How to Register Your Numbers on Free Caller Registry

Sometimes, your outbound calls may inadvertently be labeled as "Spam Likely," "Robo call," or "Scam likely." These labels can lead to your calls being ignored or even blocked, hindering your attempts to reach prospective leads. The solution to this issue lies in the Free Caller Registry.

How It Works

The Free Caller Registry offers a centralized process allowing those making legitimate outbound calls to submit their data to three call management services providers. These providers support all major U.S. wireless carriers.

Note: This process is only applicable to U.S. phone numbers. For international numbers, you should contact your carrier directly and request changes to your outbound caller ID. Need more help? Reach out to our Support team.

Steps to Register Numbers on Free Caller Registry

To register your numbers, follow these simple steps:

1. Visit the Free Caller Registry website here.
2. Click on "Register Here".
3. Complete the form.
4. Click on "Send verification code" and enter the received code into the designated field.
5. Click "Submit".

Within 3-5 days, you'll receive confirmation emails from the three services providers. They will either approve or reject your update. Some might ask you to set up an account to finalize the submission process.

Form Submission Guide

Here’s how to fill out each field in the form:

• List the tracking phone numbers you are registering, including the tracking number and display name.
• If you have more than 20 numbers, use the “Upload Additional Numbers” option. You can use Text or Excel format, as long as the file size is below 100KB.
• Fill out all the company details and your contact information.
• In the section titled “I believe my calls are”, select the appropriate business category.
• Provide an estimate of monthly calls.
• If your numbers were previously labeled incorrectly, provide additional information.

Free Caller Registry Is a Big Deal – Here’s Why

Since we have gone through the basics concerning free caller registry, you need to know the overall importance of this practice.

Why so?

Good question.

There’s a multitude of explanations out there, but the most common ones are associated with the rising number of scams.

Also, since the inception of cold calling, spam messages and such calls have become so popular that your potential prospects are more or less, conditioned to avoid such initiations on your business’s end.

Common mislabeled tags include 'Spam Likely' and 'Robo Call' & Vice Versa 

These labels are generated by algorithms aiming to protect users from unwanted calls. 

While these tags effectively combat unwanted solicitations and scams, they can sometimes mislabel genuine business calls, leading to communication breakdowns.

Top it off with tons of different tools and applications that are widely available as pre-installed filters on your computer, in your CRM, or your smartphone. For instance, ‘True Caller’ filters numbers based on their aggregate reporting, and the fact that the given caller has not opted in for free caller registry. 

Absence of Free Caller Registry Leads To Increased Negative Impact on Business

People and businesses everywhere tend to ignore calls with pre-labels, assuming they are bothersome interruptions rather than important communications. 

This misunderstanding can severely affect businesses that rely on phone conversations to reach their customers or clients quickly.

Even though, if you’re not running a business, the rising number of spam calls is directly related to financial fraud and such other things that have caused governments to create legislations. 

For instance, in the U.S., the STIR/ SHAKEN legislation was created to protect businesses, individuals and different online vs. real-life platforms from unregistered numbers all over. 

The same logic applies to SMS or WhatsApp messages that originate from these numbers that haven’t gone through the paid or free caller registry process.

Here are some of the most common ways how your business can have a negative impact – i.e. if you haven’t signed up for any caller registry of any type.

1. Damaged Brand Reputation

Repeatedly seeing a business's calls flagged as spam can harm its reputation. 

Customers might think that the company engages in deceitful or intrusive practices – and they have every right to assume so because of the overall number of worldwide fraud instances.

This negative perception can spread easily, causing long-term damage to the brand's image. 

Especially if your number isn’t registered at the free caller registry platform, and it closely matches a scam business’s contact details, there’s a possibility for your potential clients to misinterpret your contact info and start posting negative reviews about the business.

Even existing clients may start to question their trust if they believe the business is operating unethically or irresponsibly.

2. Lost Business Opportunities

Mislabeling doesn't just mean fewer answered calls; it also equates to lost business opportunities. 

