A Guide to Call Blocking, Labeling, and Phone Number Reputation
Imagine calling a customer, only to have your number flash "Spam Likely" on their screen. Unfortunately, this nightmare scenario is more common than you might think, and without the right tools, you could be unknowingly sabotaging your own outreach efforts with negative call labels.
If your organization relies on outbound calls to connect with customers, patients, or any of your business partners those "spam" and "fraud" warnings are a serious threat. They can damage your brand’s reputation and even lead to calls being blocked entirely.
Why Are My Calls Being Labeled as SPAM?
The fight against illegal robocalls, while crucial and well-intended, has had unexpected ramifications. In their efforts to protect consumers, the FCC and mobile carriers implemented aggressive call blocking technologies (STIR/SHAKEN) that had unintended consequences for legitimate businesses. Many of these organizations and industries have suffered drops in contact rates and customer engagement, damaging their trusted reputation while seeing their bottom lines suffer.
This problem is further complicated by the fact that each carrier and analytics provider has its own unique way of evaluating calling identity, phone numbers, or the way they’re using those numbers, creating a confusing and inconsistent landscape for organizations making legal calls.
What is Phone Number Reputation?
Think of your phone number's reputation like a credit score for your calls. Carriers analyze factors like how often you call, whether people answer, if you've been reported, and more. This reputation determines how your calls appear to customers.
Good reputation = a clean, accurate phone number displayed
Bad reputation = labels like Potential Spam, Scam Likely, Fraud Risk, or other negative call labels displayed instead, or the number is blocked altogether.
Proactive number reputation management is the best way to positively impact your overall dialing strategy. The algorithms have been in use for a few years now and continually evolve to ensure they’re delivering the kind of results that users expect. And organizations that have embraced this technology quickly realize that reputation management is essential for businesses that want their calls to reach their intended recipients.
What You Can Do About It
Quick fixes aren’t effective solutions. The best way to approach your call blocking and labeling issues is by prioritizing your digital calling identity.
The first step you should take is to verify that you own the phone numbers you use and that you are dialing on them compliantly, with the carriers and the analytics engines they use to label your calls with tags like spam or scam.
This is where Coeo can assist you.
Our solution prioritizes your calling identity so that every phone number you register with us is verified as a trusted calling source. We do this through our Know Your Customer-based onboarding process, which decisively concludes that you have been vetted and validated to be who you say you are and conveys that information to the carriers and their analytics partners.
Based on our analysis of phone numbers used across various industries conducting outbound calls, we’ve identified that an average of 25% of a business’ phone numbers are typically at risk for improper call labeling, resulting in spam tagging. The only way to fix spam labels is through a validated remediation process, like the one we offer, that disputes the label at the carrier level to get it removed from your numbers. Only then can you keep calling confidently, knowing that your numbers are protected and that any spam labeling barriers are removed.
Get Started
Building trust in your calls should start with reputation management. If you’re a credible business calling for legitimate business purposes and you’re struggling to escape the constant cycle of Scam and Spam labeling or call blocking, this is actually a pretty straightforward challenge to tackle. It starts with identity vetting, continues through reputation monitoring, and proactively progresses through blocking and labeling remediation to correct issues as they arise.
If you haven’t conducted an analysis into whether or not call labeling is impacting your ability to connect, reach out today for recommendations on how to get started.
Partnering with Coeo provides you with the tools and expertise needed to navigate these complexities. Our deep understanding of carrier algorithms and established industry relationships will help you protect your phone numbers, optimize your outreach, and ensure your messages get delivered in the way in which they were attended.
If you would like to learn more about reputation management or explore how this technology can benefit your organization, please contact us to set up a time for us to discuss this further.
