This is one I had to learn when I got into telecom expense management too, as acronyms are always a pain. CSR stands for “Customer Service Record”. Clear as mud, right?
In the telecom universe, a CSR is a copy of what the carrier actually has in its database regarding your account – all your services, the lines, circuits, locations, details and additional services being billed. They aren’t normally something you would look at, but will be released by the carrier upon request by you or by an auditing firm working for you.
The value of a CSR is that it gives a very detailed picture of your telecom environment, much more detailed than you would find on an invoice. And if you know how to decipher one (which I might add, isn’t necessarily easy) it can unlock a variety of options to reduce your telecom expenses.
So if you’re curious, order up a copy and have a look for yourself. And be aware that a good telecom audit would probably require these documents, as it gives the auditor a deeper dive into your services.
