How each one works
| Feature | One-to-one autodialer | Multi-line dialer |
|---|---|---|
| How it dials | One number at a time. | Several numbers at once. The package on our homepage has 3 agents sharing 8 lines. |
| When the agent is connected | Straight away. The agent waits through every ring. After 25 seconds by default (the agent can set 5 to 60) with no answer, the call is marked No answer and the next number starts, when the agent has switched auto-dial on. | Only when someone picks up. Busy tones, dead numbers and unanswered rings never reach an agent. |
| The phone | The agent's own phone, paired to the browser with a QR code. Real cellular calls. | A softphone (calling software) on the agent's computer, through a line gateway: the box that connects your phone lines. |
| Outcomes | Big buttons: Interested, Not interested, No answer, Callback, Wrong number. | The same outcome buttons, on the agent board next to the live call. |
| Records | Call history with the outcome of every call. | Every call recorded and playable from the call log, plus a report for each agent. |
| Lead lists | Works through the lead lists in your CRM. | Campaigns with a spreadsheet import and a do-not-call list that applies to every campaign. |
Where an agent's time goes
The difference between the two is mostly about waiting. On a one-to-one dialer the agent is on the line from the first ring, so every unanswered call costs the full ring time. A multi-line dialer does the ringing on the lines and brings an agent in only for answered calls.
One-to-one autodialer
The agent is on the line from the first ring.
Multi-line dialer
The lines ring. The agent joins only when someone answers.
- Ringing, no answer (25 seconds by default)
- Ringing, then answered
- Talking
- Waiting for the next answer
The more of your list is old or cold, the more the ringing costs you. A list of people who enquired this week answers more often than a list from last year, and the gap between the two dialers narrows with it.
What the multi-line dialer asks of you
- Equipment. A line gateway, the box that connects your phone lines, and softphones on your team's computers. We install the gateway and set up the softphones.
- Money. RM 5,000 one-time, then RM 500 a month for 3 agents on 8 lines. Your phone company bills the calls. For the first year that is RM 11,000 before call charges, and RM 167 an agent a month after the setup. For a bigger team, ask for a quote.
- Agents who are ready. If the dialer connects people the moment a call is answered, agents have to be at their desks and ready, not half-way through paperwork.
- Good lines. Poor signal spoils calls on either dialer: the agent's phone on the one-to-one dialer, your lines on the multi-line dialer.
The one-to-one autodialer needs none of this. It comes with the Loan Advisory CRM and runs on the agent's own phone.
Which one fits your team
| Your situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Agents call for an hour or two a day and spend the rest on cases, documents and meetings. | One-to-one |
| You have one or two callers. The multi-line package is built for three agents. | One-to-one |
| Callers work from their own phones in different places. | One-to-one, because it uses the paired phone |
| Someone's whole job is working lists, day after day. | Multi-line |
| Your lists are old, so most numbers do not answer. | Multi-line |
| You need every call recorded for training or disputes. | Multi-line. The one-to-one dialer keeps call history and outcomes. |
You do not have to decide on day one. The one-to-one autodialer is included in the Loan Advisory CRM, and the multi-line dialer is quoted separately, so you can start with the first and ask about the second once your calling volume justifies it.
How to decide with your own numbers
Count dialling hours
For two weeks, note how many hours each agent really spends dialling, not just sitting at the desk. Your CRM's call history will show it.
Find your answer rate
Count how many calls ended No answer, busy or wrong number, out of all calls placed.
Price the waiting
Multiply the unanswered calls by your ring limit (25 seconds by default) and turn the result into hours a month. Set those hours against what an agent hour costs you, and against the price of the multi-line dialer. If the waiting is small, you do not need the pool.
Questions to ask any dialer vendor
- What happens when two people answer at once and every agent is busy?
- Who pays for the calls, and what do calls cost on the lines you supply?
- Does it have a do-not-call list, and does the list apply to every campaign and every agent?
- Where are recordings kept, who can play them back, and how long are they kept?
- What does an agent see when the internet drops mid-call?
- If I leave, can I export my call logs and recordings?
Questions people ask next
- Do I need special phone lines for the one-to-one autodialer?
- No. The calls are ordinary calls from the agent's own phone, paired to the browser with a QR code, so they use that phone's plan.
- How many agents can share the multi-line dialer?
- The package on our homepage is for 3 agents on 8 lines. For a bigger team, ask us for a quote.
- Can I start with the one-to-one autodialer and add the multi-line dialer later?
- The one-to-one autodialer comes with the Loan Advisory CRM, and the multi-line dialer is priced separately, so you can ask about adding it when the team's calling volume justifies it.
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and bank policies change, so check the current position with the bank, the regulator or a professional before you act.