AI operator or freelance operators: who should run your calling campaign?
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Freelance operators work from home, paid by the hour or by the call. They’re easy to find, but each one says the script differently, they don’t work nights or holidays, when they leave you train someone new, and your customer list stays on their personal phones. An AI operator uses the same script every time, works the hours you set, gives you a recording and transcript of every call, and charges only for talked minutes. For complex sales, or customers who speak neither Uzbek nor Russian, you need a person.
Freelance operators: the upside and the problems
When a campaign starts (a new season, a promotion, winning back old customers), many companies hire home-based operators for a while. They’re quick to find and need no office. But after a few weeks the usual problems appear:
- Everyone says the script their own way: one gets the price wrong, another skips a key question.
- Control is hard: calls from personal phones leave no recording and no outcome.
- People keep changing, and every new operator has to be trained again.
- The customer list spreads across personal phones and Excel files.
Freelancers vs AI operator
| Freelance operators | AI operator | |
|---|---|---|
| Script | Each their own way | The same every time, as you wrote it |
| Hours | When it suits the person | The hours you set, nights included |
| Volume | One person, one call | Up to 10,000 people in one auto-call |
| Control | Based on trust | Recording, transcript and outcome of every call |
| Customer data | On personal phones | In the portal, kept for a limited time |
| Language | Whatever the person speaks | Uzbek and Russian only |
Comparing cost: what one conversation costs
For example, you pay a freelancer 30,000 so‘m an hour and they hold 12 conversations an hour. That’s about 2,500 so‘m a conversation, and unanswered numbers and breaks are in that hour too. These numbers are only an example: use your own.
With an AI operator you pay only for talked minutes: 800 so‘m a minute. A two-minute conversation is 1,600 so‘m; an unanswered number is 0. No monthly or setup fee, so when the campaign ends, so does the cost. More: pricing and call centre costs.
Example: a seasonal call to past customers
Before winter, the G‘ildirak tyre centre uploaded last year’s customers as an Excel file (the price is an example):
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, this is Shohruh from G‘ildirak tyre centre. Last year you had your winter tyres fitted with us. Shall I book you in again this year?
Caller: Yes, it’s about time. Has the price changed?
Sado: Changing four wheels is 120,000 so‘m. Is Saturday or Sunday better?
Caller: Saturday morning.
Sado: Saturday at nine is free. Shall I book it?
Caller: Yes, please.
Sado: Done, Saturday at nine. We’ll remind you on Friday. Drive safely!
That conversation goes the same way with every customer on the list. A number that says “don’t call me” isn’t called again, and you set the calling hours and daily limit. Working with lists: calls from Excel and Google Sheets.
When you still need a person
- Complex sales: a large B2B contract, several meetings, a personal relationship.
- Customers who speak neither Uzbek nor Russian: the AI operator doesn’t speak English, Tajik or Karakalpak.
- Delicate conversations: a serious complaint or an issue that needs long negotiation.
- Often a mix works well: the AI operator makes the first call and, by your rule, transfers interested customers to a salesperson’s phone. Then people talk only to customers who are ready.
How to start a campaign with AI: outbound calls. Compared with a team of people: call centre or AI operator. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Can we use freelancers and an AI operator together?
Yes. The AI operator makes the first call on the list and answers questions, and by your rule transfers customers ready to buy to a salesperson.
Does the AI operator speak English?
No. Sado’s operator speaks only Uzbek and Russian. Customers who speak other languages need a human operator.
Is our customer list safe?
The list sits in the portal, not on personal phones. Keys are encrypted, data is kept for a limited time and you can ask for it to be deleted. Uzbekistan has a law on personal data: upload only people you may call.