As survey organizations migrated from paper and pencil interviewing to computer-assisted interviewing, they reaped efficiencies in data editing, data processing, and data quality. However, as some survey organizations converted from paper to computers for their personal-visit surveys, the system of recording information about contact attempts leading up to final disposition were lost or severely minimized. As a result, some computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) surveys were designed without an automated feature designed to capture detailed contact histories. Consequently, the ‘story’ of interviewer efforts to complete in-person interviews was not retained in a fashion that would yield useful information. In the following paper, we describe the U.S. Census Bureau experience with a research project aimed at reinstating contact histories as part of the personal-visit survey methodology. We present analyses from contact histories to address a variety of practical questions about the survey experience including how many visits are required for interviews versus non-interviews? What is the probability of making contact on the first attempt – second or third attempt? Is the probability of making contact better for a particular day of the week or time of day? Are interviewers making visits at optimal times? At what point does the likelihood of getting an interview decrease with each additional contact?