Call History

Overview

The Call History feature allows you to record and track all past communications with partners. Despite the name "Call History," you can log various types of communication including phone calls, emails, meetings, SMS, and more.

What is Call History?

Call History is a comprehensive log of all interactions with your partners. Each entry records:

• Who you communicated with
• When the communication happened
• What type of communication it was
• The outcome and next steps

This helps your team maintain continuity, track engagement, and ensure proper follow-up with every partner.

Logging a New Call

Step 1: Open the Log Call Dialog

1. Navigate to the Call History page
2. Click the "Log New Call" or "Add Call" button
3. A dialog will appear with the call entry form

Step 2: Select the Partner

Partner* (Required):

• Enter the Partner ID or search for the partner
• This identifies who you communicated with

Step 3: Communication Details

Type* (Required) - Select the communication method:

• Phone Call - Traditional voice call
• Email - Email communication
• SMS - Text message
• Meeting - In-person or virtual meeting
• Video Call - Video conference
• Letter - Physical mail
• Other - Any other communication type

Direction* (Required):

• Inbound - Partner contacted you
• Outbound - You contacted the partner

Subject* (Required):

• Brief description of what the call was about
• Examples: "Monthly check-in", "Prayer request", "Event invitation"

Date* (Required):

• The date the communication occurred
• Click the calendar icon to select a date

Duration (Optional):

• How long the communication lasted in minutes
• Useful for phone calls and meetings

Step 4: Call Outcome & Disposition

Outcome (Optional) - What happened during the communication:

• Completed - Successfully communicated
• No Answer - Call not answered
• Voicemail - Left a voicemail message
• Busy - Line was busy
• Wrong Number - Incorrect contact information
• Callback Requested - Partner asked to be called back
• Declined - Partner declined to engage
• Other - Other outcome

Disposition (Optional) - The result of the communication:

• Successful Contact - Reached the partner successfully
• Left Message - Left a message for partner
• Follow-up Needed - Requires additional follow-up
• Information Provided - Gave information to partner
• Complaint Resolved - Addressed and resolved an issue
• Appointment Scheduled - Set up a future meeting/call
• Donation Discussed - Talked about partnership giving
• Prayer Request - Partner shared prayer needs
• No Contact - Unable to reach partner
• Other - Other disposition

Priority (Optional):

• Low - Routine communication
• Medium - Standard follow-up needed
• High - Important partner or issue
• Urgent - Requires immediate attention

Step 5: Communication Content

Phone Number Used (Optional):

• The phone number you called or that called you
• Useful when partners have multiple numbers

Summary (Optional):

• A brief summary of the communication
• One or two sentences about what was discussed

Details (Optional):

• Detailed notes about the conversation
• Record important points, commitments made, or information shared
• The more detail you add, the better for team continuity

Next Action (Optional):

• What should happen next
• Examples: "Send event details", "Call back in 2 weeks", "Connect with team lead"

Step 6: Follow-up Settings

Follow-up Required:

• Toggle this switch ON if this call requires follow-up action
• When enabled, you can set a follow-up date

Follow-up Date (Shows when Follow-up Required is ON):

• Select the date when follow-up should occur
• This helps you remember to reconnect with the partner

Step 7: Save the Call Log

Click "Log Call" to save the entry.

Viewing Call History

Call History Table

The Call History page displays all logged communications in a table with:

• Partner Name - Who the communication was with
• Type - Communication method (with icon)
• Subject - Brief description
• Date - When it occurred
• Duration - How long it lasted
• Outcome - Result of the call
• Direction - Inbound or Outbound badge
• Follow-up - Shows if follow-up is needed
• Actions - View, Edit, Delete buttons

Searching Call History

Use the search box to find calls by:

• Partner name
• Subject
• Phone number
• Summary or details content

Filtering Call History

Click the Filter button to narrow down the list:

Filter by Communication Type:

• Phone Call
• Email
• SMS
• Meeting
• Video Call
• Letter
• Other

Filter by Direction:

• Inbound only
• Outbound only

Filter by Outcome:

• Completed
• No Answer
• Voicemail
• etc.

