10-Step Guide on Best Practices for Effective Calling

Welcome to our core guide on maintaining a positive call reputation and managing disputes effectively. This guide is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to ensure your calling practices are practical and respectful, fostering positive engagement with your audience.

To maintain a positive calling reputation and minimize the risk of being flagged as unwanted communication, consider adopting the following best practices:

1. Register Your Phone Numbers:

Ensure your phone numbers are recognized as legitimate by registering them with appropriate services. Free Caller Registry helps identify your numbers as belonging to a verified entity.

2. Monitor Call Center Activity:

Keep a close eye on call center operations to prevent practices that might lead to spam labeling, such as excessive calling or contacting individuals outside of reasonable hours.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, “Unless a telemarketer has a person’s prior consent to do otherwise, it’s a violation of the TSR to make outbound telemarketing calls to the person’s home outside the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time at the location called” (source: FTC – Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule).

3. Configure Call Centers Properly:

Avoid scenarios where calls result in “dead air” — where the recipient is silent upon answering. Ensure calls are quickly connected to a live agent. FTC says a business must connect their call to a sales representative within two seconds after someone answers. A recorded message should play if a live person isn’t available right after the call is answered. This message must provide the name and phone number of the seller but not include a sales pitch. The number given should allow the person to ask and not be called again.

4. Maintain Consistent Phone Lines:

Using the same phone numbers consistently helps in building a trusted call history. Phone carriers and call-blocking apps often flag new or frequently changing numbers as potential spam or scam calls. Using a consistent number reduces the risk of being mistakenly flagged, ensuring your calls are more likely to reach their intended recipients.

5. Be Mindful of Neighbor and Local Dialing:

While local dialing can be effective, overly matching digits to appear local when you’re not can be problematic. Aim for authenticity in your call origins. Misrepresenting your location by manipulating caller ID can lead to legal repercussions and fines. Beyond legality, it’s also a matter of ethics. Ethical business practices build a strong brand reputation over time. Regulatory bodies in many countries have tightened caller ID usage rules, including how numbers can be presented to consumers. Violating these regulations not only risks penalties but can also lead to your number being blacklisted.

6. Avoid Using Shared or Mixed-Use Lines:

Using a single number for multiple purposes or by different entities can dilute your reputation. Keep lines dedicated to specific functions or businesses.

7. Limit Public Phone Number Usage:

Publicly listed numbers are more susceptible to being spoofed. Using dedicated numbers for outgoing calls is advisable to minimize this risk.

8. Establish Do-Not-Originate (DNO) Lines:

For numbers meant only to receive calls, setting them as DNO can protect against unauthorized outgoing calls that could harm your reputation.

1. Identify Numbers: Determine which phone numbers are for incoming calls only.
2. Contact Provider: Contact your phone service provider and ask for DNO service.
3. Implement DNO: Work with your provider to apply DNO restrictions to those numbers.
4. Test the Setup: Make an outgoing call from these numbers to ensure they’re correctly blocked.
5. Update Records: Note in your records which numbers are set to DNO.
6. Inform Your Team: Make sure everyone knows which numbers can’t make calls.
7. Review Regularly: Periodically check your DNO numbers to keep them up-to-date.

9. Respect Contact Preferences:

Adhere to legal contact time frames and honor recipient preferences for contact. Repeatedly reaching out against an individual’s wishes can lead to negative perceptions.

10. Comply with Do-Not-Call Lists:

Always respect do-not-call registries to avoid regulatory complaints and maintain a positive relationship with your audience.

Handling a Reputation Dispute

If your calling practices are mistakenly flagged, engaging in a swift and structured dispute resolution process is important. This typically involves:

• Initiating a Dispute: Contact the service’s support portal where the flagging occurred.
• Verification: Be prepared to provide information that verifies the legitimacy of your operation and the authenticity of your dispute.
• Resolution: Work closely with support agents to resolve the misunderstanding and take any recommended steps to prevent future issues.

Summary 

By adhering to these guidelines, you can ensure that your calling practices are compliant and welcomed by your recipients. The key is to build and maintain trust, ensuring your communications are effective and positively received.