AI dialers and predictive dialers: what to evaluate

Dialing and conversation are separate functions. A predictive dialer generally places calls with the aim of connecting answered calls to available people. A conversational AI dialer adds an automated speaker. Products can combine these functions, so ask what actually happens when a person answers.

Separate the three responsibilities

A campaign system selects eligible contacts and schedules attempts. Telephony connects the call. The assistant conducts the conversation and may invoke permitted actions. A feature in one layer does not prove the others work: voicemail classification can be wrong, a queued call can become ineligible, and an assistant can claim a booking that never completed.

Match the system to the job

If every conversation requires specialist judgment, evaluate the human team's workflow and availability first. If a narrow administrative exchange is appropriate, write the expected questions and an observable outcome. Do not assume automation reduces staffing needs without accounting for review, integration maintenance and exceptions.

After-hours technical availability is not permission to call after hours. Contact restrictions, consent and recipient location require an approved policy; see do-not-call controls.

Use an acceptance worksheet

These are evaluation criteria, not guaranteed features of every dialer or Burki configuration.

Compare the complete cost

Include telephone legs, model usage, platform charges, number rental and staff handling. A realtime speech model and a cascade may use different billing units. A price per dial tells little about cost per useful result.

For Burki, practice instructions in the browser and check carrier-specific readiness before a controlled telephone test. Optional campaign tools should be assessed separately from a one-off outbound call. Start with outbound workflow planning, then decide whether campaign orchestration is actually required.