Caller IDs

A caller ID is the number a person sees on their phone when you call. Your numbers live in one pool that every campaign in your company shares. Buying or connecting numbers is covered in numbers and carriers.

Do this: add a number

1. Open a campaign, then the Settings tab, then the Caller IDs card.
2. Select Add number.
3. Enter the Phone number, for example +1 415 555 0132.
4. Optionally enter a Name, such as “Texas line”.
5. Set Calls a day: the most calls this number may place in one day. The default is 150.
6. Select Add number.

To add many, select Import and choose a CSV file. Columns are number, label, daily_cap, attestation, one number per row. The first row may be a header. VoDialer reports “N added, N already there, N could not be used” and lists the first 50 problems by row.

Attestation is the level your carrier signs the number at: A, B, C or unknown. VoDialer stores it with the number.

How a number is picked

For each call, VoDialer looks at numbers that are in use and under their daily cap. Then it prefers:

1. A number with the same area code as the person.
2. Otherwise, a number in the same state.
3. Among equals, the number used least recently. A number never used goes first.

The daily count starts again each day on UTC time, not on your local time.

The statuses

You see	Meaning	You can
In use	The number is in the pool.	Rest this number, Retire.
Resting	You paused it. It is not used.	Use again, Retire.
Few people pick up	The answer-rate guard rested it.	Use again, Retire.
Retired	Never used again. It cannot be brought back.	Nothing.

The Answer rate column shows “Not enough calls yet” until a number has at least 20 calls.

The answer-rate guard

The guard looks at each number’s last 200 finished calls. If fewer than Rest a number when fewer than of them were answered (default 3%), the number is flagged and leaves rotation. The page shows “A caller ID was rested because few people pick up from it.” A number with fewer than 200 calls is never flagged. Set the setting to 0 to turn the guard off.

A flagged number is out of rotation until you select Use again, or retire it for good.

When there is no caller ID

If no number is in use, the campaign cannot place calls.

• Before start, the page says “There is no caller ID to call from.” and offers Add a caller ID.
• While running, the campaign pauses itself. The banner says “Paused because there is no caller ID free to call from. Add or reactivate a number in Settings, then press Start.”

All your numbers being capped for the day causes the same stop. See start, pause and stop.

The two rules for picking

Pick the caller ID offers Closest to the person’s area code (the default) and Used least recently.

Not yet

The choice between those two rules is saved, but nothing reads it. VoDialer always follows the order above, area code first. Attestation is stored but does not change which number is chosen.

Note

The screen limits Calls a day to 1 to 5,000. The import file accepts up to 100,000.