Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
For those of you who have a business phone and find it prudent to actually answer all calls, here is some information you might appreciate:
I trying an online, software only product that I believe will effectively filter out robo-calls and autodialed sales calls while letting client calls through unimpeded. My business line does not ring or even register a call when it's operating. (But I can still receive texts.)
It's an auto-attendant (robot who answers the phone). My business line is programmed to forward all calls to a special number they gave me. You can program the robot to say whatever you want. Mine says "Thank you for calling <business name>. To speak with an electrician, press one now."
I've previously discovered that my business greeting which is three sentences and runs five seconds causes almost all robo-callers to hang up without saying anything. They think I'm an answering machine. The above greeting should filter them out.
And everybody knows that once an auto-dialer connects, there is a long pause before a human jumps on to sell you something. I believe they will come on after the above message has played and just hear dead air until my robot hangs up due to no response.
Of course, actual people calling will immediately press 1 and the call will transfer immediately to my personal phone. I know its the system calling and I can change my greeting to match.
Bonus: I have the system programmed to give a different greeting after hours so I'm not woken up in the middle of the night by people trying to pay their electric bill (it's happened) or get emergency service I don't offer.
If it's 90% effective, I'll be happy. I'll let you know how well it works. The system keeps numerous statistics so I'll know how many calls I've received and how many transferred.
Product: Voiceshot.com, $12/mo for 400 minutes. larger plans available.
I trying an online, software only product that I believe will effectively filter out robo-calls and autodialed sales calls while letting client calls through unimpeded. My business line does not ring or even register a call when it's operating. (But I can still receive texts.)
It's an auto-attendant (robot who answers the phone). My business line is programmed to forward all calls to a special number they gave me. You can program the robot to say whatever you want. Mine says "Thank you for calling <business name>. To speak with an electrician, press one now."
I've previously discovered that my business greeting which is three sentences and runs five seconds causes almost all robo-callers to hang up without saying anything. They think I'm an answering machine. The above greeting should filter them out.
And everybody knows that once an auto-dialer connects, there is a long pause before a human jumps on to sell you something. I believe they will come on after the above message has played and just hear dead air until my robot hangs up due to no response.
Of course, actual people calling will immediately press 1 and the call will transfer immediately to my personal phone. I know its the system calling and I can change my greeting to match.
Bonus: I have the system programmed to give a different greeting after hours so I'm not woken up in the middle of the night by people trying to pay their electric bill (it's happened) or get emergency service I don't offer.
If it's 90% effective, I'll be happy. I'll let you know how well it works. The system keeps numerous statistics so I'll know how many calls I've received and how many transferred.
Product: Voiceshot.com, $12/mo for 400 minutes. larger plans available.
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