Engage Voice | Caller ID options for leads
Occasionally, you may want to display a different Caller ID to a lead than the single static Caller ID set up at the campaign level. For example, if your call center is in the Philippines and your agents are calling leads in Utah, you might find it helpful to display a local Utah-based phone number for the lead’s Caller ID.
Without a local Caller ID, you might end up confusing your leads when they see that international phone number. Plus, if any leads decide to call you back, they won’t have to dial internationally to reach you.
Our system provides you with settings that allow you to display alternate phone numbers when calling your leads. Before we go into the process, however, let’s discuss some important restrictions.
Caller ID restrictions
Please note that when using a different Caller ID than the number you’re actually calling from, industry regulations require that you take the following steps:
- You must ensure that the phone number you’re displaying actually belongs to you
- You must ensure that the phone number is active
- You must connect that phone number to an active inbound service; this can be a staffed call center with live agents or a connection to an active IVR that includes the following information:
- You must clearly state your business name during the call (whether via live agent or IVR)
- You must give the caller the option to join the DNC list during the call (whether via live agent or IVR)
Caller ID setup options
Now that you know the rules, let’s talk about the process. The first thing you’ll want to do is be sure you have a list of local phone numbers that correspond to the areas you’ll be dialing. Remember, these must be valid, active phone numbers, and they must belong to you!
You can obtain local area phone numbers either on your own or by contacting our Support team and requesting a Caller ID bucket. Let’s discuss both below.
Using your own Caller ID numbers
Please note that if you wish to use your own phone numbers, you will be responsible for manually assigning those phone numbers to your leads. To upload and map your existing Caller ID numbers to your lead list, take the following steps:
1. Open your lead list in your preferred spreadsheet-editing application
2. Add an extra column to the list and use it to specify which Caller ID should be displayed for each lead
3. Upload your lead list via the Add new list setting under the Loaded Lists section
4. Navigate to the Preview tab in the Upload List modal window
5. Select the Caller Id option located in the Destinations list at far left and map it to the column containing your Caller IDs
6. Click Save to save your changes and exit the modal window
And that’s it! Now, when your agents in the Philippines make calls to leads in Utah, the system will display those Utah-based Caller IDs you added to the lead list when it connects to those leads.
Obtaining and managing Caller ID buckets
Obtaining Caller ID buckets
To obtain a selection of phone numbers you can use as alternate Caller IDs, you can contact our Support team and request a Caller ID bucket. Please note that Caller ID buckets represent a paid service — review your contract for details on your cost.
Now let’s talk more about what Caller ID buckets are and what they do.
About Caller ID buckets
A Caller ID bucket represents a selection of phone numbers with different area codes. When you purchase a bucket from us and assign that bucket to a campaign, we will match each lead you dial with a phone number in the same (or similar) area code as the lead.
A Caller ID bucket typically contains approximately 169 numbers, taking phone numbers from three to four area codes per state. Our Support team will obtain these numbers for you and assign them to your account according to the parameters you indicate when you request the bucket.
Caller ID bucket functionality
Once you have a Caller ID bucket, you can add it to any campaign you like. Now, when a call goes out on that campaign, the system will look through that bucket and select a phone number that’s closest to the area code of the lead you’re calling. It will attach that Caller ID to the outgoing call so that the lead sees the Caller ID number from the bucket, not the actual phone number from which the agent or system is dialing.
Remember — in order to comply with industry regulations, those alternate Caller IDs must be tied to an active inbound service ready to provide your company name and a way for leads to request placement on the DNC list.
As part of your Caller ID bucket service, we will take all the phone numbers in your Caller ID bucket and attach them to an appropriately configured inbound queue (of your choice) so those leads have a valid, active phone number to call back for the information and/or services they need.
Please note that you can use the same Caller ID bucket for multiple campaigns, or you can request multiple buckets and assign them to campaigns however you like.
Requesting a Caller ID bucket
To request a Caller ID bucket for your campaign, you can take the following steps:
1. Consult your contract for your Caller ID bucket cost
2. Contact Support and request a Caller ID bucket, providing them with the request information detailed below. Please note that we recommend you first read the following section on Caller ID buckets before contacting Support.
Caller ID bucket information
To request a Caller ID bucket from Support, you’ll need to have the following information ready:
- The name you wish to assign to the bucket
- The forwarding number you wish to use for calls made from this bucket
- A Caller ID name to display to leads (we apply ‘Cust Svc’ by default). Please note that this name can include 15 characters maximum, including spaces
Adding a Caller ID bucket to a campaign
Once Support confirms that your Caller ID bucket is ready, it’s time to add that bucket to a campaign.
1. Navigate to Dialing > Campaigns via the left-hand navigation bar
2. Select the campaign you’d like to attach the new bucket to
3. Scroll down to the Local Caller ID Settings section via the Configuration tab in the campaign’s configuration panel
4. Select the bucket you would like to add via the Local Caller ID Bucket dropdown menu
5. Save your changes via the Save button at bottom right
Please note that when you add a Caller ID bucket to a campaign, it will only affect future leads added to this campaign. All existing leads will continue to dial using the same Caller ID they were using before.
If you wish to update existing leads — or remove a Caller ID from existing leads — you can do that too, using settings found in the same section. Let’s discuss those now.
Updating Caller ID for existing leads
If you wish to connect your existing leads to a Caller ID bucket you’ve just added to a campaign, you can use the Update Existing Leads setting located in the same Local Caller ID Settings section in your campaign’s configuration settings.
All you have to do is save any changes you’ve made to your campaign, then click Update Existing Leads to perform the update.
Please be aware that this update may halt dialing for several minutes (depending on the amount of leads being modified), so you may want to do this during off-peak call times.
Removing Caller ID numbers from existing leads
If you wish to remove any Caller ID numbers from your existing leads, simply click the Remove Caller ID from Existing Leads setting located in red text in the lower right-hand corner of the same Local Caller ID Settings section in your campaign’s configuration settings.
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