The difference between a highly successful business and a mediocre one is the amount of information it has on its own internal operations. When the decision makers know exactly what is happening with the organisation at all times, without being bogged down by the minute details, they are able to make better decisions at the right time that may prove crucial to success.

Telephone Call Statistics is one such treasure trove of information that paints a vivid picture of the organisation’s operational efficiency and level of customer satisfaction. Organisations of all sizes can gain much by studying their call statistics, but most do not have access to the information. A few years ago, such detailed data could be captured only by using very expensive telecommunication hardware equipment called Private Branch Exchange system or PBX. Nowadays, telecommunication technology has advanced to such an extent that hosted telephony software replaces the traditional, cumbersome PBX. Inbound call statistics can be captured by the software in a much more cost effective way.

There are many telecommunications service providers such as Numbertalk, that provides numbers that overlay on the organisation’s existing telephone number. What this means is that from the point of view of a customer, he calls only one telephone number, and the call is then routed to domestic or international mobile phones or landlines. Apart from the flexibility that it provides in terms of allowing a business to be "on the move’ without disruption of services due to a change in location or any unforeseen incidents, the numbers also capture important call data. A great deal of information is recorded – the caller’s telephone number, whether the call was answered on time, the call duration and the path through which the call was routed.

Call Detail Records provide potent information; it is up to the organisations to make maximum use of it. If a company launches a new advertising campaign or a new service, it can provide a free telephone number for customers to call. By having dedicated numbers for advertising campaigns, the organisation can gauge the public response to the ad. Campaigns can be compared and evaluated to see which ones yield the best result.

The call statistics also indicate the operational efficiency of an organisation’s inbound call staff. If a large number of calls are being dropped or unanswered, it may mean that the inbound call team is short staffed. If there are several long inbound calls immediately after the launch of a new product, the organisation may take a hint and investigate further.

Calls can also be customised and the routing optimised. 0845 numbers, 0800 numbers, 0844 numbers, premium rate numbers, freephone numbers and 03 numbers provide the functionality to record call data.

For further information, please visit Numbertalk.