Call Centers, Get Your Numbers Registered. Lives Depend on It.

Planning for a best-case scenario is always the hope for any situation. That was the case in a recent story of a lost hiker in Colorado that lost his way while venturing on Mount Elbert, Colorado’s highest peak while ignoring repeated calls from officials trying to see if he was alright. 

After failing to check in at a designated time, family and friends began worrying after he had not returned and eventually called authorities to report him missing. Search and rescue’s initial attempts to locate him were by calling his cell phone, which were repeatedly declined. Thankfully after several hours of long searches, the hiker safely returned to camp the next day. 

After interviews with authorities, the unidentified hiker said he had been receiving calls, but repeatedly declined them since they were coming from an “Unknown Number” or “Potential Scam”. 

Thankfully this story ended on a positive note and the hiker was found safe.

Unknown Numbers, Blocked Calls, and Spam

We have all received those types of calls with various labels. The most common being “Unknown Number.”

Unknown numbers stem from a new regulation called STIR/SHAKEN. Developed by the FCC to help prevent consumers from receiving unwanted calls by adding a label call blocking labels. One of the biggest challenges will be validating the caller’s identity between the caller and callee and all the touchpoints between (such as call centers, BPO’s, etc.) and originating/terminating carriers. 

Call center software providers have been quick to implement solutions that help alleviate the ins and out of managing a call center floor. In addition, some technology companies have already implemented software into devices to silence unknown callers automatically.

It’s essential to verify your phone numbers to ensure that your business is being proven to your customers. Building that trust can further protect your organization from the possibility of being misidentified when contacting customers. Or, in the case of the lost hiker, it could save a life.

Businesses: Register Your Numbers

Phone numbers used by the rescue operations in Colorado have potentially been mislabeled. Situations like this should be avoided at all costs, if possible. However, regulations and compliance standards continually change, making it difficult to know if your calls are getting through. 

TCN provides your business with a one-stop shop for visibility and control over your phone number registration.

Enter the Reassigned Number Database

In addition to Phone Number Registration, the FCC has introduced the Reassigned Number Database. The FCC explains,

“The Reassigned Numbers Database system securely houses all permanently disconnected US geographic and toll-free numbers and the date of the most recent permanent disconnection of each of those numbers. Callers may use the database to verify whether a telephone number has been permanently disconnected since a specific date, and therefore remain compliant with regulatory requirements.” 

This ecosystem can also help identify those cell phones that have been reassigned and potentially help consumers receive wanted and consent-originated calls. 

Don’t Forget About Compliance

Compliance is a critical part of the profitability of a modern call center or collection agency. The FTC and FCC have ramped up regulations, rulings, and enforcement, with some of the stiffest penalties arising from the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) enforcement. In a recent survey, 41% of respondents in a single industry reported TCPA as the most challenging regulation for their business.

Seeing the challenges regarding call blocking and the recent signing of the STIR/SHAKEN can make call center managers anxious for the future their organization will face. TCN has put together the most comprehensive compliance call center guides as a resource for the industry to help calm the nerves.

We cover topics and regulations from the TCPA, CFPB, FDCPA, and more recently Regulation F and STIR/SHAKEN. All to help you stay compliant and current.

There are thousands of call centers that use and trust TCN each day. We take care of that trust and continue to build on our already award-winning platform. With 24/7 customer support and no long-term contracts, you’ll get all the help you need, whenever you need it.

For a closer look at TCN Operator and how to avoid call labeling issues, be sure to request a demo and start leveraging the most powerful contact center platform in the industry.