Call handling cost comparison table: your own operator, a call centre, IVR and an AI operator
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
There are five main ways to answer business calls: one operator of your own, a 24/7 team in shifts, an outsourced call centre, a recorded-menu system (IVR) and an AI operator. They differ first in how you pay: a salary is fixed every month, a call centre bills by contract, an AI operator only for talked minutes. To compare fairly, give every option the same volume, for example 100 two-minute calls a day, and add nights, simultaneous calls and the cost of missed calls to each.
Five options in one table
| Option | What you pay for | Nights and weekends | Many calls at once | What it can do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One operator of your own | Salary, taxes, a desk | No, working hours only | Answers one; others hear busy | Everything, as far as one person can |
| 24/7 team in shifts | About 5 salaries and a supervisor | Yes | Depends on people per shift | Everything |
| Outsourced call centre | By contract: per hour, call or minute, sometimes a monthly fee | Depends on the contract | Depends on the contract | Works from a script; knows your business less than you do |
| IVR (recorded menu) | Monthly fee and minutes | Yes | Yes | Plays a recording and waits for a key press; can’t answer questions |
| AI operator (Sado) | Only talked minutes, 800 so‘m | Yes, same price | More than ten calls at the same time | Talks, answers questions, books, and transfers to staff when needed |
The other options’ prices vary by company and contract. The table shows how the payment works; take the actual amounts from quotes you collect yourself.
Compare on the same volume
Example: 100 calls a day, 2 minutes each, answered around the clock. An operator’s salary is, for example, 5 million so‘m.
| Option | Approximate monthly cost (example) |
|---|---|
| One daytime operator | 5 million so‘m plus taxes; calls at night and on weekends go unanswered |
| 24/7 team in shifts | About 5 people × 5 million = 25 million so‘m, plus taxes, a supervisor and desks |
| Outsourced call centre | Ask 2–3 companies to quote for this volume |
| AI operator | 200 minutes × 800 × 30 days = 4.8 million so‘m, nights included |
Salaries are only an example. How to work out the headcount: what a call centre costs.
Costs the table doesn’t show
- Missed calls: a busy line, lunch, a sick day. Each one may be a lost customer. More: missed calls.
- Training: a new hire makes mistakes until they learn the prices and the script.
- Staff turnover: finding someone new and training them again.
- Quality control: who listens to calls and checks quality.
- Notes after each call: while the operator types into the CRM, the next caller waits.
- Callbacks after IVR: a caller who heard the recording still looks for a person.
Build your own table
- Count a month of calls: how many, at what hours, how many minutes on average. Your telephony report or office PBX has these numbers.
- Write down when you need answers: working hours only, evenings too, or around the clock.
- Price each option for that volume: an example salary, call centre quotes, and for the AI operator, minutes × 800.
- Add the hidden costs to each row and estimate the number of missed calls.
- Multiply by 12 months: one-off costs such as equipment and training show over a year, not a month.
You can also combine them
For many businesses the answer isn’t either-or. For example, your operator works in the daytime and the AI operator takes calls at night and on weekends. When a question is complex or a caller is ready to buy, the AI operator transfers the call to a staff member’s phone. You need no extra shift and pay only for the minutes the AI talked.
A detailed comparison with Sado: AI operator vs call centre; pricing: 800 so‘m a minute, no monthly fee. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Which option works out cheaper?
It depends on volume and hours. With few calls, all in working hours, one operator may be enough. With nights, weekends and sudden spikes, compare the cost of shifts with paying by the minute: the calculator shows the difference.
How do we ask a call centre for a price?
Give everyone the same volume: calls a month, average length, hours and languages. Then ask whether nights, call recordings and reports are included.
Can an AI operator do everything?
No. It answers from the facts the company gives it, books customers and takes orders. When it doesn’t know an answer, it says a manager will call back and creates a task, and it transfers complex cases to staff.