How to Reduce Inbound Spam Calls

Introduction

Inbound spam calls can disrupt your team's productivity, increase your call volume with unwanted interruptions, and consume valuable time. This article outlines a multi-layered strategy using your CRM's built-in tools to identify, manage, and reduce these unwanted calls effectively.

Understanding Inbound Spam Reduction

Inbound spam call reduction is a strategy that uses a combination of automated detection, agent input, and call routing to minimize the impact of spam calls. The goal is to identify potential spam before it reaches your team, automatically quarantine repeat offenders, and use simple screening methods to deter automated systems while ensuring legitimate calls are handled promptly.

Key Benefits

Implementing these measures provides several key advantages for your business:

• Fewer Interruptions: Reduces the number of spam calls that ring through to your users.
• Efficient Handling: Agents can quickly label a call as spam with a single action.
• Automatic Quarantine: Workflows can automatically place numbers marked as spam on a Do Not Disturb (DND) list to block future inbound calls.
• Call Screening: A simple Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system can help filter out robocalls while directing real callers appropriately.
• Flexible Management: VIP contacts can bypass filters, and DND status can be automatically cleared after a set period or manual review.
• Measurable Results: Track metrics like "Spam Likely" call rates and IVR completion to gauge effectiveness.

Enabling Number Intelligence

Number Intelligence provides network-level data, such as "Spam Likely" indicators, for incoming calls. This allows you to flag or route suspicious calls before an agent answers.

To enable this feature:

1. Navigate to Settings > Phone System > Additional Settings.
2. Locate and select Number Intelligence.
3. Check the option for Gather Intelligence on Unknown Phone Numbers.
4. Save your changes.

Please note that the availability and pricing for Spam Detection and Caller Name Lookup are usage-based and may vary by country. Effectiveness is typically highest in the United States. You can verify it is working by looking for "Spam Likely" indicators in your call logs and dialer views.

Creating a Custom Disposition for Spam Calls

Custom dispositions allow agents to consistently categorize call outcomes. Creating a specific "Spam call" disposition enables standardized reporting and triggers automated actions.

To create the disposition:

1. Go to Settings > Phone System > Dispositions.
2. Click Add Disposition.
3. Name the disposition "Spam call".
4. Save the new disposition.

Agents can then select this option from the call end screen on both the web and mobile apps.

Setting Up a DND Workflow for Spam Calls

A workflow can automatically place a contact on a Do Not Disturb (DND) list when an agent marks a call as spam. This prevents future inbound calls from that number while still allowing your team to initiate contact if necessary.

To create this workflow:

1. Create a new workflow with the trigger set to Call Details.
2. Add a filter where the Disposition is equal to "Spam call". You can optionally add a second filter for Direction equal to "Inbound".
3. Add an action to Enable/Disable DND.
4. Configure the action to block Inbound calls on the Voice channel. This conservative approach ensures legitimate SMS or email communication is not affected.
5. Save and publish the workflow.

Implementing a Light IVR Filter (Optional)

A simple Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system can act as a "front door," requiring callers to press a key to proceed. This effectively deters many automated systems.

To set up a basic IVR:

1. Create a new workflow with the trigger Start IVR and map your inbound phone number to it.
2. Add a Say/Play action with a message like, "To reach support, press 1. For new inquiries, press 2."
3. Add a Gather Input action to capture the caller's keypress (DTMF).
4. Use Map Input actions to route the call:
   • If the input is 1, connect the call to your support team or a specific user/group.
   • If the input is 2, connect the call to your sales team.
5. Set a fallback for invalid input or timeouts, such as repeating the menu once before sending the caller to voicemail or a fallback agent.

Remember, a single phone number can only be mapped to one IVR workflow at a time.

Managing Exceptions and Rollbacks

To handle potential false positives and maintain accessibility for important contacts, consider these patterns.

VIP/Safe List Bypass

To ensure calls from important contacts are never blocked:

1. Add a tag like "VIP" or "SafeList" to relevant contacts.
2. In your DND workflow, add an If/Else condition before the DND action.
3. Set the condition to check if the contact has the "VIP" or "SafeList" tag.
4. If the condition is true, skip the DND action. If false, apply the DND.

Auto-Clearing DND After a Period

To automatically restore communication after a quarantine period:

1. Create a new workflow triggered by a contact being placed on DND or based on a schedule.
2. Add a Wait action for a specified period, such as 30 days.
3. Add an action to Disable DND for the contact.
4. Optionally, you can add an action to remove a "Quarantined-Spam" tag or send a notification for review before clearing the DND status.

Mobile App Visibility

Agents using the CRM mobile app can also see "Spam Likely" labels on incoming calls, providing visibility into the filtering system's activity. This requires the mobile app version 3.97.3 or later. The label will appear on call lists and details where supported.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Follow these steps in order to implement your spam reduction strategy effectively.

1. Enable Number Intelligence: Go to Settings > Phone System > Additional Settings > Number Intelligence. Check Gather Intelligence on Unknown Phone Numbers and save.
2. Create the Spam Disposition: Navigate to Settings > Phone System > Dispositions, add a new disposition named "Spam call," and save it.
3. Build the DND Workflow: Create a workflow triggered by Call Details, filtered for the "Spam call" disposition, with an action to enable DND for inbound voice calls. Save and publish the workflow.
4. (Optional) Set Up the IVR: Build an IVR workflow as described above and map your main business number to it.
5. Test the System: After completing each step, test the functionality with a known number to ensure it works as expected before proceeding.