Have you ever tried calling your customer only to have your call ignored or declined because they suspected it was spam? We've found that 87% of consumers believe unidentified calls may be fraudulent. Consequently, if a customer doesn’t have your number saved as a contact in their phone it’s almost impossible to know that the call is coming from you. The result? Customers don’t pick up. These problems lead you to wonder how to change caller ID in order to increase answer rates.
By default, all outbound calls show up as the direct number on caller ID. Luckily, Voice Performance Platforms such as Hiya allow businesses like yours to change their caller ID when contacting customers. In this article, we’ll go over how you can change your caller ID, the benefits of doing so, and how a branded call can help.
First, let’s define caller ID: caller ID is the display name that pops up on your phone when you have an incoming call. Most of the time, caller ID will only be customized if a user changes the contact card in their phone. However, with the use of CNAM, people and organizations can display a name (as long as it is less than 15 characters) instead of just a phone number — even if they aren't in the call recipient's contact list.
As an individual, the process of changing your CNAM is simple. When changing a personal number, a user can simply work with their phone carrier and request that their number identifier be changed. However, changing your caller ID on a single cell phone is much simpler than changing the outbound call displays for an entire organization.
The simplest way for businesses to control their outbound caller ID is to submit a request to Free Caller Registry. Free Caller Registry (powered by a partnership between Hiya, First Orion, and TNS) is a streamlined way for businesses to submit their business name and phone number to major wireless carriers.
For businesses who want to take their call branding to the next level, a branded call is a great way to ensure consistent delivery across device types and carriers. Hiya’s Branded Call allows businesses to show their company, name, logo, and call reason.
Customizing your caller ID display will bring many benefits to your company. The primary benefit is often an improvement in answer rates and increased trust among customers when answering their phone. When customers know that your business is calling, they can be confident it’s you.
Other benefits of a branded call include lowering the chances that your customers will fall victim to a scam call from someone impersonating your business. If customers expect your business’s display caller ID when calling, they will be wary when a different, perhaps unidentified number calls and claims to be your company. When you display your business name on your caller ID, it also reduces the likelihood of having your number blocked. If a client receives continuous calls from an unknown number, they are likely to block the number. However, if a client knows it’s a legitimate business’s number, they are more likely to trust it, making them less likely to block you.
With so many options available for displaying a branded outbound call, it can be difficult to know what the right questions you should be asking are. Download the buyer's guide to make sure you're choosing the best solution.