For businesses that rely on calls to generate interest, speak to leads, and close deals, having a phone number marked SPAM Risk or Scam Likely can be a serious blow.
Questions abound: How did my phone number get marked as SPAM, even though I’m following all rules and regulations? Do I have to give up my phone number now that it is marked spam? How do I clean my phone numbers?
Don’t worry! While discovering that one of your business phone numbers has been mislabeled as spam is stressful, all hope is not lost.
How Spam Scoring Works
SPAM ratings are not labeled at the telephone number level. Instead, it is actually the receiving carriers who determine whether to label an incoming call as “Spam Risk”, “Scam Likely”, “Potential Spam” or other negative labels.
You might also want to check Quick Notes on How to Avoid Spam Words and Phrases ⇢
Each provider uses a proprietary, private algorithm to automatically assign a Spam designation. Similar to how the Google algorithm works, the scoring is dynamic and depends on many factors. However, the scoring systems used are completely decentralized. This means it can change literally from one phone call to the next, or from one carrier to another.
While the algorithms are not published publicly, we know some of the variables that factor in, including:
Call Volume - A sudden rise in the Call Volume might be considered unhealthy and looked upon by the downstream voice carriers. A consistent call volume daily is elementary and you want to avoid days with no calls. This is also why it is important to "warm up" new phone numbers and slowly add volume, to avoid a sudden spike.
Short Call Duration - Downstream voice carriers tend to raise concerns if the short call duration percentage exceeds 15% of all of your outbound calls. It is a traffic measurement looking at the percentage of calls under six seconds relative to the total call volume. Hence, calls under 6 seconds can be indicative of non-consent or unwanted calls.
Average Length of Calls (ALOC) - An ALOC below 30 seconds is considered unhealthy. A traffic quality measurement looking at an average call duration across all answered calls. The carriers assume people who want to talk to you will engage for at least 30 seconds.
Answer - Seizure Ration (ASR) - An ASR below 30% is considered unhealthy and will likely trigger spam complaints from downstream voice carriers. A traffic quality measurement looks at the ratio of answered calls relative to the total call volume. If contacts are not picking up when they see you call, then it could be indicative that they are unwanted calls. You might want to check our Sticky Caller ID feature to help with this, as contacts are more likely to answer a call from a number they recognize.
Scrub and Reassign Numbers - Clean your lists and avoid calling wrong numbers, as not to trigger carries and TCPA's attention. DNC scrubbing, which removes any numbers from the National Do Not Call Registry is the most important. Some providers also recommend scrubbing against a "known litigator" list, so you can avoid complaints against you. You should routinely check that you have the correct numbers for your contacts and confirm that you have consent. This can also reduce ASR and increase ALOC.
Number Swapping - Due to the importance of maintaining balanced and consistent call volume activity across numbers, avoid number swapping too frequently or parking numbers for a long period of time and then suddenly throwing them back into the mix without warming them up. Make it a goal to build a long-term reputation with the same set of numbers. Use consistent Number Pools for smrtDialer campaigns, where you balance traffic across a set of phone numbers.
Clear Opt-out Process - Required by law and common sense, customers need an easy way (to opt) out if they want to. And don't be shy, use the DNC feature as needed or using the DNC applet paired with an IVR phone menu to allow contacts to self-select out.
Any other indicators that hint to carriers that these are unwanted phone calls.
To put these into plain terms, if a high percentage of calls from a specific phone number go unanswered, the algorithm is going to assume the calls are uninvited. Or if the call duration is a few minutes or longer, the data will show it is an engaging — and therefore welcomed — conversation.
Another factor is some knowledge of who the call belongs to. If you are an established, legitimate business that claims the phone number as yours - you are much less likely to be a scammer in the eyes of the algorithm.
What smrtPhone Does to Combat SPAM
While we do not have direct influence over spam labels, we do our best to set you off on the right foot.
All Phone Numbers available for purchase through smrtPhone come from underlying carriers, which hold phone numbers for 90-120 days, ensuring they have no recent traffic on them. (Please note that sometimes brand new numbers need to be "warmed up" as lack of use can also be considered a negative indicator.)
We automatically enroll all clients verified in the Trust Center in STIR/SHAKEN - also known as certified Caller ID, that confirms the number on display is in fact the number of the call origin. This is known to have a positive impact on Spam ratings.
We accept up to 10 returned numbers per month, as long as there are fewer than 10 calls or text messages on that number and you have had it in your account for fewer than 7 days. See terms and conditions here ⇢
7 Things You Can Do Now to Reduce Risk of Being Marked Spam Likely
Even with all of the opacity around spam algorithms, the good news is that you can still influence how your numbers are rated. Below are our tips for things you can do today and every day to lower your chances of your phone number being marked as spam.
Register your phone numbers with data analytics providers. There are independent data registry providers who feed call analytics engines for carriers. If you whitelist your numbers with them, you are claiming ownership - which signals legitimacy - to these databases. Free Caller Registry and First Orion , both free and cover the largest mobile carriers in the U.S.
Get verified in the Trust Center to enable STIR/SHAKEN. Learn how ⇢
Use number pools with smrtDialer. When using smrtDialer for campaigns to cold lead lists, consider limiting the number of lines you use and cycle several numbers for the outbound calls by using multiple caller IDs. Learn how to use number Pools in smrtDialer ⇢
Register to CNAM. Having a number registered in CNAM might increase the answering rate. Learn how to Personalize Your Caller ID with CNAM Registration ⇢
Comply with all laws, regulations, and underlying carrier policies regarding telemarketing and sales outreach. While this may be a no-brainer, we would be remiss to not mention it. In addition to regulatory compliance, be sure to follow the Golden Rule. As you put on your professional hat and make business calls, don’t take off your consumer hat. Imagine you are the recipient of the phone call you are about to place – how would you want to be treated? The better you treat your contacts, the less likely they are to lodge complaints.
Diversify your marketing mix. Inbound leads are already warm and more likely to close. Phone calls are an important - but not the only- ingredient in a successful marketing and sales campaign. A healthy balanced portfolio of lead-generating activities including flyers, yard signs, advertising, events, and, yes, phone calls and text messaging, is more scalable and sustainable than a single-channel approach.
Don't panic. It’s hard to not stress when you hear that the phone numbers that you’ve printed on 1,000 mailers have been marked as spam-like by one of the carriers. But remember: it doesn’t mean it is showing that way for all consumers, and it doesn’t mean it’s permanent.
Our best advice is to register your phone numbers with third-party white-listing services also, like First Orion and Free Caller Registry. Carriers such as T-Mobile reference these databases to help sort who is legitimate.
💼 Take a deep breath, follow the tips on this list, and make sure you continue to follow sound business practices for outbound sales calls. You are not the only business operating in this new compliance environment; all businesses are facing the same increased scrutiny. It’s part of doing business. As the industry shifts, you can adapt and continue to improve, and press forward. Remember - Compliance isn't a setting you turn on, it's a behavior you practice every day.
