Few things in outbound calling are more frustrating than having your carefully planned calls flagged as “Spam Likely.” This not only wastes valuable time and resources but can also negatively impact your business’s reputation. So, why does this happen? And more importantly, what can you do to avoid your calls being flagged?
Why is My Call Being Flagged as Spam Likely?
To figure out why your calls are getting flagged, you need to understand how spam filters work. Phone carriers use filters to protect people from unwanted calls by flagging numbers that have shown suspicious behavior—in other words, behavior that seems spammy.
When your call gets flagged, it shows up as “Spam Likely” or “Scam Likely” on the other person’s phone. Most people will not answer that call. And the more your calls get ignored, the more suspicious they will seem. If not addressed properly, this can create a feedback loop of ignored calls and wasted efforts.
Common Reasons Why This Happens
- Call Volume and Frequency: You are suddenly making a high volume of calls in a short period of time, or you are repeatedly calling the same numbers.
- Caller ID: Your caller ID is blocked, spoofed (made to look like someone else’s), or simply unfamiliar.
- Call Behavior: Short calls, dropped calls, or calls that lead to voicemail without a message can look suspicious. Aggressive sales tactics or pushy language can also trigger flags.
- Manual Reporting: The people you are calling are reporting your calls as spam. This can directly hurt your reputation and increase the likelihood of future calls being flagged.
- Carrier Policies: Different carriers have spam filters with varying rules and limits. What might be fine on one network could be flagged on another.
6 Ways to Avoid Your Calls Being Flagged as Spam
While it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of being flagged, there are steps you can take to minimize it.
- Register your phone numbers.
Before trying anything else, make sure your phone numbers are registered. This tells carriers that your phone numbers belong to your business, improving your phone number (or caller ID) reputation and increasing the chances of people answering your calls. An easy way to register your numbers is through the Free Caller Registry.
- Manage your call volume and frequency.
It can look suspicious if you suddenly make a lot of calls in a short period of time. Maintaining a regular call volume/schedule can improve trust. Spread your calls out strategically to avoid overwhelming carriers’ spam filters.
A good target to aim for is fewer than 80 calls a day per phone number. Readymode™’s recommendation, along with industry data, is to place a maximum of 100 calls a day on a single number.
- Follow rules and regulations.
Ensure your call center agents are aware of relevant regulations like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and other rules from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Adhering to these regulations is crucial for maintaining a positive reputation and avoiding legal issues.
For example, you should never call people on the Do-Not-Call Registry (DNCR), unless you have their express consent or an established business relationship. These calls are not only unwanted, but a quick way to get flagged as spam—and possibly get fined. We recommend speaking with your legal counsel to learn what rules and regulations apply to your business.
- Improve customer experience.
Avoid calling people multiple times a day, abruptly hanging up on them, or any other potentially bothersome behavior. Remember, the goal isn’t just to avoid the spam filter, it’s to build meaningful relationships with the people you are trying to reach.
Our guide to state calling restrictions can help you stay compliant and reach the right people, at the right time.
- Warm up your phone numbers.
Carriers and spam filters often view new phone numbers as suspicious. Before launching a full-scale campaign, consider “warming up” your numbers by making a lower volume of calls to establish a positive reputation. This helps build trust with carriers and reduces the chances of your numbers being flagged when you increase your calling efforts.
- Use local presence dialing.
When targeting different areas, consider using local presence dialing. This involves displaying a local area code on your caller ID, even if you are calling from somewhere else. Local presence dialing can significantly increase answer rates as people are more likely to pick up calls from familiar area codes. It also helps you avoid being flagged as spam, as unfamiliar area codes may seem untrustworthy.
How Readymode™ Can Help
Readymode™ is a predictive dialer software designed to optimize your outbound calling strategy and minimize your risk of being flagged as spam. With features like intelligent call pacing, local presence dialing, and compliant call recording, Readymode helps you maintain a positive caller ID reputation and maximize your connection rates.
Our Readymode iQ™ plan has even more advanced features, including:
- Caller ID Reputation Management: Warns you when a number is flagged by a major carrier so you don’t use it to call leads.
- Call Cadencing: Makes phone number reputation management “smarter” and allows you to create call sequences tailored to your specific needs.
- Autopilot: Only dials using clean numbers you registered, so you don’t show up as spam.
If Readymode sounds like the solution for you, book a demo today to learn more. Our team is eager to show you how it works and answer any questions.
The Bottom Line
While getting your calls flagged as spam can be a setback, there are ways to regain trust and reach your audience. By understanding why it happened and taking proactive steps to improve your calling strategies, you can connect with more potential customers and achieve your sales goals.
