In 2021 the FCC implemented multiple new rules regarding what they call spam calls, or unsolicited calls to landline and wireless phone numbers. These new rules have required phone carriers to implement Robocall Mitigation plans to clearly mark spam callers as such. Unfortunately, this has caused a lot of legitimate business calls to be marked as spam along with actual scammers. And it means legitimate businesses must approach marketing and sales calls a little more carefully. Below are some best practices for making these calls along with things to avoid:
Guidelines
Avoid using only local phone numbers.
It’s a common practice of scammers to use numbers in the same area code and even prefix as their targets, meaning a large volume of calls to people in the same area code will be more likely to get automatically flagged as spam. Toll-free lines are often a good alternative to local calling numbers, but not necessary or entirely free from being marked as spam.
Avoid shared lines for multiple purposes.
Try not to use the same line for things like sales, service, support, and collections. This can result in spam reports for one type of call poisoning the reputation of the entire line.
Limit the number of calls to a single customer in a short timeframe.
Repeated calls to the same person are often seen as a hallmark of a spam caller and will make the calling number much more likely to be flagged as spam. Also, try to limit your calls to regular business hours in the recipient’s time zone.
Do not make unsolicited calls to numbers on the Do-Not-Call list.
Phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry are afforded some protection by virtue of having taken the time to list their number on the registry. As such, they have a much lower threshold before a caller to those numbers will be marked as spam and those on the registry are more likely to report a number as spam.
Try not to have strictly outbound lines.
Lines that have a high ratio of outbound to inbound calls are seen as call center lines and are much more likely to be automatically flagged as spam. Try to use lines that can be called back and are published on your website or in marketing materials to get that ratio more even.
Don’t change numbers too often.
If you change your calling numbers on a regular basis, you’re much more likely to trigger the auto-spam algorithms because it is seen as an attempt to circumvent the robocall mitigation plans of other carriers.
Even if you follow all of the above guidelines to perfection, you’re still going to get caught by a spam filter from time to time. Whether this is an automated system flagging your calls or customers erroneously reporting you for making unsolicited calls, you do have recourse when you get marked as spam. You can visit the links below to have your number’s spam ranking reset, but know that this isn’t a permanent solution and you’ll likely have to do it again.
If you have questions or concerns, you can always reach out to our support team for more information and help with proper procedures or delisting a number from the various spam databases.
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