A new survey by Transaction Network Services (TNS) reveals a powerful consumer demand for businesses to brand their outbound calls. In fact, just over three-quarters (76%) of Americans prefer to engage with businesses that use branded calling over those that do not. This would seem to imply a massive competitive advantage for organizations using branded calling to enhance CX and optimize their use of the still-critical voice channel, despite the adoption of other channels.
The results are clear: Despite the ongoing frustration with robocalls and fraud, the voice channel remains critical for customer engagement. An overwhelming 81% of consumers say they would answer a call if it follows a recent action they have taken with that brand. This underscores the vital role of outbound calling for contact centers, sales teams, and customer service operations, and highlights the urgency for businesses to restore trust in this fundamental communication method.
The problem is that people don’t trust calls. I know many people (including me) who simply don’t answer a call if they aren’t certain they know who is calling. Branded calling directly addresses this widespread consumer distrust of unknown numbers, which has been exacerbated by the surge in scams. By displaying the business's name, logo, or even the call's purpose directly on the recipient's phone, branded calling dramatically improves the customer experience.
“Despite the progress in combating robocalls, consumers are wary of answering their phones. Businesses must address this erosion of trust in voice calling as a strategic business issue rather than just a technical challenge,” said Seth Walton, General Manager for TNS’ Communications Market.
Trust and Confidence
When a customer sees a recognizable brand name, they are more likely to trust the caller. This transparency reduces the anxiety and suspicion typically associated with answering unknown numbers, making the interaction feel safer and more legitimate from the outset.
Transparency and Context
Branded calls provide immediate context, allowing customers to understand who is calling and why, even before they answer. This eliminates the “unknown number” dilemma, where customers might ignore important calls out of caution. It happens all the time.
Reduced Friction
By making the decision to answer easier and more confident, branded calling removes a significant point of friction in customer communication. This leads to higher answer rates for critical calls (e.g., appointment reminders, fraud alerts, service updates) and generally improves customer receptiveness to engage, fostering more efficient communication pathways and supporting positive customer relationships.
Professionalism and Personalization
A branded call conveys a level of professionalism and attention to detail that a generic number simply cannot. It can make the interaction feel more tailored and respectful, contributing to a more positive overall perception brands.
On the other hand ignoring the demand from customers for improved transparency and, most specifically, branded calling, not only doesn’t provide any of these benefits, but actually poses a risk to brands. Let’s face it, it generally makes good business sense to listen to what your customers say – and even more so when it’s 81% of the market.
Without branded calling, businesses lose opportunities to connect with customers, who simply don’t answer because they don’t trust the call. Three-quarters of U.S. adults say they’ve missed calls from unknown numbers that they would have answered had they known who was calling. This translates directly to missed sales opportunities, delayed customer service resolutions, and critical communications that simply don't reach their intended targets.
There’s also the problem of perception. As branded calling becomes more prominent, business that don’t jump on board risk erosion of customer perception and an increasing sentiment that they brand is less legitimate or professional -- or worse, become association with spam and fraud. That’s bad for brand reputation and customer trust.
In addition, failure to connect with calls means businesses have to then move to other, often more time-consuming and less efficient channels, which impact operational costs and increase resolution times. Again, that’s bad for business.
Branded calling is no longer a niche solution; it’s become a critical component of modern, effective omnichannel customer experience programs. Embracing branded calling is essential not only for protecting brands and ensuring calls are answered, but also for forging stronger, more trusting relationships with customers. As the market continues to embrace branded calling and demonstrate improved customer engagement and trust, businesses that do not risk falling behind losing out on market share.
Edited by
Erik Linask
