Engage Voice | Managing Caller IDs
Caller ID is a way for you to let your leads and customers know who you are when you contact them. When the system (or an agent) dials a lead or customer, that lead or customer will be able to see the number associated with the call via the Caller ID you share — that is, your caller identification number.
In most cases, the system will allow you to choose which Caller IDs you want your leads and customers to see. Caller ID settings can be found throughout the platform, and they can be configured at different levels, which we’ll discuss in more detail below. Caller IDs can be configured at the following levels:
- Caller IDs for leads
- Caller IDs for campaigns
- Caller IDs for accounts
- Caller IDs for manual outbound calls
- Replacing Caller IDs upon call transfer
Because Caller IDs can be managed at so many levels, it’s important to know what the ‘hierarchy’ is — that is, which Caller ID will take precedence over the others and when.
For outbound dialing, the Caller ID that is mapped to a lead will always take precedence over the default Caller ID indicated on the campaign. If you haven’t mapped any Caller IDs to your leads, then the campaign’s default Caller ID will take precedence — that is, unless an agent makes a manual outbound call.
For manual outbound dialing, the system will default to the account-level Caller ID as long as the following Caller ID settings are empty:
- Manual outbound default Caller ID
- Custom manual outbound Caller ID
During call transfers, if a Caller ID was created via the Transfer Override Caller ID setting or via scripting call controls, then that Transfer Override Caller ID number will take precedence over and replace the original Caller ID on that transfer.
Helpful hint!
That there exist strict industry regulations for businesses using Caller IDs that differ from the number they’re calling from. Visit Caller ID options for leads for more information.
Finding and managing Caller IDs
As discussed above, Caller ID settings can be found in different locations throughout the platform, and each setting is used in a different context. Let’s take a closer look at all your options for Caller ID settings now.
Caller IDs for leads
You can set Caller IDs at the individual lead level, which means that a different Caller ID can be used for any selected leads on your lead list. This can be accomplished in one of two ways.
One way is to upload a lead list with an extra column that assigns different Caller IDs to any leads you choose on that list. The other way to set Caller IDs at the lead level is to obtain a Caller ID bucket that will assign a local Caller ID number to every lead on your list, ensuring those leads will only see a local Caller ID number, no matter where your agents are actually dialing from.
Remember: When you assign Caller IDs at the lead list level, these Caller IDs will take precedence over the default Caller ID at the campaign level (we’ll discuss this next). You can read more about the different Caller ID options for leads in Caller ID options for leads.
Caller IDs for campaigns
If you wish to set a default Caller ID for leads to see on any given campaign, you can do so via the Caller ID setting located in the Dialer Settings section in the campaign’s General page. Whatever you enter here will be used as the default Caller ID for all leads on that campaign — unless you make changes to Caller IDs at the lead level (as discussed above) or you allow for Caller IDs to be replaced during call transfers (we’ll go over that in a moment).
If you’ve created a Caller ID bucket, you can assign it to any campaign and those local Caller IDs will also override any default campaign or account-based Caller ID settings you may have configured.
Caller IDs for accounts
We strongly recommend setting an overall default Caller ID at the account level. This way, the system will always have a Caller ID number to default back to. To set a Caller ID on your account, use the Default Caller ID setting located under the Account Defaults configuration section at the account level.
Another Caller ID number you can configure at the account level is the Offhook Caller ID number. This refers to the system phone number that the agent sees when they initiate an offhook session and the system calls them to begin the session. Please note that agents will only see this number when they are using an external phone or external softphone (as opposed to the system’s integrated softphone).
Caller IDs for manual outbound calls
About manual outbound Caller ID
Caller IDs can also be set for individual agents when they perform a manual outbound call via the agent interface’s dialpad. You can configure a default Caller ID that is tied to each individual agent, or you can create one or more custom Caller IDs that any agent can choose from before making a manual outbound call.
Remember: If an agent performs a manual outbound call and neither a default nor custom manual outbound Caller ID number is configured, then the system will default to the Caller ID configured at the account level.
Now, for manual outbound dialing purposes, agents will be able to choose between the default Caller ID and a custom Caller ID via the Caller ID dropdown menu (located in the agent interface under the Manual Dial Settings section just below the dialpad). If an agent does not select a Caller ID from the dropdown list before manually dialing, the system will simply use the default Caller ID to display to the lead or customer.
Configuring the default manual outbound Caller ID
To configure a default manual outbound Caller ID, take the following steps:
1. Navigate to Users > Agents
2. Select an agent from the groups page
3. Scroll down to the Phone Settings section in the agent’s General page
4. Enter a Caller ID number in the Manual Outbound Default Caller ID setting
5. Save your changes via the Save button at bottom right
Configuring a custom manual outbound Caller ID
To configure a custom manual outbound Caller ID, take the following steps:
1. Navigate to Dialing > Advanced Settings > Outbound Caller ID
2. Click the Add Caller ID button to the right of the search bar
3. Enter a Caller ID Number in the field provided in the modal window
4. Choose a Description for the Caller ID number
5. Click Save to save your changes and exit the modal window
6. Repeat steps 3-6 as needed to create multiple custom Caller IDs
Once you’ve created your custom Caller IDs, they will appear in a table below the search bar. The table will display a unique ID number for each Caller ID, along with the number itself and the description you provided earlier.
To edit the Caller ID number or its description, click the Edit pencil and paper icon located at far right beside the entry you wish to edit. To delete a Caller ID entry, click the Delete x icon located to the right of the Edit icon.
Replacing Caller IDs upon transfer
When an agent transfers a call, the system will allow you to replace the original Caller ID with a custom Caller ID that will display once the call has transferred. You can do this in one of two ways — either via call controls inserted into a script, or by configuring the Transfer Override Caller ID setting. We’ll go over each option below.
Replacing Caller IDs via agent scripts
The Scripting section of the platform allows you to insert call controls into your scripts via the Button element and the API-based JavaScript tool (and anywhere else in your script you have the option to insert custom JavaScript).
When configuring call controls for either the Button element or the JavaScript tool, you’ll have the option to configure Warm and Cold Transfer call control settings. These allow you to replace the original Caller ID with a custom Caller ID that will display once a call is warm- or cold-transferred to its new destination.
Overriding Caller IDs upon transfer
The Transfer Override Caller ID setting allows you to override a call’s active Caller ID when transferring a call. You can find this setting under the outbound Dialer Settings section in the campaign’s General page, as well as under the inbound Queue Settings section in the queue’s General page.
The Transfer Override Caller ID setting allows you to replace the existing Caller ID with a custom Caller ID only if an agent transfers a lead or customer from the current campaign or queue to a different one, or to any (PSTN) phone number (this number can be internal or external, and the transfer can be performed manually or via disposition).
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