Formatting of phone numbers on EMS forms- We need your feedback!

Sarah Bienvenue

As a small step toward better formatting on forms, we will be implementing automatic formatting for U.S. phone numbers. The plan is to have phone numbers coming from the application or inquiry formatted as 333-333-3333. Prior to making this change, we wanted to check in with our users and make sure that this would be expected behavior or if there are other formatting requirements (for U.S. phone numbers only) we should be considering.


thank you,

Sarah

Kathy Hannon

Our data standards for phone numbers is (333) 555-5555

Sandra Ross

Great news! That IS the format we currently use.

Can't wait to see this implemented!

Coco Parham

Sarah,


Thank you!!! Our formatting is (333) 333-3333.

Bryan Lorenzo

We also use (333) 333-3333

Marsha Gardner

Our preferred formatting is (333) 333-3333.

Heather Pauli

Our preferred formatting is 333-333-3333.

Scott Chrysler

Sarah -


This is will be a very welcome improvement in the system. As different schools have different formatting preferences, is it possible to design this new enhancement to let the school choose which format they would prefer? Whether it is (333) 333-3333, 333-333-3333, or 333.333.3333, each client should be able to pick the one that works best for them. I believe in EE this could be selected in the General Settings of the program.


All the best,

Scott

Sarah Bienvenue

Hi Scott, that is definitely our long term goal, but is much larger in scope. In the interest of trying to save some immediate pain, we're hoping to at least give an automatic format that fits "most" so that schools aren't getting a combination of all options.


thank you,

Sarah

Nancy Kierstead

We use the format (333) 333-3333. Any movement in this direction will be helpful. Our Admissions Team spends quite a bit of time reformatting phone numbers currently.


I know this isn't happening with this update, but ideally this formatting should exist at the phone number field level as in the Edge products. Once you start typing numbers in to the field, it automatically converts it to the proper format you have chosen.


Thanks for asking!

Lauren Marcus Eisenberg

Hi Sarah Bienvenue‍!


I am so excited to learn about this development. We use 555-555-5555.


I hope that any form that collects (US) phone numbers can be required to be formatted as such. I'd like to see this carry through to all School Forms, including Profile Updates and Emergency Contacts.


Thanks,

Lauren

Nancy Cunningham

Our preferred formatting is (333) 333-3333.

John Hansknecht

Any of the three formats if it's consistently applied will be an improvement. If only one's an option to start I'd suggest a survey to all customers so you get the broadest input on that one preferred.format. Sadly some will not get their preference so a plan and timely to letting users select a preferred format is a good idea.

Brian Gray

We have two "standard" formats: (333) 333-3333 for US phone numbers and 011-1234567890 for all international numbers. For 011- international numbers, we do not attempt to replicate the formatting of the home country - we list the digits only.

Angie Stalquist

We use (333) 333-3333. This is what the preferred setting is for RE and it rolls through so much smoother. Thank you!

Vicky Lopuchowycz

We use (555) 333-3333 because that's the RE formatting.

Brian Walker

We use (333) 555-1212 throughout our system. I'm so excited for this. How will this affect things like extensions? For example, we format ours as (333) 555-1212, ext. 2345.

Tina Pappas

Yahoo! Our preferred format is (333) 333-3333.

Sarah Bienvenue

Hi Brian, good question! Would you expect that for household and applicant phone numbers you would be collecting an extension? Brian Walker‍

Coco Parham

Great catch Brian!


Extensions are submitted with the application. We use the same (111) 111-1111, ext 111

Sarah Koziarski

Our preferred is 333-333-3333 since we are required to dial all 10 numbers in our area.

Geoffrey Goodfellow

Our preferred format is (333) 333-3333 and because we use Connect RE, we also have the masking of our phone numbers in RE set to the same format. I echo everyone's comments about looking for flexibility on user choice when setting this up.

Kathy Hagar

Hello Sarah,


Our preferred format is (333) 333-3333

This update would be very helpful, thank you.

Jo Giesecke

Our preferred format is (333) 333-3333. Thank you!!!

Mary Stanton

Hi,

Our preferred format is (333) 333-3333 as it maps to our RE phone # format.


I understand there are short and long term plans but can this formatting be applied to School Forms in the short term as well? I spend way too much time correcting phone # formats over and over again that have come in through those forms as well.


Thanks,

Mary

Christine Nichols

Our standard formatting in BBK-12 is 555-555-5555; however, RE uses (555) 555-5555.

This is great news. As long as we have enough notice, we can make either work.

Coco Parham

Sarah,


Yay the new phone formatting is here! Super thrilled and excited! I do have a small request: Can you add a space between the close parenthesis and the next number? The new formatting looks like this (333)333-3333. But most people answered they use (333) 333-3333.

Its a small change but looks soooo nice.


Thank you!! Coco

Sarah Bienvenue

Yes! The space was an oversight and will be adjusted very soon. When I have a date I'll let you know.


Thank you,

Sarah

Coco Parham

Thank you, Sarah!

Lorrin Saliba

Hi -


Thought I'd ask, are we going to get an option to set our preferred format or is this the standard that they will be as apps are processed? When we imported our base data 4 years ago, we worked very hard on formatting and cleaning up huge amounts of our data to a standard 901-333-1234 format along with changing Dr. to Drive, Cv. to Cove.


I don't want to have to export all our phone numbers and change the format if we will have an option to set our preferred layout.

Lauren Marcus Eisenberg

I'm with Lorrin Saliba‍ - we have spent much time formatting our data - phone numbers as ###-###-### and doing away with abbreviations such as Ave. and Blvd. I would welcome being able to self-determine - at the school level - the required formatting for phone numbers.