Maintaining a Positive Caller Reputation

Carriers and analytics providers assign reputation scores to phone numbers based on calling patterns. Most of what protects a number’s reputation is straightforward professional behavior — the same things that build trust with the people you are calling.

Keep your calling data clean

Before a single call goes out, the quality of your calling list matters.

Comply with TCPA and Do Not Call lists. Check your Salesforce records against the National Do Not Call Registry (US) and any applicable state-level lists. Calling numbers on these lists exposes your business to liability under the TCPA.
Remove disconnected numbers. Calls to invalid or disconnected numbers mimic autodialer behavior and signal spam to carriers. Keep lists current, remove duplicates, and purge numbers that do not connect.

Build trust on every call

Always leave a voicemail

When no one answers, leaving a voicemail is one of the most important things a rep can do for your number’s reputation. A call that ends with no message is indistinguishable from a spam dial to both the recipient and the carrier.

A voicemail that clearly identifies the caller, the company, and the reason for the call gives the recipient a reason to call back rather than flag the number as spam. Every voicemail should include:

Your name and the company you represent
The reason for the call
A callback number
An opt-out option if calling for telemarketing purposes

Make your identity clear

When a call is answered, greet the called party immediately. State your name, your company, and the purpose of the call up front — clearly and without ambiguity. Waiting in silence for the called party to speak first mimics robocall behavior and increases the likelihood of the call being flagged as spam.

Use the same outbound number consistently

Use the same outbound number every time you call a given contact. Switching numbers to get around a block or spam label erodes trust and will likely result in the recipient reporting your additional numbers as well. See Considerations When Rotating Numbers for more on why number rotation tends to backfire.

Allow time for the call to connect

Give the called party at least 30 seconds — about five ring cycles — to answer. A high percentage of very short calls is a pattern carriers associate with spam callers.

Manage call frequency and timing

Carriers look for signs of over-dialing and harassment. Keep frequency and timing within reasonable bounds:

Call during business hours. Calls must be placed between 8 AM and 9 PM local time for the called party. Some states impose stricter restrictions.
Limit how often you contact each person. Our carrier partner recommends no more than 2 calls to a given number in a single day and no more than 5 in a month.
Keep call volume consistent. Avoid sudden spikes in outbound volume. Ramp up new campaigns gradually rather than going from zero to full volume immediately.
Follow up inbound leads quickly. Contacts from web forms should be called as soon as possible while consent is fresh. Leverage Hot Leads to prioritize these calls. If calling days or weeks after a form submission, remind the contact how their information was collected. For example: “Hi, this is Adam with Acme Inc. — you requested a quote on Acme.com last week. Is now a good time?”

Register your Caller ID name

Registering your business name as your Caller ID (CNAM) lets recipients see who is calling before they answer. A recognized business name reduces the chance a call gets flagged or ignored. See Understanding CNAM Caller ID to learn how to set this up.

You can also use Branded Calling to display your business name and logo on supported devices, giving recipients even more reason to trust and answer your calls.

When a contact raises concerns

Occasionally a contact will question why they are receiving a call or express that they did not consent. Handle it professionally:

Address any questions about the nature of the call before continuing. Be prepared to provide a website or phone number where the contact can learn more.
If a contact says they did not consent or wants to stop receiving calls, honor the request immediately, confirm you will not call again, and remove them from your list.

Telemarketing and advertising calls

If you are using Revenue.io to place telemarketing or advertising calls, additional requirements apply under the TSR, TCPA, and Truth-in-Caller-ID rules.

Obtain the right level of consent. Calls classified as telemarketing generally require prior express written consent. Informational calls may require only express consent. Confirm which category applies to your use case before dialing.
Respect time restrictions. Calls cannot be placed outside of 8 AM to 9 PM local time for the called party. Some states set stricter hours or restrict calls on Sundays and holidays.
Do not over-dial. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act treats 8 or more calls to a recipient within seven consecutive days as harassment. Across use cases, the general guidance is no more than 2 calls per day and 5 per month to any given number.
Know when additional disclosures apply. Calls that involve accepting a sales order, charitable contribution, or marketing of certain regulated products may require additional disclosures.
Voicemails must include an opt-out option. If a call goes to voicemail, do not hang up. Leave a message with your name, company, and a callback number. The callback number must provide a way for the recipient to opt out of future calls.