Call lists vs calling sessions

When calling sessions launched, people asked: "Don't call lists already do this?" Call lists still do what they've always done. Calling sessions add a richer workspace on top.

Two related tools

A call list is a roster. It answers "who should we be calling?" You can still call straight from a list the way you always have: click Start calling this list, work through supporters, log outcomes.

A calling session is a named workspace built on top of a call list. It inherits the roster and adds progress tracking, stats, skip controls, cycles, and pause/resume.

Think of the call list as the guest list. Calling from it directly is fine for a quick pass. A session is the structured way to work the list when you care about tracking what happened.

What sessions add

• Progress tracking that holds its place across pauses and resumes.
• Stats and badges at a glance, without opening Analytics.
• Full supporter view while you're on the call (notes, tags, history, RSVP).
• Five skip types with reasons and automatic return behaviour.
• Cycles for a second or third pass through the queue.
• Per-caller sessions so two leaders can work the same list at once, each with their own queue and stats.

How the pieces fit

• Call list (who to call)
  • Calling session (one instance of working the list)
    • Cycle (one pass through the queue)
      • Phone calls
      • Contacts (logged outcomes)

Each caller gets one session per call list. If three leaders are working the same list, there are three sessions on it, one per person. A session itself can have many cycles. Sessions stay in sync with the list: supporters added to the list appear in active sessions automatically.

When to use each

Use a call list to define a group of people to call. Set it up once, use it many times.

Start a calling session the first time you work a list. After that, returning to the same list picks your session back up. One session per caller, per list.

Start a new cycle within a session when you've been through everyone once and want another pass.

Example

Your group is running a volunteer recruitment event:

1. You build a call list called "Event reminders" using the filter "RSVP'd yes but not yet contacted".
2. Tuesday night, you start a session, work through 20 supporters, skip five for "today", and pause at 9pm.
3. Wednesday morning, you resume. The five "today" skips are back in the queue.
4. At the end of the queue, you click Start a new cycle to retry the no-answers.
5. Done. The session has two cycles of stats. The call list is untouched, ready for next week.

If the call list changes mid-session

Call lists are live. Add supporters to the list and they appear in active sessions. Remove them and they're removed from sessions too. Delete the list and in-flight sessions are archived.

Further reading