> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.servicem8.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing call response rates with ServiceM8 Phone reports

> Learn how to manage call response rates with ServiceM8 Phone reports in ServiceM8.

You can't convert a call into a sale if you don't answer the phone. By making sure a staff member is always available to take a call, you demonstrate care for your existing clients - and you minimise the chance of a prospective client taking their business elsewhere.

ServiceM8 Phone provides four different metrics to help you monitor your call response rates and spot opportunities for improvement:

* [Activity Feed: After Hours Phone Calls](#activity-feed---after-hours-phone-calls)
* [Business Dashboard: Incoming Calls](#business-dashboard-incoming-calls)
* [Reports > Inbound Calls](#reports---inbound-calls)
* [Reports > Missed Calls](#reports---missed-calls)

The following sections describe each metric, along with some [tips to improve your call response rates](#improving-call-response-rates).

## Activity Feed: After Hours Phone Calls

Your ServiceM8 activity feed will show one of two types of After Hours Phone Calls report, depending on how you have set your on-call staff members.

**1) After Hours Phone Calls - Weekly Report**

If the staff member on call has not changed in more than a week, you will receive a weekly report in your activity feed.

For the period stated, this report tells you:

* The total number of calls received after hours, broken down by answered or missed
* The value (sum of the invoices) of jobs associated with the after hours calls received, then marked as completed during the same period

[<img src="https://mintcdn.com/servicem8/Bl-DI86lBpUjMjkD/images/004-884-179-medium-6b465805-dafe-4bd6-bc7d-e07f5709a2c8.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Bl-DI86lBpUjMjkD&q=85&s=81ff1e10f7485c44b2ac1b41c4db3009" alt="after hours call report breakdown" width="855" height="420" data-path="images/004-884-179-medium-6b465805-dafe-4bd6-bc7d-e07f5709a2c8.png" />](/images/004-884-179-6b465805-dafe-4bd6-bc7d-e07f5709a2c8.png)

**2) After Hours Phone Calls - By Staff Member and Shift**

If the staff member on call changes and there was at least one call after hours during their shift, you will receive a report in your activity feed.

This report is identical to the weekly report, except it reflects the time period during which the staff member was on call.

## Business Dashboard: Incoming Calls

The Business Dashboard gives you a quick overview of several business metrics. To access the Business Dashboard, click **Reports** in the Online Dashboard, or tap **More > Business Dashboard** from the ServiceM8 App. You can review metrics for the last 28 days or the last 7 days.

The *Incoming Calls* metric reflects the total number of incoming calls to your business during that time period, including:

* Answered calls
* Missed calls
* Calls during standard operating hours
* Calls after hours

This metric is compared to the total number of calls received in the previous period of the same length, with the change indicated below the total.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/servicem8/Bl-DI86lBpUjMjkD/images/004-884-180-334b0916-468b-4b87-92b9-fc47780c87c0.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Bl-DI86lBpUjMjkD&q=85&s=a33dc45fea476bad12948d5f0d643bdc" alt="business dashboard" width="278" height="178" data-path="images/004-884-180-334b0916-468b-4b87-92b9-fc47780c87c0.png" />

## Reports > Inbound Calls

From the Online Dashboard, go to **Reports** > **Inbound Calls**.

The Inbound Calls report provides a historical view of the number of incoming calls by month, split between operating hours and after hours.

[<img src="https://mintcdn.com/servicem8/Bl-DI86lBpUjMjkD/images/004-884-182-medium-2bccb64d-b7c7-420f-b6d8-aeab9a4ead90.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Bl-DI86lBpUjMjkD&q=85&s=ca25042565d55df357b5886bd60b4db9" alt="inbound calls by month report" width="855" height="421" data-path="images/004-884-182-medium-2bccb64d-b7c7-420f-b6d8-aeab9a4ead90.png" />](/images/004-884-182-2bccb64d-b7c7-420f-b6d8-aeab9a4ead90.png)

## Reports > Missed Calls

From the Online Dashboard, go to **Reports** > **Missed Calls**.

The Missed Calls report provides a historical view of the number of missed calls by month, split between operating hours and after hours.

[<img src="https://mintcdn.com/servicem8/Bl-DI86lBpUjMjkD/images/004-884-184-medium-62fda565-a80a-4928-937f-26589b6f21d9.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Bl-DI86lBpUjMjkD&q=85&s=5e61469a7b9b7a0c117c1532b41f2573" alt="missed calls by month report" width="855" height="404" data-path="images/004-884-184-medium-62fda565-a80a-4928-937f-26589b6f21d9.png" />](/images/004-884-184-62fda565-a80a-4928-937f-26589b6f21d9.png)

## Improving call response rates

Whenever it's possible, strive to have a staff member answer calls. Your odds of converting a call into a sale is much greater if your client speaks to a live person. Monitor your ServiceM8 Phone metrics and use the tips below to improve your call response rates.

**If you see calls being missed during business hours:**

* From the Online Dashboard, go to **Settings** > **ServiceM8 Phone**. Review your *Business Hours Call Group* settings. Do you have more than one staff member selected? Are the chosen staff members the most likely to be able to answer calls?

* If you haven't already, consider setting up a [secondary call group](/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/servicem8-phone/how-to-divert-calls-to-a-secondary-call-group#setting-up-the-secondary-call-group). If a call comes in that would normally be answered but isn't, then you can divert the call to a "backup" staff member, or Secondary Call Group, instead of going straight to voicemail.

**If you see calls being missed after hours and you don't have a staff member on call:**

* Consider [designating a staff member to be "on call"](/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/servicem8-phone/how-to-set-staff-on-call-after-hours-with-servicem8-phone) to respond to calls that come in after hours, instead of sending them to voicemail.

**If you see calls being missed after hours and you do have a staff member on call:**

* Work with the on-call staff member to understand why the calls are not being answered - is it reluctance to answer, or inability to answer? Listen carefully and consider different solutions, such as a change in on-call staff or compensation, or the need for a [secondary call group](/help-center/servicem8-add-ons/servicem8-phone/how-to-divert-calls-to-a-secondary-call-group) for after hours.

**If you see after hours calls being answered, but no associated value with the calls:**

* This could be perfectly normal, depending on your business. However, if you typically schedule and complete jobs within a week, a lack of associated value with after hours calls could indicate a need for additional training for the on-call staff. They may be missing the opportunity to close sales, especially if their daily role is service-oriented and does not typically involve handling leads.
