(Rant) I’m losing my mind at all the spam calls, emails, and texts about business funding. How many of y’all are experiencing this?

[cfiscel]

@joppyldw Huh? Real customers leave a message - you call right back. In fact, your message can be informative and possibly answer some questions or be a second screen (require input to leave a message or let the call through). If you have a big business you pay people to answer the phones with a screener app.

 

[joppyldw]

@cfiscel Have many voicemails have you left for businesses?

Unless they are ALREADY your client or DESPERATE to be your client, then they call the next business. That's just how life is. It really sucks, but customers have been trained that most businesses don't call back or they call back like a day later, if you're lucky.

I used to run an answering service for service companies.. I could tell you straight off the bat that for every dollar they paid me in answering calls, I brought in $8 of revenue.

 

[doelkempoel]

@lyolagrace93 If you're getting hit on your cellphone, then you have a few options:

• Install an app like Nomorobo (https://www.nomorobo.com/). This will filter/screen your calls and the accuracy is pretty high
• Set up a google voice number which has rules/screens. If memory serves, you can screen a new, unknown caller and if you approve that number, it doesn't go through the screening process again

Both options are pretty easy and don't require too much effort.

If you're getting hit on your landline I would recommend:

• Set up a voip system with a SIP/voip provider that has anti spam rules, most places offer these for free if you use their services.
• Set up a voip PBX with an AA (Automated Attendant) with a simple dialplan rule which requires the caller to listen to your AA and interact with it. If the caller doesn't interact with the AA the PBX will drop the call.

I have the above for my PBX and it works great. Restricted/no number given callers are immediately rejected. If a spammer calls in on a known/spoofed number, the voip provider immediately drops the call and presents the caller with a fast busy signal.

If they are not on the auto reject list, the AA greets the caller with something like "Thank you for calling XYZ Incorporated, please press any number on your phone to bypass this message". This message is played twice for the caller, if the caller does not press any key, the AA will hang up/terminate the call.

For PBX software, I would recommend 3cx. It has a free tier that is GREAT for small businesses. You can host 3cx on your own equipment and the software would be 100% free if it meets your business requirements. They do offer cloud/hosted versions but I believe that's not free. 3cx also have apps for phones so you can receive phone calls away from the office.

For the voip/sip provider, I use callcentric; I heard good things about https://www.voip.ms.

 

[mrstbw]

@doelkempoel this is the best answer and only way to combat

 

[amp1974]

@lyolagrace93 LOL! So glad I am pre-approved for business funding that I NEVER applied for. SHOW ME THE MOTHERFUCKEN MONEY!!!!