Of the many obstacles associated with outbound calling, outbound call centers face one challenge that is prevalent yet fixable, with the right solution: avoiding the dreaded spam tag. Spam tagging, aka labeling, reduces the effectiveness of your outreach efforts. Here, we explore the nature of various spam tagging solutions and highlight the innovative approach offered by Number Sentry, which sets a new standard for reliability and effectiveness for outbound call centers everywhere.
Understanding Spam Tagging
Spam tagging refers to labeling outbound calls as potential spam, spam risk, or even fraud risk by – wireless carriers and apps. This label deters consumers from answering, severely impacting contact rates and the success of campaigns. To combat this, several spam tagging solutions have been developed.
The Traditional Approaches
Reputation Scoring:
Reputation scoring evaluates numbers based on various spam metrics and numerous data sources to assign a risk level that the call will be perceived as spam or may be unwanted by the consumer. Calls from numbers with too high or too low a reputation score will be marked as spam. However, this approach falls short. All too often, these secret scoring algorithms simply get it wrong – mislabeling legitimate and legal calls as spam or worse yet, as fraud. Furthermore, reputation scoring does nothing to provide insights such as brand scanning or the consumer’s perspective for calls that are not labeled. The inherent ambiguity of such scoring models, and the lack of actionable information a call center can use to improve their reputation make eputation scoring a less reliable gauge for outbound call centers.
Reverse Number Lookup:
This method involves checking a number against private databases to see if it has been reported as spam. Reverse number lookups are often a feature included with consumer apps that label or block incoming calls. It’s a quick way to assess the reputation of a number but lacks real-time accuracy and is often nothing more than a compilation of unreliable, crowd-sourced data. Additionally, such databases rarely reflect the actual call labeling results a consumer experiences when receiving a real phone call.
The Number Sentry Method: Live Number Testing
Live Number Testing:
Number Sentry revolutionizes the approach to combating spam tagging with its live number testing methodology. Unlike other methods, Number Sentry conducts real-world testing by making calls through multiple carrier networks to actual cell phones, capturing detailed data and screenshots of how a number appears to consumers. This approach covers an extensive range of 21 carriers and eight of the most popular apps, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of a number’s reputation across different platforms.
The advantage of live number testing is undeniable. It offers a direct window into the end-user experience, providing invaluable feedback on how consumers experience a call center’s incoming call. With the capability to perform daily, intra-day, and even hourly test calls, Number Sentry’s approach offers call centers a robust and accurate solution for detecting spam tagging and call blocking issues. Live number testing ensures outbound call centers receive accurate and timely information. Then, Number Sentry proactively manages the registration and remediation of your call center’s numbers on a daily basis. Together, the live number testing and daily remediation approach significantly reduce the risk of being tagged as spam and enhance the effectiveness of call center communication efforts.
Benefits of Live Number Testing
- Real-Life Insights: By testing numbers in a live environment, call centers gain timely and accurate feedback on their number’s status across multiple carriers and apps.
- Proactive Management: The ability to test and remediate numbers frequently allows for quick adjustments, creating fewer call labeling episodes each day, and generating improved contact rates.
- Comprehensive Coverage: The wide range of carriers and apps tested provides a complete picture of how numbers are perceived, ensuring no blind spots in spam tagging prevention.
As outbound call centers navigate the challenges of modern telecommunications, embracing innovative solutions like live number testing is key to ensuring calls reach their intended audience without the hindrance of spam labels, helping to encourage answered calls through better labeling and data. Ready to get started? Contact us for an invigorating demo!