Is Call Accounting Worth the Investment?

Before we can determine whether or not call accounting software is worth the investment, we must first understand what call accounting is and decide whether or not it is a beneficial business tool. If, in the analysis, we can determine that call accounting really is a beneficial tool then the next logical step would be to choose a good call accounting system. With over 65 different companies to choose from and more than 150 different products, it is important to know your options and to choose the product that will best meet your needs.

What is Call Accounting?

So what exactly is call accounting? Call accounting can be defined as a “telecommunications software or hardware application that captures, records, and costs telephone usage events.” As a phone call is made or received, the PBX creates a unique call record for that specific call and the call accounting system captures and processes the record for future retrieval. Each call record includes the phone number being dialed, the destination of the call, the time and date of the call, the type of call being made (long distance, local, internal, etc.), the duration and charge of the call, the extension and trunk number, the employee name, the department name, and any account code associated with the call.

Using the information from the call records, a call accounting system will then compile the records to produce reports as the business deems appropriate. For example, the WIN-SENSE 32, from TEL electronics, inc. can produce over 50 custom reports that include everything from a departmental summary report to a detailed extension report. Some other common reports include the trunk summary report, longest calls report, most expensive calls report, and call type reports.

Is Call Accounting Software a Beneficial Business Tool?

Now that we know what call accounting is, the next question we need to ask is whether or not call accounting is a beneficial business tool. With so many reports to choose from, how does a business sort through the information to get to the data that will actually make a difference in the bottom line of the company?

Listed below are several practical ways that a business can cut costs, generate additional revenue, and improve productivity with a call accounting system.

1. Create a telecom budget by using information from the department or extension summary reports. Allocate expenses as needed.
2. Cut down on phone abuse by monitoring local calls, long duration calls, and high-cost calls made by your employees.
3. Bill clients for phone consultations or services by adding surcharges or fees to phone calls associated with a specific phone number or account code.
4. Determine the effectiveness of a marketing campaign by looking at the number of incoming calls received during the time of the campaign.
5. Improve employee productivity by tracking how many phone calls each employee makes and receives. Extension reports allow managers to compare one employee against the group and determine the productivity level of each employee.
6. Setup automatic emails and alerts to help monitor phone performance and possible abuse. For example, you can have the system alert you whenever a phone call exceeds a set limit or when an emergency call is made. Managers can have daily or weekly reports emailed to them showing specific call information for their department.
7. Decrease billing errors by accounting for each phone call. Compare your record against the phone company.
8. Use trunk reports to improve phone system performance. See which trunks are being overused and which are being underused.

With telecom expenses often representing 5-20% of your business expenses, learning how to cut costs, while increasing revenue is a valuable tool to any manager. By implementing and utilizing a call accounting system, businesses can expect to save up to 25% on their telecom expenses. Is call accounting a beneficial business tool? Most definitely yes!

How Much Does a Call Accounting System Cost?

Call accounting systems vary in price and most are based on the number of extensions used and how the phone system collects the call data. To illustrate, I looked at 10 different products designed for 250 extensions. The suggested retail prices on these products varied anywhere from $750 to $3,286. Products based on the “pay per extension” model dramatically increased in price as more extensions were added. I found one 5,000 extension system that cost as much as $14,000!

Of course the product’s price isn’t the only thing you want to look at. What kind of support will the company give? What are the product features? What kind of reports can you produce? How reliable is the product?

What is the Best Call Accounting System Available?

Businesses should look for a call accounting system that is reliable, flexible, and will provide them with the reports and information needed to monitor phone activity and help decrease telecom expenses. A good call accounting system can handle heavy call volumes, be used for an unlimited amount of extensions, produce customizable reports, and meet your financial constraints.

When compared against similar products, the WIN-SENSE 32, from TEL electronics, inc. appears to be the best bang for the buck. The WIN-SENSE 32 can produce customized reports, work with almost all phone systems, support an unlimited amount of extensions, handle heavy call volumes, and most importantly can be used as a financial tool to help your company save money. With a network of over 3,000 dealers and almost 30 years of experience, TEL not only produces an excellent business call accounting product, but provides excellent service and support as well. To learn more about their products, visit www.tel-electronics.com.

Call Accounting for Sales Organizations

Improving employee productivity, lowering costs, and tracking marketing campaigns is an important function of any good sales organization. By using the WIN-SENSE 32, your business can track call information in real-time, allowing managers to make informative decisions when it really matters.

Sales Organizations can...

• Track individual and group telephone performance
• Analyze key sales indicators
• Receive automatic reports via email
• Set monthly quotas and goals
• Track effectiveness of marketing campaigns
• Monitor calling patterns
• Allocate telecom expenses by department or extension
• Decrease phone abuse
• Eliminate toll fraud
• Optimize phone system performance

Improve Employee Productivity

The WIN-SENSE 32 can help sales organizations improve employee productivity by tracking individual and group telephone performance. Managers can discover who their most productive employees are by analyzing sales key indicators such as: number of incoming calls received, number of outgoing calls made, average length of calls, and destination of calls (local, internal, international, etc.).

Extension detail reports will further give insight into an employee’s productivity level by seeing how much time was spent on each call, what the most expensive and longest calls were, and how many calls it took to reach a sale. Call information, such as this, allow managers to compare one employee against the group, and as a result, identify those employees who may need extra training or help. Important summary and detail reports can be automatically emailed to managers to help set daily, weekly, and monthly quotas and goals.

