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The Costs of Spam Flags
Countless organizations rely on the telephone to connect with prospects, customers, referral partners, and other key contacts on a daily basis. Unfortunately, maintaining clear lines of communication can be a challenge due to the pervasive issue of spam flags.
While spam flags effectively block bad actors, they also disrupt legitimate businesses—causing missed calls, lost revenue, and damaged reputations. That’s why knowing how to monitor your numbers for flags and remediate them when they appear is absolutely essential.
In this article, we’ll show you the right way to identify flags and work to remove them so that your numbers are trusted, and your calls reach your intended recipients without interruption.
Why False Flags Happen
First, it’s important to understand why flags occur in the first place.
Right or wrong, spam flags are the result of algorithms.
Each carrier has a complex algorithm designed to detect calls that are likely to be perceived as a nuisance and alert their subscribers accordingly. These algorithms constantly adapt to data, inputs, and even local calling patterns.
Flags are independently applied from one carrier to another, and even from one location to another. You can be flagged in Tucson, for example, but not Tuscaloosa.
So why do false flags happen?
It’s simple. Something about your number reputation and call behavior triggers a threshold and appears “nuisance-like” to the algorithm, even when your calls are legit.
Learn More: 15 Myths About Spam Likely Flags and Answer Rates, Busted
How to Monitor for Flags
The first step in preventing false flags from negatively impacting your outreach is to identify when a flag is present, and on which carrier(s).
Wrong Way: Call a Friend
One common but flawed method of checking if your number is flagged is to call a friend and ask how your call comes through. While this does provide you with an answer, it's an unreliable one. It only provides a single data point, at one point in time, and does not account for multiple carriers or regional variations.
In other words, this method lacks the comprehensive analysis outreach professionals require to truly understand their exposure to flags.
Wrong Way: Wait for Someone to Tell You
Another flawed method (essentially the equivalent of sticking your head in the sand) is simply to dial as if your number is clean until someone tells you otherwise.
Not only is this unreliable, but the presence of a flag is likely to crater your call answer rates. Chances are, you’ll burn through a lot of contacts, waste a lot of time, and cost yourself a lot of opportunities before you’re aware of the problem.
Learn More: What are Answer Rates on Sales Calls & Why Do They Matter?
Right Way: Use a Number Monitoring Service
The smart approach is to leverage a number monitoring service to monitor the numbers you use for outreach. These services can regularly check the status of your number across various carriers and spam databases—and alert you when a flag is detected.
Not only does this provide a comprehensive view of how your number is perceived across different networks—it also gives you a clear path to remediating your false flags.
How to Remediate Flags
Wrong Way: Throw Out the Old Number & Get a New One
When faced with a flagged number, many jump to discard the number and get a new one. Unfortunately, this flawed approach:
- Disrupts business operations, confusing contacts, and misrouting callbacks
- Promotes a vicious cycle of more flags and more numbers
- Prevents you from having trusted numbers that drive long-term success
Note: Because “bad actors” have no choice but to resort to this approach, carriers have adjusted their algorithms to favor established numbers, while scrutinizing “new” ones. That’s why brand-new numbers are often quickly flagged.
Right Way: Remediate with the Carriers
If you’re unfairly flagged, it’s time to reach out to the carrier(s) who have flagged your number, and work with them directly to remediate and get the false flag removed.
Each carrier has a specific submission process in place for this purpose. Here are the links to this process for the major carriers in the US:
Click the link for the carrier in question above, then provide the necessary information to make your case and wait for them to reply or remove the flag. Depending on the carrier, a flag can be removed in as little as a day or up to 2 weeks.
It also helps if you have previously registered your number with the FreeCallerRegistry.
Learn More: How FreeCallerRegistry Helps Businesses Reduce Spam Flag Risk
Done-For-You Monitoring & Remediation
We get it. Monitoring numbers and remediating flags can seem like a lot of work. Especially if your organization uses a lot of phone numbers across your team of outbound reps. But it’s worth the effort.
Trusted numbers with high answer rates are assets - and they’re worth a lot!
Fortunately, PhoneBurner’s team has remediated 1000+ false flags on behalf of our customers to help build that long-term reputation.
We can do the same for you:
Have us monitor your numbers and remediate flags on your behalf
Proactive Measures to Prevent Future Flags
To prevent future flagging, consider implementing the following proactive measures:
- Maintain a Clean Calling List: Regularly update and clean your calling list to ensure you are calling high-intent, consenting contacts. The quality of your lead list has an outsized impact on your flag risk.
- Check Your Technology: Continually evaluate your dialing practices and technology to identify reasons that the algorithms perceive your calls as nuisance-like. Parallel dialers call many lines at once, drop calls, and greet contacts with an awkward pause that leads to hangups. Consider the impact on your call outcomes and spam risk.
- Use Proper Caller ID Practices: Ensure your Caller ID information is accurate and recognizable to recipients. Avoid using generic or misleading names or numbers that might trigger suspicion or annoyance.
- Monitor Call Volume and Patterns: Inconsistent call volumes and quickly repeated calls to the same number can raise red flags with carriers. So do “short duration” calls, which signal that calls are unwanted.
- Engage with Customers Positively: Encourage customers to save your number in their contacts and mark it as safe. Positive interactions and feedback can help improve your reputation with carriers.
- Stay Informed About Carrier Policies: Stay updated with the policies and criteria each carrier uses to flag numbers. Understanding these guidelines can help you tailor your calling practices to avoid triggering flags.
- Have a Partner: PhoneBurner is committed to delivering the most holistic and proactive approach to number health, and our exceptional platform answer rates speak for themselves. See why companies who want to optimize call connect rates turn to us.
Be Proactive & Protect Your Numbers from Spam Flags
False spam flags can be a significant hindrance to both personal and business communications—but they can be avoided and overcome. Adopting the right strategies to monitor and remediate flagged numbers can strengthen the reputation of your numbers and help you optimize your long-term connection rates.
Using number monitoring services, working directly with carriers, and implementing proactive measures are all essential steps in maintaining a clean and effective communication channel. Stay vigilant, informed, and proactive to keep your phone numbers free from false spam flags.
You can also get ARMOR® and let our experts handle it for you.
