Differences Between Primary Phone and Phone Fields

Shovels differentiates between two important phone number fields in our data: primary_phone and phone. The primary_phone field displays the most frequently used phone number across all permits for a specific contractor, giving you the highest probability contact number for reaching the business. The phone field, on the other hand, provides a comma-separated list of all phone numbers we've encountered for that contractor, ordered by frequency of use. This comprehensive approach gives you both a prioritized main contact number and alternative options if needed. For example, if a contractor has used three different phone numbers across their permit history, with one appearing on 70% of permits and the others on 15% each, the most common number would be designated as the primary_phone, while all three would be listed in the phone field. This dual approach maximizes your chances of successful contractor outreach.