If you’ve ever finished a long dialing session and thought, “What the heck did we actually accomplish?”—you’re not alone. Tracking calls in a CRM is only as good as the data you get out of it. If everyone just clicks “No Answer” or “Left Voicemail” and moves on, your reports are basically useless.
That’s where custom dispositions in Phoneburner come in. This guide is for sales managers, team leads, or anyone who wants to actually know what’s happening on their outbound calls. I’ll walk you through how to create, assign, and use custom dispositions—plus what’s worth your time and what’s not.
Why Custom Dispositions Matter (and Where People Get It Wrong)
Dispositions are just labels you slap on calls to say what happened: “Interested,” “Not Home,” “Call Back Later,” that kind of thing. Phoneburner comes with some defaults, but honestly, they’re too generic for most teams. The more precise your labels, the better your reporting, follow-up, and coaching. But don’t go overboard—if you make 30 custom outcomes, nobody will use them right.
What works: - Clear, specific labels that match your workflow. - A short, memorable list—think 5 to 10, not 25. - Training your team to use them consistently.
What doesn’t: - Vague stuff like “Other” or “Misc.” - Outcomes nobody actually selects. - Changing them every week and confusing your team.
Step 1: Map Out the Dispositions You Actually Need
Before you even open Phoneburner, grab a notepad or a Google Doc and write down what you want to track. Talk to your callers. What do they wish they could mark at the end of a call? Where are you losing track of leads or missing info in follow-up?
Typical custom dispositions that work well: - Not Interested - Interested – Send Info - Interested – Appointment Set - Do Not Call - Wrong Number - Call Back – No Answer - Call Back – Requested Time
Pro Tip:
If a disposition doesn’t change how you follow up, you probably don’t need it. Make each label actionable.
Step 2: Set Up Custom Dispositions in Phoneburner
OK, now log into your Phoneburner admin account. Only admins can create or edit dispositions, so if you’re not one, get your admin on board.
- Go to the “Dial Sessions” Settings
- Click your name or profile icon in the top-right.
- Select “Admin” or “Settings” (depends on your view).
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Find the “Dial Sessions” or “Disposition Buttons” section.
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View and Edit Existing Dispositions
- You’ll see Phoneburner’s defaults. Hit “Edit” or “Manage.”
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You can rename, delete, or rearrange existing options. Don’t be afraid to ditch ones you never use.
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Add New Dispositions
- Click “Add Disposition” or similar.
- Give it a clear label. Avoid inside jokes or cryptic codes.
- Set the action (optional): Some dispositions can trigger automations, like sending an email or updating a field.
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Pick a color/icon if you want. (This makes it faster for reps, but don’t obsess.)
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Save and Organize
- Drag to reorder. Put the most-used dispositions at the top.
- Hit “Save” or “Apply Changes.”
What to ignore:
Don’t get sucked into making a button for every rare edge case. If it only comes up once a month, just use “Other” or document it another way.
Step 3: Assign Dispositions to Dial Sessions or Teams
By default, dispositions are global, but you can often assign certain ones to specific teams, lists, or campaigns. This keeps things clean—your support team doesn’t need “Appointment Set,” and your sales team doesn’t need “Refund Processed.”
- Go to Team or Campaign Settings
- Under “Teams,” “Dial Sessions,” or “Lists,” look for disposition options.
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Some Phoneburner plans let you control this at a granular level; if you don’t see it, you might be on a limited plan.
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Select Which Dispositions to Show
- Uncheck anything irrelevant. Fewer choices = faster, more accurate reps.
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Save your changes.
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Test as a User
- Run a quick dial session as a regular user (not admin) to make sure the right buttons show up.
Pro Tip:
If your team works across different campaigns, too many disposition sets can get confusing. Try to standardize as much as you can.
Step 4: Train Your Team (and Actually Use the Data)
Custom dispositions are only as good as your team’s discipline. If they don’t know what each one means—or if they’re too lazy to pick the right one—you’ll end up back where you started.
How to make it stick: - Do a 10-minute screen share: “Here’s what each button means. Here’s how we use them.” - Share real examples: “If they say call back next week, use ‘Call Back – Requested Time’—not just ‘No Answer.’” - Review reports together. If everything is “Other,” dig in. - Ask for feedback. If a disposition is confusing, fix it.
What doesn’t work:
Don’t just email a list and expect people to change. Reinforce in meetings, in Slack, wherever your team lives.
Step 5: Report and Iterate
Once you’ve got a couple weeks of data, dig into your reporting. The whole point of custom dispositions is to see what’s really happening on calls, so use that info.
Look for: - Which outcomes are most common? (Are you getting a ton of “Call Backs”?) - Where are leads getting stuck? - Which reps use the wrong dispositions, or never use certain ones? - Do you need to merge, split, or rename any options?
Adjust as needed, but don’t constantly change things. Small tweaks every month or so are fine—just keep everyone in the loop.
What’s Worth Automating (and What Isn’t)
Phoneburner lets you tie actions to dispositions, like sending an email, setting a follow-up, or updating a CRM field. This can be powerful, but only if you keep it simple.
Automate: - Common follow-up emails (“Thanks for your time!”) - Task creation (“Call back in 3 days”) - Updating lead status fields
Skip or delay: - Complicated branching automations for rare cases - Anything that creates busywork or confusion
If you find yourself debugging automations more than you’re selling, dial it back.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Too many choices: The more buttons, the more mistakes.
- Vague labels: “Other” tells you nothing.
- Not updating as you grow: Your pipeline will change—so should your dispositions.
- Ignoring feedback: If reps hate a label, find out why.
Keep It Simple, Review Regularly
Custom dispositions in Phoneburner are one of those “simple but not easy” features. When you keep the list short, train your team, and review regularly, you’ll get way better call data—and your sales process will actually improve. Don’t stress about perfection out of the gate. Start basic, iterate every month or two, and let the data (and your team) guide you.
If you’re spending more than 30 minutes a month wrangling dispositions, you’re probably overthinking it. Keep it simple and move on—your future self will thank you.