Spam call protection

Spam is a problem in both directions. Junk calls pull you off a job, and your own calls can get labelled “Scam Likely” so customers don’t pick up. SimpleVox helps with both.

Incoming spam calls

Spam likely labels

When a call that looks like spam comes in, SimpleVox labels it Spam likely as it rings. You can let it go at a glance and get back to work. If it turns out to be a customer after all, nothing’s lost: the call follows your call flow like any other, so they can still reach you or leave a voicemail.

Spoofed callers

Robocallers often fake the number they’re calling from, so the call looks local or familiar. This is called spoofing. SimpleVox can block callers whose caller ID is faked, so those calls don’t ring your team at all.

Screen likely spam on Boost

On Boost, routing rules screen likely spam before it rings anyone. For example, send calls labelled Spam likely straight to voicemail, so your team’s phones only ring for real callers. See Plans and billing.

Keep the rest out of your way

• Let voicemail sort it out. Junk callers rarely leave a message. When they do, the transcript and summary let you skim it in seconds without listening. See Voicemail.
• Send after-hours calls to voicemail with a business hours step, so nobody’s phone rings at night. See Business hours.
• Save your customers as contacts. Calls from saved contacts show their name, so you know who’s calling before you answer. See Contacts.
• Mark junk done. Mark the conversation Done so it drops out of the team’s open list. If the same number calls again, it comes back as Unread. See Conversation inbox.

Keep your own calls from looking like spam

Carriers and call-labelling apps judge the calls you make. A number can be marked Scam Likely or Spam Risk, sometimes because of how someone else used it before you. SimpleVox’s Trust Center (Settings → Trust Center) helps with three things. The billing owner and admins can see it.

STIR/SHAKEN

STIR/SHAKEN is a digital signature on each call that lets carriers confirm the call really comes from your number. SimpleVox signs calls from your numbers with the highest level, called A attestation.

There’s nothing to fill in. It starts on its own once your business has an approved carrier registration with a tax ID, and covers numbers you add later too. The STIR/SHAKEN section shows its status, then “Signs calls from 2 of 2 numbers” once it’s working. Calls still go through while it’s in review.

A registration without a tax ID (sole proprietor) can’t get STIR/SHAKEN. The section says “Needs a business tax ID.”

Caller ID name

A caller ID name puts your business name on phones that show caller names, instead of your number’s city and state. You can add one once your tax ID registration is approved. See Caller ID.

Spam labels

If customers tell you your calls show as Scam Likely, register your numbers with the Free Caller Registry. It’s a free site run by the companies that label calls for the major US carriers. The Spam labels section in the Trust Center links to it.

1. In Settings → Trust Center → Spam labels, choose Free Caller Registry. It opens in a new tab.

2. Register your business and every SimpleVox number you call customers from.

The companies behind the registry decide the labels, so registering there is how you get a label reviewed.

Habits that help your calls get answered

• Call from a number your customers know. Use the same number for a job from first call to follow-up.
• Ask customers to save your number when they book.
• Text before an unexpected call, so they know who’s calling. Sending texts needs A2P 10DLC registration.
• Don’t place lots of short calls in a burst. To carriers, that pattern looks like a robocaller.
• Leave a voicemail with your business name when someone doesn’t answer.