Using call pools

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.broadstripes.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Call pools are groups of people who will be called using a specific script. Think of them as “phone bank lists” with rules about how people get called.

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Understanding pool types

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Random pools (Default)

How they work:

• System automatically selects the next person for each caller
• Each person is called once per caller
• People are locked while being called to prevent duplicates
• Callers don’t see who’s next until the call starts

Best For:

• Large-scale outreach where every contact is equally important
• GOTV campaigns
• General surveys
• Situations where you want to prevent caller bias in selecting contacts

Example: You have 500 members to call for a contract vote. You want each person called exactly once in random order.

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List call pools

How they work:

• Callers see a full list of everyone in the pool
• Callers choose who to call from the list
• Still includes call locking to prevent duplicates (Caller can override in a List call pool)
• List can be sorted and filtered

Best For:

• Targeted calling where caller judgment matters
• Follow-up calls
• VIP or leadership outreach
• Situations where callers need to see context (e.g., previous call outcomes)

Example: You have 50 shop stewards to call with important updates. Callers know the stewards personally and can prioritize who to reach first.

Session metrics dashboard

When a caller opens a List call pool, a metrics dashboard appears above the target list. It gives callers a running view of their own activity and the pool’s overall progress, so they can see at a glance how the campaign is going while they work. The dashboard has three sections:

• Your calls (left) shows the current caller’s activity:
  • this session — calls placed since starting the current session
  • today — calls placed by this caller in this pool today (across all sessions)
  • total placed — calls placed by this caller in this pool, all time
• Pool / Script (center) names the call pool and call script, and shows a progress bar that breaks the pool down by call status (the same statuses described in the Call pool status column below — Completed, Call back / follow-up, and Call / to call).
• All calls (right) shows the pool’s totals across every caller:
  • people — total people in the pool
  • calls placed — calls placed in this pool by all callers combined
  • completed — calls that reached a completion outcome

The metrics are loaded when the page opens and refresh as the session progresses, so reloading the list or returning to it after a break shows the latest numbers.

Call pool status column

In a List call pool, each person in the list displays a Status badge that shows their current call progress. The status is determined by the person’s call history with the pool’s script. The session metrics dashboard’s progress bar (above the list) provides a visual summary of how many people in the pool fall into each status.

Call history panel

The list view also includes a call history panel that shows recent call activity for each contact in the pool. Use it to see at a glance who has been called, when, and what happened — without having to open each contact’s full record. For each person in the list, the panel surfaces:

• Recent call attempts for the pool’s script, with the date and time of each attempt
• The outcome of each call (for example, the response chosen by the caller, whether the call was completed, or whether it needs follow-up)
• The caller who made the attempt

This is especially useful in List call pools where callers choose who to dial next:

• Avoid calling someone twice in a row by checking whether they were just contacted by another caller.
• Prioritize call-backs by spotting people whose last attempt did not reach a completion outcome.
• Coordinate across volunteers so that conversations build on what has already been said rather than starting over.

The history panel updates as calls are completed in the pool, so refreshing the list view shows the latest activity.

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Authenticated pools

How they work:

• Additional verification step before calling begins
• Used for sensitive or official processes
• Can include password protection
• Often tied to specific custom fields (like “Ratification Vote”)

Best For:

• Contract ratification votes
• Officer elections
• Sensitive surveys
• Any situation requiring verified identity

Example: Contract ratification vote where each member gets one verified vote recorded.

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Creating a call pool

1. Search for people
   • Go to Search and find the people you want to call
   • Use search filters to target specific groups
   • Example: department:Warehouse shift:Night
2. Select people
   • Click Select All or individually check people
3. Create pool
   • Go to Communications → Create call pool
4. Configure basic settings
   • Call pool name: Descriptive name (e.g., “Warehouse Night Shift - GOTV Week 1”)
   • Choose a call script: Select from your active scripts
5. Choose pool type
   • Check “Allow callers to see pool as list and make calls at will” for List call pool (Leave unchecked for Random pool)
6. Add password (Optional)
   • For restricted access pools
   • Callers must enter password to start calling
7. Create pool
   • Click Create call pool
   • System generates a unique link
8. Share the link
   • Copy the provided link
   • Share with your phone bank volunteers

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Edit existing call pools

1. Go to Communications → Call Pools
2. Find the pool you want to edit
3. Click the ••• menu next to the pool name. Choose Copy call pool link to grab the shareable URL, Edit to open the pool’s edit page, or Delete to remove the pool.

4. On the edit page, you may:
   • Edit the pool name
   • Disable the call pool
   • Edit the pool type
   • Change the call script
   • Update the password
   • Set a start and end date for the pool
5. Make your changes and click Save

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Adding and removing people from pools

Adding people to an existing pool

1. Search and select the people you want to add
2. Go to Communications → Add to call pool
3. Choose the existing pool from the dropdown
4. Click Add
5. The people are immediately available for calling

Use Case: You created a GOTV pool with 500 people, but then identified 50 more voters who should be included. Removing people from a pool

1. Search and select the people you want to remove
2. Go to Communications → Remove from call pool
3. Choose the pool
4. Click Remove
5. The people are immediately removed (even if currently being called)

Use Case: Someone already voted early, so you remove them from the GOTV pool.

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Managing multiple call pools

You can run multiple pools simultaneously:

• Different scripts: One pool for GOTV, another for member surveys
• Different target groups: One pool for members, another for non-members
• Different campaigns: One pool per worksite or department
• Sequential pools: Create new pools as campaigns progress

Example setup:

• “GOTV Week 1 - High Priority” (List call pool, 200 people)
• “GOTV Week 1 - General” (Random pool, 1,800 people)
• “Member Check-in - Warehouse” (Random pool, 500 people)

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Call pool scheduling

Setting start times Why use it:

• Coordinate phone banks across time zones
• Prevent callers from starting too early
• Align with campaign launch times

Example:

• Start date: November 1, 2024
• Start time: 5:00 PM
• Time zone: Eastern
• Start message: “Thank you for volunteering! This phone bank opens at 5pm Eastern time. Please return after 5pm to begin calling.”

Setting end times Why use it:

• Respect calling hours (e.g., no calls after 9pm)
• Close pools when campaigns end
• Ensure accurate reporting periods

Example:

• End date: November 5, 2024
• End time: 9:00 PM
• Time zone: Eastern
• End message: “This phone bank has closed. Thank you for your hard work! Check back for future calling opportunities.”

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Call pool strategy

1. Size your pools appropriately Small pools (< 100 people):

• Use List call pools for more control
• Good for targeted follow-up
• Personal touch important

Medium Pools (100-1,000 people):

• Random pools work well
• Consider splitting by geography or demographic
• Monitor daily progress

Large Pools (1,000+ people):

• Random pools are essential
• Break into multiple pools by priority
• Assign dedicated project admins

2. Prioritize contacts Create multiple pools:

1. “High Priority” (List) - VIPs, leaders, known supporters
2. “Medium Priority” (Random) - Members, past participants
3. “Low Priority” (Random) - Cold contacts, wide outreach

Call high-priority pools first. 3. Refresh Pools Regularly

• Remove people who’ve been called
• Add newly identified contacts
• Update as campaign progresses
• Don’t let pools grow stale

4. Name Pools Clearly Good naming:

• “GOTV 2024 - Week 1 - High Priority”
• “Member Survey - Oct”
• “Pledge Cards - North Side - Evening”

Bad naming:

• “Pool 1”
• “Test”
• “Calling list”

5. Set Realistic Schedules

• Don’t start too early (before 9am)
• Don’t end too late (after 9pm)
• Consider time zones
• Respect calling hour norms

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