In the simplest terms, a caller ID is how your phone number is identified on a recipient’s device when you place a call. Typically, the digital display will show the registered name or business name along with a phone number. However, with services like Verified Calls by Google, callers can now display a reason for calling along with their company logo to boost the legitimacy and effectiveness of their caller IDs.

Caller ID health, is essentially a measure of whether a given phone number of yours is being blocked or flagged by telecommunications carriers. For your business’s call center, your caller ID reputation is closely associated with your overall business reputation and has a significant effect on customer experience and contact rates. When a caller ID is being blocked or flagged as “Scam” or “Spam Likely,” customers are much less likely to answer your calls—and they may initially be distrustful if they do pick up.

The best way to improve the health of your caller IDs is to register them with major carriers so they are aware all numbers are being used for legitimate purposes. Doing so also typically removes any flags previously placed on a given number. (Convoso provides this for its customers as a managed service.) Plus, with the help of a tool that helps you monitor each number’s health, be sure that action is taken promptly, as soon as a number is flagged.

It’s also important to avoid call blocking and flagging in the first place by implementing smart dialing practices.

Call blocking is a tool used to stop unwanted incoming calls from reaching a phone. Call blocking can be implemented by a consumer who no longer wishes to receive calls from a given number. Telco carriers also block calls based on algorithms that determine whether calls may be being placed by a bad actor. Currently, however, as carriers implement STIR/SHAKEN protocols and crack down on spoofed calls, many well-intentioned legitimate businesses are having their calls blocked before they reach consumers. 

The most common reasons a call is blocked or flagged are that:

• Consumers reported your number as spam. Using call-blocking apps or the native software on their smartphone, consumers can report numbers they believe to be a spam or scam risk. If a significant number of people report your number, it may be flagged or blocked entirely.
• Carriers flag your number due to frequent dialing. If the same number is used too much in a given period, carriers may flag it as suspicious. (In rare cases, carriers may choose to block an overused number altogether.) Because carrier algorithms cannot tell the difference between a malicious and legitimate caller, they typically rely on high-volume numbers with predictable dialing patterns. Convoso recommends placing a maximum 50-75 calls per phone number per day, when possible.

Your number may be flagged as spam if you experience a sudden drop in contact rate. However, the only way to be certain that a number has been flagged is with a caller ID reputation management tool like ClearCallerID™.