Boost Customer Engagement and Remove Spam Labels with Number Reputation Management
Social media, texting, and email may seem to dominate, but phone calls remain the most effective way to engage with current and prospective customers. In fact, a remarkable 92% of business-customer interactions still take place over the phone, highlighting the continued importance of voice communications. As consumers increasingly seek personalized experiences, the role of phone calls in customer outreach is only going to grow.
However, what most businesses don’t realize is that 25% of their phone numbers are at risk of being mislabeled as "spam" or, even worse, blocked entirely. This can lead to significant losses in revenue and damage to a brand’s reputation. Addressing this issue requires a proactive approach to phone number reputation management and dialing best practices.
The Impact of Negative Call Labels
Spam labeling technologies, though originally designed to combat illegal robocalls, often mislabel legitimate business calls. This mislabeling can disrupt critical customer connections and cause substantial damage to business outcomes. As these technologies advance, businesses must find ways to protect their caller reputation and ensure that their numbers remain label-free.
The ramifications of mislabeled calls can be significant, including:
- A Drastic Decrease in Answer Rates: Customers and prospects are far less likely to answer calls labeled as "spam" or "scam likely."
- Lost Revenue: Unanswered calls translate to missed sales opportunities, forgotten appointments, and potential customers slipping through the cracks.
- Compromised Customer Trust: Negative call labels create doubt about a business's legitimacy, making it harder to build relationships and maintain customer loyalty.
Beyond the challenges posed by spam labels and evolving regulations, unhealthy dialing practices can exacerbate the issue and increase the risk of negative call labels.
Common Dialing Mistakes That Hurt Call Deliverability
Your dialing practices play a crucial role in whether your calls reach customers or are flagged as spam. Here are some common mistakes businesses make and how to avoid them:
- High Call Volume
Repeatedly calling a customer in a short period, often referred to as "double dialing," may seem like a good way to increase contact rates. However, this practice can backfire by triggering spam filters and frustrating customers.
The Fix: Space your calls strategically, giving customers time to respond. - Ignoring “Do Not Call” Lists
Customers who register on the National Do Not Call Registry expect their preferences to be respected. Ignoring these lists can lead carriers to aggressively label your business as spam.
The Fix: Always scrub your call lists against the Do Not Call Registry and respect consumer preferences. - Inappropriate Timing
Calling customers early in the morning or late at night is disruptive and often leads to complaints. High complaint rates will increase the likelihood of your numbers being mislabeled.
The Fix: Stick to standard business hours to reduce the risk of complaints and improve customer interaction. - Irrelevant Calls
Reaching out to customers with irrelevant offers is a surefire way to generate negative feedback, which can contribute to a higher risk of being labeled as "spam."
The Fix: Use opt-in lists, segment your audience, and tailor your outreach to their specific needs and interests. - Using Recycled or Unregistered Numbers
Recycled or unregistered numbers may come with incorrect Caller ID names or even negative reputations inherited from previous users.
The Fix: Register new phone numbers and verify with your carrier that Caller Name (CNAM) updates have been performed. Whenever possible, request numbers that have had a rest period between uses to avoid inheriting a bad reputation.
Beyond Best Practices: Coeo's Number Reputation Management Solution
Following dialing best practices is essential but only the first step in protecting your caller reputation.
Coeo’s Number Reputation Management solution provides businesses with the tools to monitor and manage their phone numbers, while our team handles the remediation of negative labels on your behalf. You can have full control over your phone numbers’ reputation and ensure your calls reach your customers every time.
Additionally, our Customer Support Team keeps your business informed about the latest best practices and regulatory updates, offering ongoing health checks and strategic consultation to help you stay ahead.
Take Action Today
Don’t let mislabeled numbers damage your business. Contact us today to learn more about how Coeo can protect your calls and keep your numbers clean, thereby enabling you to focus on the conversation, not the connection.
Read the below article to learn how to remove spam labels placed on your phone numbers:
