As if the direct-to-consumer marketing industry didn’t have enough to worry about, the Czar has received a couple of reports of wholesale SHUT DOWNS of call centers in the last few days allegedly linked back to a quiet decision by the FCC to mandate that tier 1 carriers only accept traffic that averages 30 seconds in duration.
This would be NUTS, and I do not know if it is true. Massive first amendment and Communications Act problem if so. But I do not want to jump ahead of this because my usual sources of truth haven’t said anything about this.
But what I am hearing is pretty scary:
…the FCC now enforcing its outbound dialing 30 second average call duration rule, but this is likely going to upend the entire industry if someone does not fight back.
Over the last few days, the FCC has started enforcing its 30 second rule with tier 1 VOIP carriers, including twilio, which is the tier 1 carrier that most outbound dialers use. This is a completely unfair and impractical rule. The FCC is now saying only dialers/companies that have an average call duration of 30 seconds plus are allowed on tier 1 cell carriers. This is actually 100 percent impossible. Not a single company that outbounds compliant leads is going to be able to comply with this. Even with the highest quality of leads, the max contact rate in a given day that you will get is about 20%, that means the rest are answering machines. This means that 80% of the calls are 1-6 seconds in length. Therefore, it is completely impossible for anyone’s outbound average call duration to be more than 30 seconds.
This is really fascinating stuff.
What do you know about this TCPAWorld?
Bring the Czar the goods so I can report on this (if it is real and not some fever dream.)
And for those concerned about carrier blocking and labeling more broadly, call deliverability issues will be a major topic of conversation at the HUGE Troutman Amin, LLP marketing law conference on July 13, 2023.
Although the live event is sold out, you can still access the virtual option to get INCREDIBLY important information and have your questions answered by the POWERFUL Troutman Amin, LLP team!
sounds like the FCC is finally providing relief for millions of BS robocalls.
And you think consumers waste going to be unhappy about this? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yay! This is wonderful news! I hope the entire call center industry rots in hell.
So instead of whining about the 80%, maybe if they left a message, then, it would be more than 30 seconds; and we (the victimized) consumers could actually call you back provided we even interested in whatever crap you were trying to dump on us – DUH
Think about the increased conversion rates then! Again, provided you actually have something of value, that I actually would be interested in… since these are “compliant outbound leads” as claimed…seems a legit marketer would WANT to give us the opp to call back!!
Or if it’s the minimum of 45% that Eric has posted about being FRAUD leads, then it makes perfect sense why you’re afraid to leave PRMs!!
Yeah, cry me a river…
Couldn’t you just leave a 30 second message?
Waaaaaaaaaaaah!
Good. Sonething HAS to be done. Somebody on the internet used my number for login purposes and since March I have received as manyvas 52 robocalls in a day with the minimum robocalls in a day at 7. Thanks to Android alliwing ne to report and block numbers
Given that 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(6) requires that a robocaller not hang up in less than 15 seconds or 4 rings, this 30 second rule makes sense. Telemarketers should be REQUIRED to leave a message with their name and telephone number so that those called can call back and tell the scumbag off; or, better yet, have the necessary evidence to sue them for violating the DNC and calling without prior express consent. All robocallers should go to ….
There is a difference between ring time and average call duration. You can let a call ring for 40 seconds and it doesn’t matter much except that you get more voicemails and it slows your volume of calls per day.
If they do raise the ACD simply play silence to answering machines for 25 seconds which will round up to 30 and clear those requirements.
Anyone doing serious lead generation isn’t using twilio. The majority of US routes using twilio are 4 cents per minute which is crazy. (Yes I know, tier 1) Players in the space should be paying around 0.005 – 0.008 avg CPM in 6/6 increments, running their own switch and doing least cost routing. (Even with all the telecom fraud, you would be better to pay the fraud than pay 4 cents per minute)
Really want to put a dent in illegal calls? End spoofing and telecom fraud. To try and put it in simplest terms, carriers know when you spoof so they just turn the dial on X% of traffic to be re-routed to their own IVR’s which answer the call and hold the line for X amount of seconds.
It’s a delicate balance of maintaining plausible deniability (robocall mitigation) but also taking advantage of a situation where the robocaller is in a corner where they just chalk it up as the cost of doing business. Drug dealers can’t get robbed and go to the police. Same thing. Also acts as an incentive to pacify the government but also go soft on robocallers. Hence you are seeing litigation actions being taken against big companies, all who have been doing it for the last 10+ years in some cases.