Using ARMOR® Performance Dashboard to Diagnose Problems & Reduce Flags

Reality Check

Do your numbers keep getting re-flagged? Are flags persisting for too long? Are carriers rejecting remediation requests? Your calls are sending the wrong signals. 
 

While our ARMOR® service brings you proactive protection and remediation, it is not a magic bullet.

Persistent flags mean that the carriers have strong evidence to validate the flag. While that can be tough to hear, the reality is that when carriers have those signals, the only reliable way to get those flags cleared is through time and behavior changes.

But here’s the good news. While carriers don’t tell us what is behind a flag, your ARMOR® dashboard can help reverse-engineer the types of data they see when making a flag decision.
 

The truth lies in your data. Your analytics either give us the data we need to negotiate with the carriers on your behalf—or they show you why flags are warranted… and illuminate the path forward to cleaner numbers and higher answer rates.

Your Data Gives You Direction

Use the ARMOR® dashboard to assess the risk that your calling patterns may be contributing to spam flags. Risk factors to monitor on a per-number basis and overall include:
 

• Increasing call volumes amid decreasing answer rates

If your answer rates deteriorate, carriers may view your calls as increasingly unwanted.  

PRO TIP: Try to isolate the numbers, agents, campaign pools, lead sources, or call timing that are driving down answer rates.

 

• Short duration calls/too many hangups/not enough conversations

Short-duration calls – such as hangups or consistently short conversations – send a strong negative signal to carriers that the calls are unwanted (conversely, conversations are a positive signal). 

PRO TIP: Monitor Call Duration to identify trends where your calls are generating more hang-ups and fewer, long conversations. Isolate the agents, agent scripts, campaigns, number pools, lead sources, or call times displaying consistently short conversations.

You can also use the ARMOR® dashboard to diagnose rep behaviors that may lead to spam flags.  Call patterns to monitor on a per-number basis and overall include:

 

• Calling too early or late based on time zone
  Even well-intended calls can generate negative sentiment when they interrupt someone’s morning or evening. Use the Called Destination State filter to monitor for calls before 9am or after 7 or 8pm in key states. Note: Telemarketers are legally prohibited from calling before 8:00 AM and after 9:00 PM in the recipient's local time under federal law. Some states have even stricter call time limitations.
  
  PRO TIP: Use the agent or number pool filter to identify calls that may be creating this risk.

• Too many calls or voicemails in a short time frame
  Overcommunication, especially in the absence of interest, is visible to analytics agencies and likely to drive consumer complaints.  Monitor the Call-to-Contact Ratio to make sure call volume is not excessive for your audience overall.
  
  PRO TIP: Monitor the Call Attempts Unanswered ranking to see if you have called any individual numbers excessively in the last 7 days.

• Calling non-assigned numbers
  Calls to numbers that are no longer assigned to consumers is a clear negative signal to carriers that your lead lists are less clean, dated, or less interested. 
  
  PRO TIP: Keep an eye on volume and percentage of calls to Low Connect Score (a lead quality metric) numbers, as well as consistent calls to wrong number response codes.  Isolate the campaign pools or lead sources responsible for these calls.
  
   

• Call Blocking

  Contacts consistently blocking your calls is another clear sign to carriers that your calls are perceived as a nuisance and deserving of flags. 
  
  PRO TIP: Watch out for a disproportionately high or growing volume of blocked call response codes.  Then isolate the campaign pools ,  lead sources, or agents responsible for these calls.
  
   

• Mixing different use cases (e.g., sales and support) on the same number
  Don’t let one use case (like sales) impact reputation,or cloud call data for another. Using dedicated numbers for different campaigns results in more actionable data, and cleaner, more consistent call patterns.
  
  PRO TIP: Use Number Pool filters and splits to measure their performance separately.

Key takeaway:  

Spam flags become difficult to remediate when there is strong, negative consumer sentiment for your calls - such as calls that are abruptly ended, blocked, or reported as spam. The following can be viewed as a proxy for negative sentiment:

• Very short duration calls as a sign of hang-ups/disinterest
• Call blocking network response codes
• Call Outcomes (dispositions) such as Hung Up; Do Not Call; Wrong Number; and even Not Interested
• Consistent calls to Low Connect Score contacts, a signal of inactive or even unassigned numbers

If you are looking for additional ideas about how to increase your answer rate and conversation rate, while reducing very short duration calls, call blocking, and spam reports, try these Trusted Caller Practices.  And consider Running an A/B Test to see what works best. 

Related: How to Use Your Dashboard to Be More Successful