The Problem: Low Answer Rates on Outbound Calls
If your business relies on outbound calling, especially in B2C industries where mobile phones are the primary phone number, you’ve likely seen a frustrating trend of low answer rates.
Consumers today rarely answer calls from unknown numbers. If a number isn’t recognized, it’s often ignored or sent straight to voicemail. This is a growing problem in industries such as financial services, healthcare, retail, and account management, where direct phone communication is essential.
The Impact of Caller ID on Answer Rates
The solution? Branding your caller ID. When a business name is displayed instead of an unknown number, consumers are more likely to answer the call. This is particularly crucial when reaching out to existing customers who may already be familiar with your brand but don’t have your number saved.
Case Study: Dramatic Improvement in Answer Rates
One of our clients is a healthcare provider. They make outbound calls to elderly patients as part of their virtual care offering. Calls that were branded had a 26% answer rate, compared to under 10% for calls that were not branded, or 160% improvement.
CNAM vs. Branded Caller ID: What’s the Difference?
Many businesses assume that Caller Name (CNAM) and Branded Caller ID are the same, but they are different:
- CNAM (Caller Name Presentation): This is a traditional caller ID system that associates a phone number with a name in carrier databases. As consumers we saw CNAM as the CallerID Name on our landlines. However, CNAM is not always reliable and may not display correctly on all carriers, especially on mobile devices.
- Branded Caller ID: This is a more advanced solution that ensures a consistent name is displayed across supported networks, providing a better customer experience and improving answer rates, especially if the dialed number is a mobile device.
If businesses want to maximize visibility and call trust, branded caller ID is the superior option over CNAM.
Spam Labeling & Call Trust
Another major benefit of branding your caller ID is spam remediation. With the rise of robocalls, carriers have aggressively labeled unknown or high-volume outbound numbers as “Spam Likely” or “Scam Risk.” This directly impacts legitimate businesses, even if their calls are perfectly legal and important.
By working with a branded caller ID solution, businesses can:
- Reduce or eliminate spam labeling by verifying their numbers.
- Establish trust with customers, which increases call credibility.
- Ensure compliance with STIR/SHAKEN and other industry regulations.
Spam Prevention & 10DLC Compliance for text messaging
Spam labeling has become a growing concern for businesses using outbound calling and messaging. Alongside voice spam filtering, 10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) registration has been introduced for business SMS and MMS to ensure legitimacy and reduce spam texts.
With 10DLC, businesses must:
- Register their brand and campaigns with carriers.
- Adhere to carrier guidelines for message volume and content.
- Avoid unsolicited marketing practices to prevent filtering or penalties.
For businesses that utilize both voice and SMS for customer outreach, aligning branded caller ID with 10DLC compliance ensures higher delivery rates, better engagement, and reduced risk of being flagged as spam.
How to Implement Branded Caller ID
If your business relies on outbound dialing, now is the time to act. Solutions like Verified Caller ID and branded call display are available from several vendors. They all help businesses enhance their visibility and trustworthiness in an era of call screening.
Final Thoughts
Consumers won’t answer calls from unknown numbers, but they will answer calls from brands they recognize and trust. If you want to maximize engagement, improve answer rates, and ensure your calls are trusted instead of flagged as spam, branding your caller ID is a must.
Interested in learning more? Contact us to explore the best branded caller ID solutions for your business today!