Call Logging: Definition, Benefits to Small Businesses & Free Templates
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Marianne is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who covers business phone services, VoIP, and video conferencing tools.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
Call logging is the practice of recording incoming and outgoing call history notes and call details, such as the call’s origin, date, time, duration, and summary of discussion. While it is possible to manually create call logs, many voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) business phone systems perform call logging automatically. This allows you to maximize efficiency, more accurately monitor call center performance, and organize phone call information for reporting and analytics.
Free Call Log Templates
We recommend taking advantage of automated call logging functionality when possible. However, printable call log templates can also serve as an alternative framework for more efficient capture of call data. These sheets also help to ensure more uniform sales and customer service record keeping. If your business phone system does not support automated call logging, you can download and use one of our free call logging templates.
Download the business-to-business (B2B) call log template
Download the business-to-consumer (B2C) call log template
Manual vs Automated Call Logs
A manual call log is a printable blank document or a computer spreadsheet template that allows you to write down call log information while a call is in progress. Once the call is completed, agents then are often expected to manually enter these details into customer relationship management (CRM) software. This makes manual call logging less efficient and effective than automated systems since it’s more prone to errors and is more time-consuming.
Alternatively, business phone systems include call logging tools that automatically capture, store, and organize call data directly into your CRM, along with relevant call notes and dispositions. This enables users to search and filter call logs based on call type, date ranges, destination, duration, or origin. Automatic call logging eliminates human errors, so it’s easy to create reports and use call metrics to optimize your team.
Nextiva comes with a dashboard that highlights call history reports, including the type of call, date, user, call origin, cost, and duration. (Source: Nextiva)
VoIP platforms also have searchable call logs that are available on the admin portal or mobile app. This enables users to filter search results by call duration, date, and incoming or outgoing calls. Other VoIP business phone features allow you to add call notes and integrate call logging tools with the best CRM software.
Benefits of Call Logging
Call logging benefits businesses dealing with a high volume of calls every day. It makes it easy to keep track of calls and retain details of the conversations. If you’re wondering whether if it’s a right fit for your business needs, here are the top benefits of call logging:
Supports Contact Center Analytics
Analysis of phone call logs is useful in any business, providing valuable data in measuring call center performance and quality of service. These logs allow companies to organize call information for recordkeeping and converting call information into insightful reports. Call logging also provides call patterns, useful for tracking expenses, transactions, and call center metrics.
Freshdesk Contact Center provides real-time call metrics for analyzing call log details, such as call summary, billing time, and call cost. (Source: Freshdesk)
Improves Customer Service
When calls are recorded in the CRM, the platform gives you an end-to-end view of all customer interactions, allowing you to understand every call in detail. This enables managers to stay on top of any conversation and make performance-related interpretations. Accessing your company’s call logs also enables you to anticipate customer needs and determine who calls your company the most and why.
Enhances Agent Performance
In call centers, phone call logs are used to monitor agent performance and track if they’re reaching their sales quota. Call details, such as call duration by employee or phone number, help in identifying areas for improvement. Those who are doing poorly are given assistance, while those who are performing well are given credit.
More Control Over Business Costs
If you have a fixed budget for phone usage, call logging uses historical data to help you monitor the number of calls made from your phones. In turn, this will help you decide whether you need more or fewer phone lines, phone numbers, extensions, or additional features, such as on-hold music.
Satisfy Compliance Standards
According to PCI-DSS Guide, firms and contact centers are required to keep complete phone logs for compliance and regulatory considerations. These include financial, medical, or legal companies. Depending on your industry, implementing call logging in your business phone system will help your company adhere to the policy and remain compliant.
Checking Call Logs
The method used to check your call logs depends on your device or VoIP service. Smartphones, such as Android and iPhone devices, come with a phone app icon. Simply tap the icon and go to Recents. Typically, missed calls are red, while answered calls are in black or blue font. Dialed numbers are displayed in a green font or as a small telephone icon next to the number. View individual call details by tapping each entry.
RingCentral enables users to view call history logs and check the time of call, call origin, and caller ID. (Source: RingCentral)
If you’re using a VoIP business phone system, log into the admin portal or softphone app and go to the call log section. Some providers allow you to customize the screen by choosing a simple or detailed display. From there, you filter call logs or click individual numbers to view call details.
Call Log Providers
Phone number logging is a basic feature offered by many business phone providers. However, not all of them offer a rich set of call logging functionalities to evaluate incoming and outgoing calls in your company. Here are some of the best call log providers to consider:
RingCentral ranks as one of our top business phone systems because of its robust, cloud-based platform for managing communications across channels, such as voice, video, text, and fax. All plans include a call log section, allowing users to generate and export call log reports. You also have the option to automate the call log report by sending it to your email, whether daily, weekly, or monthly.
Check out our RingCentral review and discover why it’s one of our top business phone solutions.
Nextiva is a business phone solution that helps unify your communications with your teams and clients in one platform. It is one of our best small business VoIP services because of its easy-to-use service and tools that automate workflows. All plans include call history, call log reports, unlimited domestic calling, and team messaging. Enhanced call logs require an upgrade to the Enterprise plan to get vital information about placed calls, received calls, and missed calls.
If you’re wondering if Nextiva fits your small business needs, read our Nextiva review to discover if it’s the right VoIP solution for your business.
Freshdesk Contact Center is a VoIP platform that offers call management tools and campaign monitoring capabilities. It comes with extensive call logging capabilities, including listing the answering speed, type of call, and call billing duration. Call recordings are available in the call log section, enabling agents to access, filter, and export recordings from a single interface. This allows users to have full context before getting on customer calls.
Read our Freshdesk Contact Center review and discover what other features this platform has to offer.
Looking for a standalone call recording app instead? Check out our list of the best call recording apps to explore tools that best suit your small business needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I modify the information included in the call log?
The answer depends on your business phone system. There are providers that allow you to change the information to cater to your business needs. One example is Freshdesk Contact Center, which offers over 40 call metrics for each call log, such as wait time, answering speed, and call cost.
Can I download call log information?
Yes. Phone system providers or contact center platforms should offer this option. They should enable you to gather, analyze, and export call history logs and convert them into a comma-separated values (CSV) file format or an Excel spreadsheet to monitor overall performance.
When should I use a call log template?
You may want to use a call log template to further customize all call-related details taken from incoming and outgoing calls, including follow-up notes and billable hours. It also helps you to stay within your budget while having the ability to maintain detailed call records.
Bottom Line
Call logging offers an efficient process of collecting, analyzing, and reporting call-related data. With the right call logging software, your business will reap several benefits, such as improving customer service, enhancing agent performance, and reducing business costs. Alternatively, call logging templates are also available as a cost-efficient way to monitor all inbound and outbound calls.
