Have you ever wondered why some of your calls are not getting through to your customers or prospects? You may have noticed that your phone number is flagged by some apps or carriers as spam, scam, or something else. This can be very damaging for your business reputation and performance, as it can reduce your call response rates, increase your costs, and create a negative impression of your organization. In this article, we will explain what phone number flags are, why they happen, and how you can prevent or fix them.
What Are Phone Number Flags?
A phone number flag is a label that appears on the recipient’s phone screen when they receive a call from an unknown or suspicious number. The label can be a warning, such as spam, scam likely, fraud, nuisance, telemarketer, etc., or an intent, such as survey, political, charity, reminder, etc. The purpose of a phone number flag is to inform the recipient about the nature or purpose of the call and help them decide whether to answer it or not.
Phone number flags are generated by various sources, such as apps, carriers, databases, or consumers themselves. Some of the most popular apps that provide phone number flags are Hiya , Truecaller , RoboKiller , Nomorobo , etc. These apps use algorithms and user feedback to identify and block unwanted calls. Carriers also have their own systems and databases to flag and filter calls based on their criteria and policies. Consumers can also manually flag or block numbers that they don’t recognize or that they find annoying or harassing.
Why Do Phone Numbers Get Flagged?
There are many reasons why your phone number may get flagged by one or more sources. Some of the common causes are:
- You are making too many calls: If you are making more calls than the average human caller, you may trigger some thresholds or profiles that indicate spamming behavior. For example, if you are making more than 10 calls per minute, 100 calls per day, or 1000 calls per week, you may be considered as a potential spammer by some carriers or apps.
- You are using a spoofed number: If you are using a fake or altered number to disguise your identity or location, you may be detected and flagged by some sources that use STIR/SHAKEN protocol . This is a technology that verifies the authenticity and integrity of caller ID information and assigns an attestation level to each call: A (full), B (partial), or C (none). If your call has a low attestation level or fails the verification process, it may be labeled as spam or scam by some recipients.
- You are calling from a high-risk area code: If you are calling from an area code that is known to be associated with high rates of spam or scam calls , you may be flagged by some sources that use reputation scoring systems. These systems assign a score to each phone number based on various factors, such as call volume, call duration, complaint rate, etc. If your score is low or negative, it may indicate that your number is risky or untrustworthy and may be labeled as such by some recipients.
- You are calling without consent: If you are calling someone who has not given you permission to contact them or who has opted out of receiving calls from you , you may be violating some laws or regulations that protect consumer privacy and rights. For example, if you are calling someone who is registered on the National Do Not Call Registry (DNCR) or who has explicitly asked you to stop calling them , you may be breaking the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) or the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) . These laws prohibit unsolicited calls for commercial purposes and impose penalties for violations. If you are reported or sued by someone who receives such calls from you, your number may be flagged by some sources as illegal or abusive.
How Can You Prevent or Fix Phone Number Flags?
If your phone number is flagged by one or more sources, it can have serious consequences for your business. It can lower your answer rates, increase your costs, damage your reputation, and expose you to legal risks. Therefore, it is important to prevent or fix phone number flags as soon as possible. Here are some tips on how to do that:
- Monitor your phone number reputation: You should regularly check your phone number reputation and see if it is flagged by any sources. You can use online tools that scan your numbers across various apps and carriers and get detailed reports on their status and performance. You can also get alerts and notifications when your numbers are flagged or blocked by any sources.
- Follow best practices for outbound calling: You should follow the best practices for outbound calling and avoid any actions that may trigger flags or complaints. For example, you should limit your call volume and frequency, use a valid and consistent caller ID, call only during appropriate hours, respect the DNCR and opt-out requests, provide clear and accurate information about your identity and purpose, and use scripts and training for your agents to ensure quality and compliance.
- Use a trusted phone number provider: You should use a trusted phone number provider that can provide you with high-quality and verified numbers that are compliant with the STIR/SHAKEN protocol and have high attestation levels. You should also avoid using shared or recycled numbers that may have a bad history or reputation. You should also rotate your numbers regularly to avoid overuse or exhaustion.
- Dispute or remove phone number flags: If your phone number is flagged by mistake or unfairly, you should try to dispute or remove the flag as soon as possible. You can contact the source that flagged your number and explain your situation and provide evidence of your legitimacy and consent. You can also ask your customers or prospects to unblock or whitelist your number if they have done so manually. You can also use online tools to submit disputes or removal requests to various sources and monitor their progress and results.
Phone number flags are a common and serious problem for businesses that rely on outbound calling. They can affect your call deliverability, response rates, costs, reputation, and legal compliance. Therefore, you should be aware of what phone number flags are, why they happen, and how you can prevent or fix them. By using online tools and following the tips in this article, you can improve your phone number reputation and achieve better results from your outbound calling campaigns.
