There was a time when a ringing phone brought excitement — maybe it was a friend, a family member, or an exciting opportunity. Today, it’s more likely to bring suspicion. For most of us, if the number isn’t saved in our contacts, we ignore the call — or send it straight to voicemail.
For businesses that rely on outbound calls, the trend of people not answering phone calls is more than a nuisance — it’s a major barrier to growth.
This dramatic shift in behavior isn’t just anecdotal. In The Golden Rules of Outbound Dialing, a recent webinar hosted by VanillaSoft, industry experts unpacked how we got here — and what businesses can do to adapt. The session featured David Krasinski (VP of Trust and Identity Solutions at TransUnion), Daniel Sims (VP of Customer Experience Europe at VanillaSoft), and James Bishop (VP of Marketing at VanillaSoft).
If your business relies on outbound calling to connect with prospects or customers, here’s what you need to know.
The Breakdown of Trust in Phone Calls
At the heart of the problem is a fundamental lack of trust. Scammers, spoofed calls, and robocalls have become so widespread that answering an unknown number now feels like a risk. Consumers have been conditioned to avoid calls unless they’re absolutely sure who’s calling — and why.
“We’ve been socialized not to answer the phone if we don’t know who’s on the other end,” said David Krasinski. It’s no longer just annoying to get a suspicious call — it feels dangerous.
Even critical or time-sensitive calls go unanswered if the number isn’t trusted. One story from the webinar stood out: a hiker lost in a national park ignored rescue calls because he didn’t recognize the number. That’s how far trust in the voice channel has fallen.
Robocalls, Spoofing, and the Rise of Scam Culture
Technology has made it easier than ever to place calls at scale. Voice over IP (VoIP) systems allow companies — and scammers — to automate massive calling campaigns at low cost. This isn’t inherently bad; plenty of legitimate businesses use automation for appointment reminders, customer service, or delivery updates.
But bad actors exploit the same tools. They spoof phone numbers, making it appear as if a trusted organization — like your bank — is calling, only to use that trust to trick people into giving up sensitive information. This blurs the line between real and fake, eroding consumer confidence in every call that comes through.
Carriers Crack Down (But Not Without Consequences)
To combat rising scam complaints, the FCC pressured telecom carriers to take action. This led to the widespread adoption of spam tagging — automated systems that detect suspicious call behavior and label incoming calls with warnings like Spam Likely, Scam Risk, or Fraudulent Caller.
While this has helped filter out some bad calls, the system isn’t perfect. Spam tagging algorithms evaluate factors like:
- Call volume and frequency
- Call history and consistency
- Whether the number is calling inactive or unassigned numbers
- Crowdsourced complaints from call-blocking apps
Unfortunately, these algorithms don’t always distinguish between bad actors and well-meaning businesses.
Spam tagging has created a scenario where even legitimate businesses suffer because recipients are not answering phone calls that appear suspicious. If your company is dialing large volumes, hasn’t built up a calling history, or is rotating numbers frequently, your calls could be flagged — even when your practices are legitimate.
“Good callers make a lot of calls too,” David explained. “But so do scammers. The system can’t always tell the difference.”
Why It’s Hurting Your Business
For any organization that relies on outbound calls — whether for sales, service, collections, or follow-ups — spam tagging is a silent killer. If your calls are being labeled as spam, your connect rates drop dramatically. And when people do answer, they’re more skeptical and less engaged.
Some teams try to fight back with outdated tactics like rotating numbers, using “burner” DIDs, or relying on old-school spam checkers. But these strategies now resemble scam behavior more than legitimate outreach — and that gets you flagged faster.
“Trying to game the system just makes you look more like the people the system is built to stop,” Daniel Sims warned.
So, What Can You Do About It?
Despite the challenges, outbound dialing is far from dead. But the rules of engagement have changed. To succeed in today’s environment, businesses need to shift their approach from anonymous, high-volume dialing to strategic, identity-first communication.
Here’s how:
1. Improve Your Dialing Behavior
Avoid triggering the spam algorithms by dialing responsibly. That means:
- Limiting the number of calls made from a single number each day
- Avoiding spikes in call volume without historical precedent
- Keeping your list clean — don’t call dead or unassigned numbers
- Maintaining consistent usage of your outbound numbers
Think of it like warming up an email domain. The more natural and predictable your calling patterns are, the less likely you are to get flagged.
2. Register and Protect Your Numbers
One of the most effective ways to prevent spam tagging is to have your numbers vetted and registered through a service that works directly with carriers. TransUnion’s solution, available through VanillaSoft, does exactly that.
This process builds your number’s reputation and tells the carriers: this is a trusted caller. It reduces the likelihood of your number being tagged and ensures faster remediation if issues arise.
3. Use Stir/Shaken to Authenticate Your Identity
Stir/Shaken is a technology framework mandated by the FCC that verifies caller identity at the carrier level. When a call is placed, it’s digitally “signed” to confirm that the number hasn’t been spoofed. While it doesn’t prevent spam tagging on its own, it’s a foundational step to proving your legitimacy and protecting your brand.
4. Push Your Identity with Branded Calling
Branded calling is the future of trusted outreach. With branded calls, your business name — and in some cases, your logo — appears on the recipient’s phone screen. This transforms the experience from “Who’s calling me?” to “Oh, it’s my pharmacy,” or “That’s my insurance provider.”
Beyond boosting answer rates, it improves call engagement and customer trust. “Branding your calls changes the conversation,” David said. “People are far more likely to engage when they know who’s calling — and why.”
Branded calling helps close the trust gap and solve the problem of customers not answering phone calls from unfamiliar numbers.
Rebuilding Trust in the Voice Channel
Outbound calling isn’t dead — but it’s definitely evolving. With more people not answering phone calls from unknown numbers, businesses need to rethink their approach to outbound dialing. The solution starts with trust, consistency, and visibility.
To make it work in 2025 and beyond, businesses need to evolve. That means respecting consumers’ expectations, avoiding tactics that mimic bad actors, and using technology to build trust rather than evade scrutiny.
Outbound calling can still be one of the most direct, effective ways to reach your audience. But it only works if people answer. And people only answer when they trust the call.
It’s time to stop dialing like it’s 2010 and start dialing with purpose, transparency, and strategy.
