Caller ID Reputation: How to Avoid Being Flagged as Spam

Nobody likes getting calls from unknown numbers. Spam calls are on the rise and customers are naturally more defensive against frauds and scams. But when your business calls get mistaken for spam, it’s a serious problem.

Customers might miss out on important information, and your business reputation suffers. The solution? Making sure your phone numbers have a good “caller ID reputation.” This article explains what caller ID reputation means, why it matters, and how to protect your business from being wrongly labeled as spam.

What Is a Caller ID?

Caller ID is a system that displays the caller’s name and number. Technically, caller ID only provides the phone number. The caller’s name is transmitted by a caller name delivery service called Caller Name (CNAM).

CNAM is a database that network operators and service providers use to associate a name with a phone number. Network operators can overwrite the CNAM information with other labels to warn recipients about risky or unwanted calls, such as “spam risk” or “telemarketing.”

What Characterizes a Spam Call?

Spam calls aim to defraud, sell, or exploit the recipient. They’re designed to get them to act quickly without adequately considering the offer and may contain urgent language or announcements of time-limited deals to pressure them into immediate action.

Spam calls typically have the following characteristics:

• High call volume: Frequent dialing occurs without enough inbound calls. These calls usually come without prior consent and from unknown or unfamiliar numbers. You might see a spammer making around 100 calls in an hour.
• Low answer rates/short call duration: Calls go repeatedly unanswered or are quickly hung up on by the receiver. This pattern is consistent across most spam calls.
• Automated calling patterns: Calls are placed in rapid succession, making the calling patterns look automated. Many spam calls use prerecorded messages or automated dialing systems.
• Spam reports: Receivers mark these calls as spam, often when the call’s content is “too salesy” for products or services that receivers don’t need.
• Caller ID mismatch: A caller ID mismatch occurs when the caller ID information doesn’t match a business name or number. It can be a sign of caller ID spoofing, where the caller intentionally falsifies the information displayed.

Why Phone Numbers Get Labeled as Spam

Carrier networks use different systems, like ANI (Automatic Number Identification), to identify the caller’s originating phone numbers. They monitor call volume, frequency, and interaction to detect spam factors. A number will likely send spam if it receives consumer complaints directly or through a third-party call-blocking app.

Moreover, noncompliance with the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act or the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) strongly indicates that a number could be used for spam. If a phone carrier detects these characteristics, they’re likely to flag a phone number as spam.

How to Improve Your Caller ID Reputation

Below are some precautionary steps that you can take to maintain a good caller ID reputation.

1. Register your business numbers

You can validate your caller ID using services like STIR/SHAKEN authentication. STIR/SHAKEN is short for:

• STIR: Secure Telephone Identity Revisited
• SHAKEN: Signature-Based Handling of Asserted Information Using ToKENs

STIR/SHAKEN is a set of protocols that telephone service providers use to authenticate a caller’s ID. It helps carriers verify that the caller ID information is accurate and hasn’t been spoofed.

When you register your number across carriers and analytics engines, you get unified call labeling across the ecosystem. Make sure this number is consistent across online listings, CRMs, and websites. This will help you maintain a uniform identity and enable carriers to keep your labeling consistent.

2. Monitor your caller ID reputation

Regular monitoring should be carried out as a routine check. You can manually test how your number appears on major carriers. To do this, have colleagues or friends with different carriers call you and report what they see.

Alternatively, check directories of popular call-blocking applications. These will give you insights into the present status of your phone numbers and their reputation.

Also, consider requesting caller ID verification with your phone service provider. You’ll likely need to check with the carrier first on how to get the caller ID verified. Most would require relevant identification documents. The process becomes easier when you’re using a third-party phone service. With Nextiva, you can update calling names and number settings directly from the platform.

3. Maintain a healthy call-to-answer ratio

If you make a lot of outbound calls from a single phone number, it’ll be flagged as spam. Maintain a balanced ratio of outgoing to incoming calls in your contact center or call center. A good rule of thumb is to aim for at least a 1:1 ratio, and ideally, make more inbound calls than outbound calls.

