Branded calling solutions achieve higher customer answer rates

Today, companies have multiple options for reaching out to their customers. But not all communication channels are created equal, and the potential of voice calls to solve client issues and cement business relationships remains strong. In sectors such as healthcare and finance, where trust is particularly important, many customers still prefer voice interactions. And a quick call can work wonders in avoiding missed deliveries – preserving five-star ratings for courier drivers. But all of those benefits only apply if customers pick up the phone, which is where branded calling solutions fit in.

Given the rise in voice spam and robocalls, it’s no surprise that consumers are reluctant to respond to telephone numbers that they don’t recognize. Digital certificates used by telephone network operators help to verify that caller ID information is authentic and hasn’t been spoofed or tampered with, which is making life harder for scammers. However, customers may still decide not to answer a call if they don’t recognize the number, even if those details are valid. Hiya – one of a number of providers offering branded calling solutions to firms – reports that 94% of unknown calls go unanswered.

Not answering the phone is a surefire way of avoiding voice spam, but it’s less than ideal for genuine businesses, and it means that customers risk missing out on important calls. The good news is that companies have a way of overcoming this hurdle, instantly appealing to clients through branded call display elements such as the use of logos, brand colors, and – of course – business names. What’s more, branded calling solutions make it possible for callers to personalize those details with a custom on-screen message. “When customers know the reason for your call, they’re more likely to answer – up to 200% more likely!” writes Neustar, now part of TransUnion’s portfolio of marketing, fraud, and communications services.

Engagement boost

The improvement in call answer rates that comes with branded call displays is dramatic and delivers benefits across the business, not just on the balance sheet. First Orion, a US-headquartered provider of branded communications and call protection solutions, points to a variety of positives for users across a range of industries. In financial services, branded calling solutions led to a decrease in declined calls and an uplift in engagement with prospective clients. Healthcare firms report operational efficiency gains, and having branded calling solutions can improve employee wellbeing too.

For example, contact centers can experience double the average employee turnover compared with other job sectors. And by investing in solutions such as branded calling, operators can maximize the chances that customers will pick up, saving agents from having to repeatedly try to reach clients and easing a major pain point for staff.

First Orion notes that there are competitive benefits too, for firms with branded phone calls. Business owners appear keen to work with companies that take steps to identify their voice communications with customers. Telnyx, a firm with expertise in global connectivity, observes that letting customers know who’s calling (and why) is restoring trust in voice calling. Adding the business name, its location, and other identifiers to outgoing calls, boosts customer confidence – increasing pick-up rates, maximizing workflow efficiency, and improving client relationships.

The benefits for firms that make themselves readily recognizable and attractive to prospective clients are clear to see. But what if companies find themselves mislabelled as voice spam or other negative labels? Identity management experts such as Numeracle can help businesses fix negative scam, spam, or fraud labels, which could affect more numbers than companies may imagine.

Rapid identity remediation

In 2022, Numeracle vetted 434,459 numbers and found 61,111 labeling incidents. And, fortunately for clients, the firm was able to remediate those with a 97% success rate, taking an average of just 1.4 days to resolve the improper labelling. Branded calling solutions add a new layer of caller identity on top, and – as callers become used to seeing those fields appear – businesses that haven’t signed up will be making it even harder for themselves to reach out to clients by phone.

Hiya’s ‘State of the call 2023’ report – which analysed responses from more than 2k businesses, 13k consumers, and over 600 carrier decision-makers – highlights the most effective ways for organizations to increase answer rates. And top of the list for firms wanting to put trust center stage with contacts is to ensure that calls don’t have a spam label and make certain they carry sufficient identity to be immediately recognizable.

Today, there are a growing number of opportunities for companies to improve their voice reputation and numerous branded calling solutions for businesses to choose from. With the right provider, implementation is straightforward, and features are increasingly available as part of contact center as a service (CCaaS) solutions. For example, First Orion’s branded calling and brand spoof mitigation tools are now integrated into Amazon Connect.

And the return on investment for making use of rich call data can be rapid, based on customer testimonials for solutions such as Regal‘s Branded Caller ID. Plus, users benefit from call-level information and can make data-driven decisions based off of the analytics that goes with it. If your business relies on customers picking up the phone, A/B testing will help fine-tune the engagement strategy that works best with clients – maximizing the potential of branded calling to drive up answer rates.