• Call logging software wanted

    • This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 18 years ago.
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    #442269

    Suggestions please for a method or program for logging incoming telephone calls to our company. Not every call needs to be noted, but, for example, someone may call in for a quick bit of technical advice, and that needs to be recorded in case someone else takes a follow up call and the original person is not available.

    I came across a couple of solutions: EasyDesk and Liberum but I’m not sure either are exactly what we want.

    Our needs are simple; we want to log
    Date
    Time
    Name of person taking the call
    Name and Company of Caller
    Details of call, which may be up to the length of this post.

    A search facility would be useful, but not necessary. A web-based application sounds attractive in that no new applications need to be installed.

    Any ideas out there?

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    • #1064168
      • #1064784

        Thanks everyone for your replies so far – I’ve followed all ideas up but I’ve had to put the search on hold for a while as other pressing matters, well, press!

        Searching on Google brings up plenty of suggestions (as I already found!) but nothing quite suitable – and as you probably realise, ‘free’ simply adds those with ‘free trials’.

        Although ‘helpdesk’ is probably the best term to use, it is really overkill. We only need to log the call with a few notes, it doesn’t (necessarily) need categorising, flagging, responding to or even being given a number. It does need to be networkable, although access by more than one person at a time is not a prerequisite.

        A simple Excel file would be ideal except for the limitations on entering and viewing text in a cell – the length of note there may just make it impractical. I’ll maybe have a play around and see how it works.

        Jezza, thanks for the offer smile – if you can come across/up with something, I’m certainly willing to take a look. I’m just a bit wary of getting into something beyond my humble capabilities laugh

        • #1064827

          > as you probably realise, ‘free’ simply adds those with ‘free trials’.

          Try OOKO Search. AFTER your search, scroll to the bottom and select :
          Filter by Free, Windows, any site

          This gives you at least some chance at knocking out the trials and demos.

          Alan

        • #1064898

          Lief,

          [indent]


          A simple Excel file would be ideal except for the limitations on entering and viewing text in a cell – the length of note there may just make it impractical.


          [/indent]
          Go into Excel and change the Cell format to “Wrap” the text. I usually use a cell width of 25 – 35 pending the type of text that will be going in there. Obviously you can increase or decrease this.

          The “Wrap” will fill the length and automatically add lines required for the entire message to fit in the cell.

          • #1065089

            Scott – thanks for the reply. I’m well aware of wrapping text, the issue is with the entry within the Formula bar expanding ever further as more text is entered and thus obscuring cells below. (See attachment). What I didn’t appreciate was that it is a simple matter to toggle this on and off – although it is still possible that a long enough piece of text will not fit into a cell.

            Interestingly, to quickly get the VBA command to switch the Formula bar, I used my usual shortcut of recording a macro. For some strange reason, it gives me:
            Application.DisplayStatusBar = False
            rather than
            Application.DisplayFormulaBar = False

            but that is another matter.

            I’m thinking I may have a play around using forms in Excel for the entry and display of info – I’ll raise it in the Excel forum when I hit a snag…

            • #1065744

              Hi Leif

              Have you got Office 2007 yet? on the MS website their are some great free Access database templates, call tracker, contact and customer service, I downloaded them just to try and understnad them last night and they look great.

              I just thought that there are probable older versions on there to but I did not check that out

              Cheers

              Steve

            • #1065836

              Hi Steve,
              Nope, still on a mixture of 2000 and 2002, and only one with Access. I appreciate Access would be an ideal route, but I simply have got the two or three hours needed this week to learn it grin

            • #1065839

              I checked again on the MS site and there is a good ‘Issues’ DB for Access 2003 that does not seem to need a lot of learning (I could use it straight away so it must be simple), short of that how about a sheet of paper and a pen :-), seriousely though, what about a Word document in landscape with the appropriate columns, Word has a reasonable search facility etc.

              Cheers

              Steve

              Edited becuase I forgot the attachment

            • #1065840

              [indent]


              …I simply have (sic?) got the two or three hours needed this week to learn it…


              [/indent]That should be a good start for a hijacking…

    • #1064195

      Hi Leif

      I am going to put my Customer Relationships Management hat on now and reckon that you could go for an Open Source CRM solution utilising browsers and the like. There would more than likely need a server install php or sql back end. A bit more powerful than your original request but there are some pretty good open source items out there….shall I carry on looking for you ? grin

    • #1064241

      Maybe have a look at EverNote – A single place for all your notes!. It has a “template” for phone messages, or you can Roll your own.

      Alan

    • #1064444

      Leif,

      [EasyDesk is a good starter program for what you are looking for. I have not used this program in awhile but set it up for a customer ~2 years ago.

      Last January their company transitioned there “Help Desk Department” transitioned to a multi-pronged help center. Where some issues were “farmed out” to other companies while some issues were kept in-house. This depended on whether the issue was hardware, software, warranty, shipping, etc. Then they used WonderDesk which is a great software package, but pricey and more than what you need.

      FWIW – years ago, I used an old Lotus 123 Spreadsheet to track the information you were looking for. If you have MSO, you may want to try Microsoft.Com Call Tracker Template for Access. They may have templates for Excel as well.
      shrug

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