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How to Set Up a Call Tree?

Whether you call it a call tree, call schedule, cascade system, or call list, they all work on the same principle: one person starts calling, and the person receiving the call is responsible for calling the next person. This process continues until everyone has received the message.

The advantage of a call tree is that the effort per person is limited, and the overall process is faster than if one person had to call everyone individually.

Traditional call schedules

There are different types of call trees, with the most common being the classic call tree and the star call tree. Each has its pros and cons.

Traditional Call Trees

The classic call tree is the most commonly used model. The person receiving a call is responsible for calling one or more other people.

klassieke belboom

Characteristics and Drawbacks:

  • Each person is only called once, so there is no way to verify if the message was successfully received.
  • If a link in the chain breaks—either because someone is unavailable or misinterprets the message—this goes unnoticed.
  • There is a risk of delays, as each person must wait until they receive a call before passing the message along.
  • Over time, interpretation issues can arise: the last person in the chain often receives a slightly different version of the message than the first.
Klassiek-belschema-nadee

The diagram illustrates the risks, highlighting in red where the message was not delivered correctly.

Star Call Tree

The star call tree offers slightly more reliability than the classic model. In this system, each person calls not just one but two others. This adds a level of redundancy: if someone is unavailable, the chain remains intact because another link will still pass the message along.

ster belschema

Characteristics and Drawbacks:

  • The risk of someone being left out is lower than with the classic call tree.
  • However, there is still a risk of message misinterpretation or delays.
  • If a person fails to reach both of their assigned contacts, they would need to continue calling others in the sequence until they reach someone, which can reduce efficiency.

Modern Call Systems

With today’s digital communication tools, there are better solutions available. SMS and WhatsApp, for example, allow you to reach a large group instantly.

For non-urgent messages, these tools work well, such as:

  • Rescheduling a sports training via a WhatsApp group.
  • A workplace SMS alerting employees that a parking lot is closed.
  • A dentist sending an SMS reminder for an upcoming appointment.

However, for emergency situations, these tools are less reliable due to several uncertainties:

  • Does everyone use the app or SMS service?
  • Is their phone turned on?
  • Will they notice the message in time?
  • How can the sender be sure that the message has been received and understood?

For critical situations, a more reliable system is needed.

Automated Alerting: The Modern Solution

To address the shortcomings of classic and star call trees, automated alert systems like MultiBel have been developed. MultiBel can be seen as a “Call Tree 2.0”.

geautomatiseerd-belschema

Advantages of MultiBel:

  • Everyone is reached within seconds.
  • If someone doesn’t respond to the app (which includes silent mode override), the system automatically tries other channels such as phone calls, SMS, email, or pagers.
  • Everyone receives the exact same message, eliminating misinterpretation.
  • Messages can be sent as both text and voice messages.
  • Real-time tracking shows who has received the message and who has not.

Additionally, MultiBel offers extra features such as:

  • Integration with fire alarm systems, emergency buttons, lone worker safety systems, and more.
  • Direct communication between sender and recipients.
  • Escalation protocols to ensure messages reach the right people if initial contacts do not respond.

Thanks to these capabilities, the risk of communication breakdowns is completely eliminated. Everyone receives the message at almost the same time, which is crucial in emergencies.

Conclusion

Traditional call trees have limitations, especially in time-critical situations. Modern tools like WhatsApp offer some improvements but lack reliability.

Automated systems like MultiBel provide the best combination of speed, reliability, and control, making them the ideal choice for situations where accuracy and urgency are essential.

If you need a call tree for informal or non-critical messages, a traditional model might still work. But if you need guaranteed message delivery, MultiBel is the superior solution.

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