Critical calls containing vital information, urgent updates, or new offers may go unheard. 

This can hinder sales teams from closing deals, delay customer support responses, and disrupt essential business processes. Especially, if you have a new business or a team of beginner level sales reps, SDRing can be a real hassle. The call registry step can at least take one hurdle out of the equation, while your team gets to focus on brushing up its communication and conversation skills.

The cumulative effect of these missed connections can be substantial, leading to reduced revenue and stunted business growth.

Ensuring that business calls are correctly labeled is crucial to maintaining effective communication and a trusted brand reputation.

Common Causes of Call Mislabeling

Mislabeled calls can wreak havoc on your business by reducing answer rates and tarnishing your brand reputation. 

Understanding why calls get mislabeled is crucial for finding solutions. Let’s break down the key causes:

1. Algorithmic Errors in Call Classification

As mentioned earlier in this post, the general classification of calls as 'Spam Likely' or 'Robo call' largely depends on algorithms designed to weed out unwanted communications. 

These algorithms analyze factors such as call frequency, user reports, and call patterns. However, they are not foolproof. 

Overly stringent criteria or erroneous flagging can mistakenly label legitimate business calls as spam. Routine updates to these algorithms may inadvertently introduce new errors, compounding the problem.

2. Incorrect Data in Call Databases

Call databases maintained by carriers and third-party services are another source of mislabeling. 

These databases collect vast amounts of information, but they can contain outdated or incorrect data. 

Here’s an example: if a business changes its phone number but the database isn't updated, the new number could be flagged erroneously. Regular cross-checking and updating of this data are essential to maintain accuracy.

Here’s What You Can Do To Streamline Your Business’s Call Registry Related Woes

Overall, free call registry is a very simple process. 

There’s nothing to be intimidated about. It’s a necessary step that you, or your business, eventually has to go through. Here are a number of different things that you can do to scale and streamline your business activities that might be affected due to a lack of caller registration.

• Maintaining Consistent Outbound Numbers

First and foremost, maintaining consistent outbound numbers is crucial for reducing call mislabeling.

When businesses use different numbers frequently, it often leads to confusion among recipients and can trigger automated call labeling systems to flag the calls as spam. 

On that note, consider setting up a dedicated number pool for your outbound calls and ensure that these numbers are registered with the official Free Caller Registry. 

We also encourage you to regularly audit your number pool for any inconsistencies, as they can further cement your identity as a trusted caller. As a result, it’d significantly decrease the likelihood of your calls being mistakenly labeled as spam.

• Educating Customers About Your Calling Practices

Educating your customers about your calling practices plays a pivotal role in maintaining credibility. 

Inform your clients through your website, emails, and even during calls about the numbers they can expect calls from. In alternative business terms, it’s called ‘Branding’, and there’s a reason why it’s important to keep your potential and existing customers informed of your business, and business practices.

Encourage your prospects to save these numbers in their contacts list. This action not only builds trust but also helps in reducing manual spam reports.

Utilize your online presence to share information about your communication patterns. Publish blog posts or FAQs explaining why and how frequently you might contact your customers. 

This overall sense of transparency can lead to fewer manual reports, helping the call labeling systems understand that your calls are genuine.

• Implementing Call Authentication Protocols

As a final step, don’t forget to implement call authentication protocols like STIR/SHAKEN. This one is essential for preserving your brand's integrity. 

These protocols help verify the legitimacy of phone calls by authenticating the call's origin. When your calls are authenticated, labeling systems can easily differentiate your calls from those of scammers and robocalls.

Work with your telecom provider to ensure that all your outgoing calls are properly authenticated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can registration fix mislabeled calls?

Registration can often rectify mislabeling, but it’s not a guaranteed fix – registered numbers can still be flagged or mislabeled. To avoid this, remain consistent in your calling behavior, watch for unusual traffic volume spikes, and always comply with TCPA laws and FCC regulations.

Should I register newly purchased numbers?

We recommend that you register any newly acquired numbers. This is because nuisance labels aren’t automatically removed when a number is released by its previous owner.

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