Originating region of calls to 0800-111-777 July 2008

Each month we analyse where calls have come from for each service line.  The 0800-111-777 is the freephone number that has been in use for the last several years.  The appeal of the service is the free access for mobile phone callers. This is evident from the graph on the right which shows almost 70% of calls from non-landline phones.   For a growing number of people a cellular phone is the only phone available.  It is private, pay as you go and fully transportable.

The non-cellular phone traffic is reasonably well spread and is close in number to the regional population figures for each area.   The toll call cost of this single line is just over $2,400 per month;  almost $29,000 p.a. plus GST.   This service is funded purely from fundraising efforts in addition to the voluntary labour offered by our many trained volunteers.

Time of day- Calls to 0800-111-777 July 2007 and July 208


The final graph shows inbound calls to a single number on a day by day basis, July last year to this year.  Generally call numbers are higher at the beginning of the week compared to the end of the week and this demand pattern is similar across most of our inbound traffic.   We know that the weather, sporting activity or events, financial and environmental conditions contribute to the wellbeing factor of people and these factors influence call numbers.   

What is more  frightening is the increase in call numbers by almost 60%.  Why call volumes are increasing is unknown and something we would welcome insight into.      Is it improved awareness, higher levels of caller satisfaction or just higher demand for Lifeline’s services?