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What is call logging and how can it benefit your team?

What is call logging

Can you really know the level of service your customers receive? Whether you have one support rep or a hundred, call data can tell you a lot about customer service interactions. You can look for patterns in call length, missed calls, number of calls per rep, and more.

But you need to capture call information in a format that’s easy to sort, filter, and glean patterns from. Accurate call logging can put your mind at ease — or identify areas for improvement.

In this article, we’ll explain call logging, the difference between manual and automatic call logging, and how software can help — both in capturing your call logs and by integrating with other systems.

What is call logging?

Call logging is any type of system that collects and displays details about phone calls with customers, both incoming and outgoing. Call logs are used for call tracking and analyzing data. With call logs, you can examine everything from employee performance to operational efficiency.

Call logs are stored in a database, a spreadsheet, or your phone provider’s software. That way, team members can easily access the data and use it to learn about customer conversations.

What information do you typically see in call logs?

Every call log is different; however, there is some standard information you’ll see in most call logs:

  • Date and time the call occurred
  • Customer’s caller ID (the customer’s name)
  • Customer’s phone number
  • Call duration
  • Rep’s name
  • Notes or reason for the call

If you’re using call logs to manage work within your customer service department, you may also have a follow-up action or next step. That way, your reps ensure customer needs are being met.

What insights can you identify from call logs?

Call logs allow you to drill down and answer questions you may have about how telephone calls are handled.

For example, you could look into calls that take longer than average. That could signal an issue with a specific rep (such as a lack of training) or that something in your processes or workflows causes calls to be handled inefficiently.

You can also look into which reps are the most productive based on the number of calls they answer. Or you might determine reps are at capacity — and missing calls as a result.

Manual vs. automatic call logging

Your call log insights are only as good as your call data. Call logs are created in two ways: manually or automatically.

  • Manual call logging means your support reps add call information to a shared spreadsheet. While manual call logging doesn’t require any additional software, it’s prone to human errors. Your reps may forget to fill out the call log or make mistakes when adding call details. Plus, there’s a “cost” in the additional time it takes reps to fill out a manual call log. You’ll also likely spend time ensuring they fill out the spreadsheet and include information in a standardized format.
  • Automatic call logging is either built into your VoIP phone system or happens by some other automated process. You’ll have a complete history of all inbound and outbound calls, plus additional details your reps may not be able to capture manually (such as exact call duration).

As part of a business phone system, automated call logging lets you review and filter calls. You might look at missed calls, calls over a specific duration, or calls by a particular rep. With a business phone system, you can quickly jump from your call log into a specific conversation or contact to review the history.

What to look for in call logging software

Since call logging software gives you a complete, automatic call log, it can help you meet your business goals of ensuring great customer service.

As you review call logging software options, consider the following:

  • What filters does the software have?
  • Can you quickly find the call information you need?
  • Does the software have analytics to give you  a visual snapshot of productivity or call volume spikes?

Additionally, you’ll want to look at potential integrations with other software you use. Some call logging systems have functionality that can automatically log telephone calls and messages in your CRM or customer support tools.

How to easily surface trends and specific conversations in OpenPhone

See your call log in OpenPhone's call views feature

In OpenPhone, call views let you see your call log for the entire team. You can use this information for call management, such as filtering missed calls that left a voicemail and need a callback.

Anyone with access to a shared number in OpenPhone can filter call logs by call direction (inbound versus outbound), calls handled by specific teammates, missed calls, voicemails, and more.

As a manager, you can use real-time analytics to spot call patterns, such as your busiest time of day. Knowing these peak times, you can adjust staffing so you don’t miss important calls. You can also uncover issues, such as call avoidance (reps who deliberately avoid answering calls) or reps who need additional training to handle calls more efficiently. By listening to call recordings, you can identify potential coaching opportunities,gauge customer satisfaction, and identify unnecessarily escalated calls. All of these would be difficult (if not impossible) with a manual call log.

If you need to slice and dice the data beyond what OpenPhone provides, you can request a data export from the web or desktop app. You’ll receive a link to download your data as a .csv file.

OpenPhone can also automatically log calls and messages to your CRM through our HubSpot and Salesforce integrations. That way, your sales team or others using your CRM have the full context of calls with the customer. You can also set up additional integrations with other tools through the OpenPhone API and Zapier.

Unlock your team’s full potential with OpenPhone’s Call views

A detailed, accurate call log and prioritizing great customer service go hand-in-hand. By having real-time call logs with OpenPhone’s Call views, you can look for opportunities to improve as well as uncover any issues. Plus, you’ll save time and can address follow-up calls more effectively than relying on a spreadsheet.

Of course, handling call volume is often a team effort, and this is made easier with shared phone numbers. With shared numbers, incoming calls can ring multiple reps, in a call center or remotely. If one rep is on a call, another can easily answer. Shared numbers can reduce the number of calls that need a follow-up since you’re ringing a pool of support reps.

For more information, check out our guide to shared numbers.

FAQs

What are the benefits of call logs?

With call logs, you can track and monitor rep performance and review how they handle calls. You can identify patterns, such as the types of issues customers talk about the most. Call logs in a business phone solution like OpenPhone can also sync contacts and customer interactions with CRM integrations like HubSpot or Salesforce.

Call logs can be automated or manual. Automated call logs save reps time and allow them to be more productive since they don’t have to log calls manually.

What do call logs include?

As call detail records, call logs include information like the date and time of the call, the caller ID, the incoming or outgoing phone number, the call duration, call type, and the rep’s name. Call logs also show you the number of calls within a given time period.

How long are call logs stored?

Manual call logs can typically be stored in a spreadsheet for an indefinite amount of time. Software that automatically stores your call logs often offers different storage options on their pricing plans.

Can call log data be exported to another software?

If you have manual call logs, you can use your spreadsheet and import data into another software. With automatic call logs, you can request a data export and receive the call log data in a file you can import into another software.

Can you complete a data export in OpenPhone?

Yes, you can request a data export from OpenPhone. You can download your call log data as a .csv file.

How can you filter call views in OpenPhone?

You can filter call logs by direction, missed calls, voicemails, and more. Stay tuned as we add more options that help you easily slice and dice your customer data. 

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