If necessary, try rotating numbers and maintaining a reasonable frequency. Avoid making multiple outgoing calls from one phone number.

Inbound calls typically have a higher call-to-answer rate. This shows your network provider that you answer calls of a reasonable length on the same number as incoming calls and helps them identify you as a reputable business. Consider using multiple phone numbers for different departments or campaigns.

4. Avoid common triggers for spam flags

Avoid generic caller ID names like “Sales” or “Service Team.” Use your actual company name instead. When making outbound calls, always maintain consistent spacing between calls to avoid repeated calls to the same number.

It’s important to respect customers’ choices and obtain their consent before contacting them. Comply with the Do Not Call list and obtain consent before contacting potential customers.

If you use a single contact script, vary it and create multiple scripts, as the network operator may detect a recurring pattern that could indicate spam. While this may not always be the case, it’s wise to take precautions. Regularly check your call logs against the National Do-Not-Call Registry.

5. Leverage branded caller ID and verified calls

Use a branded caller ID so your recipients can distinguish your calls from other calls from unknown sources. Your recipients will see the company name when they call rather than the “unknown number” label.

Services like Nextiva enhance your caller ID by displaying your company name, logo, and even the reason for the call. This increases response rates and builds trust. Nextiva’s caller ID branding feature helps you stand out from the high volume of spam from modern buyers. Simply choose your caller ID and obtain consent from customers before contacting them.

Additional Factors That Impact Caller ID Trustworthiness

Beyond call volume, connection rates, and complaint rates, below are some other factors that influence how trustworthy a caller ID appears:

Online reputation and business listings

The phone is just one of many channels your business uses. Your overall credibility relies on maintaining your brand reputation on social media, your website, Google Business, and LinkedIn.

When someone searches for your business, they shouldn’t see conflicting information. This creates suspicion — not only among existing or potential customers but also among mobile providers. Ensure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online platforms.

Telecom provider trust scores

Some major mobile carriers assign phone numbers a reputation score between 0 and 100. The higher the score, the greater the risk that a robocaller is initiating the call. Analyze your Session Initiation Protocol reports to verify the results of phone number reputation searches.

You can also request feedback from your provider when it comes to reviewing your trust score. If your score is inaccurate and flagged as spam, you can appeal for a more thorough review and avoid having your phone number flagged as spam.

Customer complaints and reviews

If an outbound campaign goes off track, it may increase customer complaints about spam, which could cause the provider to flag your number as spam. Negative reviews may be associated with these complaints. Respond proactively and address the situation to avoid losing your customers’ trust.

Tools like Nextiva’s reputation management software consolidate all reviews from different platforms into one view. This makes them easier to manage and prevents reviews from being overlooked.

Regulatory compliance

Regulations directly build trust with carriers and customers. Failure to comply leads to a lack of trust and increases the risk of being classified as spam. To prevent this, adhere to TCPA, GDPR, and STIR/SHAKEN.

Failure to comply could result in your number being flagged as spam, fines being issued, or a complete suspension of your service. Ensure your team is aware of TCPA guidelines, including rules for obtaining consent, providing opt-out mechanisms, and adhering to call time limits.

Better Caller ID Reputation Management and Outbound With Nextiva

Nextiva offers predictive and power dialers to optimize the dialing frequency so your numbers aren’t flagged as spam. Call volume is evenly and intelligently distributed among verified numbers, minimizing spam flagging.

The platform also ensures you comply with all relevant regulatory requirements, so you don’t experience any unpleasant surprises later. Nextiva offers a customizable caller ID with real-time analytics to track flagged numbers. This improves your visibility and helps protect your business reputation.

Instead of relying solely on the phone as a channel, Nextiva’s unified CX platform lets you integrate phone, SMS, email, and chat to enable an omnichannel communications strategy.

Ready to uplift your business’ reputation across all channels? Try Nextiva. 👇