Robocalls’ downside: The deluge is washing away consumer trust
Automated phone messages account for a quarter of all calls made in the U.S., and reports suggest the practice keeps many people from answering calls from unrecognized numbers.
Robocalls might be a cheap, useful tool, but new reports suggest their overuse is undermining marketing by phone.
Cellphones have revolutionized the way people connect, and marketers and PR pros have gained access to audiences through mobile apps and more. However, communicators are losing access to voice call connections, as consumers balk at answering any call from an unknown number.
Especially given technology like “spoofing”—in which an organization can trick caller ID to show a number other than its actual phone number, and even indicating a false location—consumer trust is taking a hit.
The cellphone has become our everything — our wallet, photo archive, computer and music library. But it’s also becoming less appealing as a phone. Consumer Reports found that 70% of people no longer answer calls they don’t recognize. Regulators and industry are combating junk calls. But at least so far, they haven’t succeeded.
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