Track Effectiveness of Marketing Campaigns

Sales organizations can track the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns by analyzing how many incoming calls were received during a specific campaign period. Combined with sales revenue information, managers can determine the sales close ratio (closed sales/incoming calls) of the campaign and the average length of each incoming call. Call information such as this can be an invaluable asset to help both marketing and sales departments.

Reduce Telecommunication Costs

Telecom expenses often account for about 10% of a company’s overall budget. Figuring out ways to cut costs, while increasing revenues is one of the key functions of an effective manager. With the WIN-SENSE 32, sales organizations can cut costs by allocating telecom expenses by department and extension, decreasing phone abuse, eliminating toll fraud, and optimizing phone system performance.

First, by allocating telecom expenses, managers can help control costs by setting budgets for each department or extension. As budgets are followed, expenses go down.

Second, organizations can decrease phone abuse by monitoring where calls are being made. The WIN-SENSE 32 allows managers to sort information by call types, including information calls, 900 calls, operator assisted calls, and excessive long distance calls. Cutting down on phone abuse could save an organization hundreds of dollars each month.

Third, companies can save money by eliminating toll fraud. Many organizations are victims of toll fraud, or the unauthorized use of a company’s phone system. To combat toll fraud, managers can setup custom exception reports such as after-hours/weekend activity, long-duration/high-cost calls, short-duration incoming calls and "800" number usage to track "800" to "900" numbers.

Fourth, sales organizations can save money by having their phone systems optimally trunked. If a company has too many trunks, they are overpaying, if they have too few, they may be losing customers. Trunk analysis reports will help organizations analyze current and future telephone needs, and as a result keep their phone system performing at its best.

To learn more, contact a TEL Representative today!

Industry Specific Solutions

While call accounting, in general, serves a basic function for most organizations, each industry has its own specific wants and needs. For example, the hospitality industry uses call accounting in a much different way than a sales organization would. Hotels and resorts need a call accounting system that automatically posts calls to their property management system, tracks and bills for guest phone usage, and generates extra revenue through the resale of phone calls. However, different from the hospitality industry, a sales organization is more likely to use a call accounting system to track employee phone performance, allocate departmental expenses, and bill clients for consultation and services done over the phone. Each industry is looking for something a little bit different and that is why TEL is constantly working on ways to better solve industry-specific problems.

In hopes to better serve its clients, TEL has developed online tools for both dealers and end-users. One of these tools can be found on the menu bar of the company’s home page. Listed across the top is a menu called Industry Solutions. By scrolling over this menu, end-users and dealers alike can learn how TEL products solve industry-specific needs. The following eight industries are covered in detail: businesses & corporations, call centers, government, health care, hotels & resorts, law firms, universities & schools, and sales organizations.

Along with the web pages that describe the industry needs in detail, dealers can also order custom brochures that target their specific clients’ needs. For example, if a dealer is giving a bid to a major law firm and wants to pitch call accounting then the dealer can login to TEL’s website and place an order, free of charge, for a custom brochure targeted at that specific customer. The brochure will include the dealer’s name, logo, and contact information.

Importing Organization Lists into the WIN-SENSE 32

Technicians can now quickly import spreadsheets with billing class, department, extension, account, and phone number information into the Setup Organization module of the WIN-SENSE 32.

Version 2 of TEL’s WIN-SENSE 32 call accounting product gives telecom technicians the ability to import extension and department information directly from a spreadsheet.

Technicians will no longer need to enter extension information one-by-one, but can now use an automated program that will match fields from a spreadsheet or table imported from popular programs such as Microsoft Excel.

The easiest way to setup an organization is to create billing classes in the Setup Organization module and then import department, extension, and account lists from spreadsheets saved on the computer.
When creating a spreadsheet, be sure to save each spreadsheet as an individual file, such as “Accounts.csv” or “Extensions.csv”. Tables must be saved as “.csv” files before they can be imported into the WIN-SENSE 32 program.

TEL Quick Reference cards and templates found in the dealer resources section of www.tel-electronics.com can help technicians know which fields to use in their tables.

To import a spreadsheet, open the Setup Organization module and select File > Import > Department. Locate the file you want to import and click Open. The fields should automatically match, but if they don’t make sure the middle column and the right column match up. Click Begin Import to start importing.

New Resources for TEL Dealers

Registered dealers now have many valuable sales and marketing materials available to them on TEL’s new website, www.tel-electronics.com. The new dealer login page gives dealers access to product brochures, internal documents, order forms, and online presentations. New announcements and product updates will be announced through the dealer home page, along with discounts and promotions.

Upcoming product forums will also be available to help resolve common technical support issues. Dealers will be able to post comments and makes suggestions for product improvement and development. Along with the many support resources available to dealers, TEL has built marketing and sales tools designed for the end-user. Quick Reference Cards, Calculators, and Custom Brochures will give dealers the ability to connect even more with their clients.

Through the dealer home page, dealers can now request customized brochures that target their specific clients’ industry and needs. Customized brochures include the dealer’s logo, name, and contact information.

For example, say a telecom contractor in Oregon is working on a bid for the Wasatch Hospital and wants to put together a call accounting brochure that highlights the specific reasons why that hospital would need a call accounting system. On the dealer home page, this particular contractor can fill out a simple form, explaining who their customer is and what they want their brochure to look like. If requested before 3:00 pm, the contractor will receive an email that same day with a customized brochure designed specifically for the Wasatch Hospital.

TEL is committed to providing world-class service and support. Register your company today and gain access to the many resources and services mentioned in this article.