You would think that we would all respect each other’s space, not to mention time, and refrain from calling other people when the call is not welcome. Sadly, though, we all get those unwanted calls from telemarketers, identity thieves, scam artists, and even unruly customers, leaving us desperate for a way to stop them.
Fortunately, there are systems in place, and measures you can take to stop these disturbances to yourself and your business. Take advantage of these 4 solutions to prevent those irritating calls from disrupting your day from now, on.
1. Block the phone number.
The first and most obvious solution, simply blocking a phone number may take care of the problem; however, due to the multiple phone numbers that they tend to use, you may end up constantly blocking numbers. Most cell phones have an internal blocking function on the device, and if yours doesn’t have this function, you can always call your service provider and ask them to block a number from reaching you.
If you’re a Talkroute user, you can use the Phone Number Blocking feature to ban a harassing caller, right from your online dashboard. Just add the number to your list of blocked phone numbers, and you will never see a call from that number again.
2. Add yourself to the National Do Not Call Registry.
Though it will not stop 100% of unwanted calls, registering yourself on the official Do Not Call list will significantly cut down on the uninvited sales calls.
The registry is hosted by the Federal Trade Commission, so any legitimate telemarketer is legally obligated to comply; they are not, however, required to update their lists the same day. This means that you may still be solicited for 30 days or more, after you sign up on the Do Not Call Registry.
3. File a complaint.
If you’re on the Do Not Call list and still receive some unwanted calls, then you can file an official complaint with the FTC. They will contact the offending organization and usually handle it for you right away.
4. Tell the caller directly, to stop calling you.
Just like confronting a crazy ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend, this last option is risky but normally pretty effective. You can actually answer the call and tell the person explicitly, “Put me on your Do Not Call list.” The reason it’s a risk is because the caller may tell you that they’re putting you on the list, but then they never actually do. Many times it turns out to be a robo-call, in which case picking up is just a signal to them to call you even more.
Bear in mind that being on the FTC registry only prohibits sales calls from telemarketers; it does not block calls from political organizations, charities, debt collectors, or survey calls. For these, the best course of action may be to ask to speak with a supervisor, and then proceed to tell them directly, to stop calling.
The only instance where there isn’t much you can really do are calls from debt collectors. The best way to alleviate these relentless calls is to take care of the debt that you owe, unless of course, they are calling you in error.
There’s no good alternative to that one because they’re probably not going to stop calling until you take care of the debt. If you have already arranged payment and still receive harassing calls, then you should definitely file a complaint because the calls should not continue after you’re in good standing with them.
Stephanie
Stephanie is the Marketing Director at Talkroute and has been featured in Forbes, Inc, and Entrepreneur as a leading authority on business and telecommunications.
Stephanie is also the chief editor and contributing author for the Talkroute blog helping more than 100k entrepreneurs to start, run, and grow their businesses.