Filter by Date Range:

• Select start and end dates
• View calls from a specific time period

Filter by Follow-up Status:

• Calls requiring follow-up
• Calls without follow-up needed
• Overdue follow-ups

Viewing Call Details

Click the View (eye icon) button to see complete details:

• All communication information
• Full summary and details
• Next action notes
• Follow-up information
• Who logged the call and when

Editing Call History

How to Edit a Call Entry

1. Find the call in the table
2. Click the Edit (pencil icon) button
3. Update any information
4. Click "Update Call" to save

When to Edit

Edit a call entry when:

• You need to add more details after the initial logging
• Information was entered incorrectly
• The follow-up status changes
• Additional context is discovered

Deleting Call History

How to Delete

1. Find the call entry in the table
2. Click the Delete (trash icon) button
3. Confirm the deletion

Best Practices

Logging Calls Promptly

1. Log Immediately:

   • Record calls right after they happen while details are fresh
   • Don't wait until the end of the day

2. Be Consistent:

   • Log ALL communications, not just successful ones
   • Even "no answer" attempts are valuable for tracking

3. Use Complete Information:

   • Fill in as many fields as possible
   • Better documentation helps the whole team

Writing Effective Notes

1. Be Clear and Concise:

   • Use the Summary for quick overview
   • Use Details for comprehensive notes

2. Include Key Information:

   • Specific prayer requests
   • Commitments made by partner or your team
   • Important dates mentioned
   • Partner concerns or questions

3. Action-Oriented Next Steps:

   • Be specific: "Send 2024 event schedule by Friday"
   • Not vague: "Follow up later"

Follow-up Management

1. Mark Follow-ups Appropriately:

   • Only mark as requiring follow-up if action is needed
   • Set realistic follow-up dates

2. Check Follow-ups Daily:

   • Review calls with upcoming follow-up dates
   • Create scheduled calls for important follow-ups

3. Complete the Loop:

   • When you complete a follow-up, log a new call entry
   • Reference the previous call in your notes

Team Collaboration

1. Write for Your Team:

   • Other team members may handle follow-up
   • Write notes others can understand and act on

2. Use Consistent Language:

   • Follow your team's conventions for outcomes and dispositions
   • Use standard abbreviations if any

3. Provide Context:

   • Include information that helps others understand the partner relationship
   • Note if this is a first contact, long-time partner, etc.

Communication Type Guidelines

Phone Calls

• Always record duration
• Note if voicemail was left
• Record which phone number was used if partner has multiple

Emails

• Subject line becomes the call subject
• Paste key email content in Details if needed
• Note if awaiting email response

Meetings

• Record all attendees in Details
• Note location (in-person location or video platform)
• Include any action items discussed

SMS/Text

• Keep Subject brief (SMS is short by nature)
• Can paste the message content in Details

Video Calls

• Note which platform was used (Zoom, Teams, etc.)
• Record meeting length
• Include any materials shared

Common Questions

Q: What's the difference between Outcome and Disposition?

A: Outcome is technical (did the call connect?) while Disposition is relational (what was the ministry result?). For example, Outcome = "Completed" and Disposition = "Prayer Request" means you successfully spoke with them about a prayer need.

Q: Should I log every single email?

A: Log significant communications. You don't need to log automated receipts or brief acknowledgments, but log substantive conversations and important exchanges.

Q: Can I log a call on behalf of another team member?

A: Yes, you can log calls for others. Consider adding a note in Details like "Logged by Sarah on behalf of John who spoke with the partner."

Q: How do I handle group communications?

A: Log separate entries for each partner if it's important to track individual engagement. For group meetings, you might log one entry and list all partners in the Details.

Q: What if I forget to log a call from last week?

A: You can still log it. Just set the Communication Date to when it actually occurred. Add a note that it's being logged after the fact.

Q: How long is call history kept?

A: Contact your system administrator about data retention policies. Generally, call history is kept indefinitely for relationship tracking.

Related Topics

• Managing Partners - Learn how to manage partner records
• Scheduled Calls - Schedule future partner calls
• Call Reports - View analytics about your communications