Flagged numbers can ruin your outbound calling campaign. Due to near-constant spam/scam calls and robocalls, today’s consumers are wary of answering their phones at all. You have almost no chance of making contact when a carrier flags your number and your caller ID displays a negative label. In fact, 80% of consumers will not answer an unknown call, much less one labeled “spam.”

You can prevent flags on your numbers by avoiding outdated dialing practices and embracing ethical dialing strategies.

Telemarketers have always used multiple ways to contact leads. Some of these traditional methods are now viewed as spammy and outdated. You should avoid these older tactics to ensure your caller ID doesn’t receive flags or blocks.

Some telemarketers have long used area mixing as a way to sneak calls to potential clients. They mix up the geographical area they are calling with others so that their calls are spread over numerous receiving carriers and call-blocking systems. In this way, scammy marketers avoid being labeled as bad actors.

Some telemarketers still use this unethical method to improve their contact rates. They use local area codes to hide that they are likely spam calls. Unwitting consumers see the area code, believe they recognize the number, and answer the call. This form of spoofing is especially effective in tricking consumers into listening to a sales pitch and spending their money.

Some smaller contact centers can avoid consumer detection by frequently adding or exchanging new phone numbers. They may make this switch as often as every day in the hope of tricking consumers into answering their calls once more. Consumers can block them one day and get an unrecognizable call the next, aka the one-and-done strategy.

Moreover, this strategy has the potential to hurt legitimate businesses. Often spammers that engage in this strategy release their pool of numbers after a campaign. This can result in “newly purchased” coming with flags attached for legitimate businesses.

Over dialing is another bad practice that will cause carriers to flag your numbers. In general, placing more than 100 outbound calls a day from a single number will trigger automatic flags. Advanced analytics engines monitor your calling activity and take action when they spot suspicious calling behavior. You can avoid these problems by taking overused numbers out of your rotation until they “cool off.”

Least call routing (LCR) can save you money on VoIP calls. This method means that your calls do not go directly from point A to point B. Instead they are routed in the cheapest way possible. As a result, the calls may pass through many carriers before reaching their destinations. Unfortunately, this plan often means your call ends up with a low attestation rating and shows up as unknown or spam on caller IDs.

Your company’s outbound calling campaigns will fare much better if you use the following ethical strategies for caller ID maintenance.

Despite advances in call authentication, this practice is still essential. Always register your CNAM data. By taking this simple step, you tie the numbers to your business, which leads to a valid caller ID display. This information builds trust with consumers and carriers alike.

Even newly purchased phone numbers can come with flags attached. Be sure to scan any newly purchased numbers before using them in your dialing rotation. This way you can identify flags and negative labels and swap out the offending numbers.

Sometimes simply taking them out of the rotation for a few months will fix the problem. However, redressing flagged numbers is the best course of action to show your company is committed to proper dialing ethics. You can also use programs such as BatchDialer’s Advanced Plan to monitor the numbers you use on real devices.

Trusted partners, such as Twilo, can help elevate your attestation rating and trust with consumers. For instance, make certain any call management company or communication platform is STIR/SHAKEN compliant. That way, you will receive the attestation level you deserve. Using non-compliant partners can lead to your calls dropping to a low rating, which negatively affects your caller ID and reputation with consumers.

The FCC, along with some states and industries, have instituted call regulations. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is perhaps the most important law to follow. You have a responsibility to manage your calling program, avoid shady practices, and protect consumer data. Failing to follow these compliance regulations will result in your numbers being blocked along with receiving serious fines and penalties.

Another dialing strategy is to closely monitor your numbers and work to immediately fix problems. You cannot afford to ignore flags. You need to take affected numbers out of rotation while you seek remediation. You can do so by contacting carriers, analytics engines, and even the FCC to help clear unearned flags from your phone numbers.

Call centers need to be above reproach in today’s business climate. Dialing practices such as buying numbers with local area codes may be legal, but is it ethical? Consumers are fed up with being misled and harassed by illegitimate calls. Protect your company’s reputation by eliminating outdated “scammy” measures and embracing ethical dialing practices.