Reports outgoing start number issue with #

[NonLinearly]

I have an outbound rule with #3 prefix. When I go to make a report about outbound calls and set the #3 to the field "To"--->"Number Start With" it throws an Error # Character!!! Calls with this prefix have already be done and never will show them up!!! This is a consistency problems!

 

[NonLinearly]

As I see there is not a solution for this. It seems that 3CX has some drawbacks and this isn't the first time has run into consistency issues. 3CX can not issue reports about outgoing calls made with any symbol as prefix. But we have many projects each one has to use its own prefix for outbound calls and 3CX indirectly restricts you to only use 0-9 digits as prefixes otherwise you won't be able to have reports. We have 32 projects that it is not possible to cover their outgoing calls with 10 digits only (0-9).

 

[Cjay]

CDRs contain the dial number info (e.g. #3123456789), so you could enable/collect these for further analysis. Not quite the same thing as a 3CX report, but a possible workaround...

 

[NonLinearly]

We will use 2 digits prefixes like 01,02... Although it creates other kinds of problems and conflicts with carrier numbers and the bigger problem is that we have already calls with # that we can't retrieve logs about.

 

[NonLinearly]

No we have conflict with internal numbers (extensions). The report shows the calls made to extensions begins with 01 like 010!!! What a mess!

 

[SweetAction]

Use a filter for external calls then

 

[NonLinearly]

Use a filter for external calls then

I thought it. But the problem with this option is that we can not have the ability for prefix distinction. There is also another problem that makes things even more complicate. Reports remove prefixes when a call is answered and keep them when is unanswered!!! So I can't export all calls and then filtered by prefix. Sorry but this is ridiculous and makes things more complicate without any reason.

 

[SweetAction]

Which call report are you using?

 

[NonLinearly]

Which call report are you using?

Type "call report" Format HTML or csv (the behavior is same, they remove prefixes on answered calls)
I found a workaround. Because the specific extensions make outgoing calls with #3 and 2 prefixes only I will export all calls and calls with 2 separated and then I will compare them and remove the calls belonging to the file with prefix 2 from the total with all calls. So in the file with all calls only the calls made with #3 will remain.

 

[NonLinearly]

CDRs contain the dial number info (e.g. #3123456789), so you could enable/collect these for further analysis. Not quite the same thing as a 3CX report, but a possible workaround...

CDR was not enabled anyway. And I don't know if it also removes the prefixes on answered calls. But judging by its primitive configuration, it probably hasn't undergone any processing

 

[jed]

To solve the issue, you might be able to use the billing option: https://www.3cx.com/community/threa...nswered-calls-in-call-logs.120525/post-562721

 

[Cjay]

So coming back to CDRs, these do contain the info you would need and are not affected by call answer status. For example if you dial #1, #2 in front of the desired number and use outbound rules to strip off this prefix before sending out over the selected trunk then in the CDR: Dial-No field contains what you actually dialled including any prefix; To-No field contains what was actually sent out over the trunk after outbound rule processing. Of course you are then outside the scope of native 3CX reporting - you'd need to create your own or find a suitable existing app.
As @jed mentions, you might be able to use billing codes - but I think the issue could be enforcing the use of such codes.

 

[NonLinearly]

To solve the issue, you might be able to use the billing option: https://www.3cx.com/community/threa...nswered-calls-in-call-logs.120525/post-562721

With this yes you can have the desired reports. But not without cost. Firstly agents have to dial at least 3 characters more. Secondly and more problematic they have to add them at the end of the call number. This is a big problem because it has to do with the culture of outgoing calls where everyone worldwide is familiar with prefixes and not suffixes. Too many calls will be made without it and things will be worse while the prefixes can be imposed. And after all I can't understand the difference since the prefixes can also distinguish the outgoing calls why would there be redundancy!!!

 

[NonLinearly]

At the end...we couldn't find any solution to use # prefix without problems in 3cx reports. Even CDR has some drawbacks. The ougoing call that is call forwarding doesn't appear with its time! So we found a workaround to reserve a range of numbers (901-999) for exclusive use as prefixes for outgoing calls without conflict other possible outgoing calls. We have 99 prefixes for use and we have 32 projects with the need to distinguish their outgoing calls. But is a pity that 3CX accept only digits in the reports "Number starts with" field. It is useless to use non digit character as prefix if you can't have report.