2008 they will likely need the added capacity. Anyone interested in using Popvox should contact Direct Leap at www.directleap.com or call 416.405.8073 ext. #3 (sales). VCM