The Technology Behind Ringless Voicemail: Exclusive to Mobile Phones
According to Pew Research data, approximately 91% of adults in the United States owned cell phones by 2013, making ringless voicemail an effective means of reaching a vast majority of the market. Although some segments, like residents of rural areas and seniors aged 65 and older, may have lower cell phone ownership rates, ringless voicemail can still be successfully employed with these demographics.Ringless voicemail operates by delivering a voice message without initiating an actual phone call. Instead, the technology contacts the business landline of a wireless cellular provider and leaves the voicemail through this channel. The cellular provider then identifies the recipient and transfers the message to the designated server space, subsequently notifying the customer of the new voicemail. This process ensures that the customer receives the message without any phone call or disruptions, and without incurring any associated charges.
Key Benefits of Ringless Voicemail
Ringless voicemail presents several notable advantages over traditional cold calling or leaving messages when someone doesn’t answer the phone.In traditional telemarketing, the call is an interruption. It disrupts the person’s activities as they pause to answer the phone. If it turns out to be a marketing call, it often leads to annoyance, contributing to the creation of the Do Not Call List.
Certain telemarketing systems attempt to address the issue of interruptions by hanging up if someone answers the call, as this avoids potential complaints. However, this approach comes with inefficiencies. For instance, some individuals consistently answer their phones, making it difficult to leave a voicemail. Moreover, it requires multiple attempts to identify those who regularly pick up the phone, adding complexity to the process.Ringless voicemail overcomes the drawbacks associated with traditional telemarketing. With ringless voicemail, messages are delivered directly to the recipient’s voicemail, eliminating any interruptions. Since individuals check their voicemail at their convenience, there is no perceived annoyance. This non-intrusive approach makes ringless voicemail a more welcome and user-friendly communication method for businesses and customers alike.Ringless voicemail is a relatively new technology, and many consumers are not yet familiar with it. When recipients see a voicemail notification, their curiosity is piqued, and they wonder who tried to call them. This inherent curiosity leads to higher rates of people listening to ringless voicemails and, subsequently, higher response rates compared to traditional forms of communication.
Ringless voicemail offers the advantage of unlimited message length, unlike traditional telemarketing calls where a caller may be cut off if the recipient lacks interest. With ringless voicemail, marketers can leverage copywriting techniques to craft compelling scripts. Creativity knows no bounds – humorous or intriguing plots, voice impressions of popular celebrities, and innovative marketing ideas like scratch and dent sales or last-minute deals can all be incorporated. This flexibility allows messages to grab and hold attention, making it easier to present compelling offers to recipients.
The Legal Considerations of Ringless Voicemail
In 2003, the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act was introduced, allowing consumers to register their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. Initiated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on June 27, 2003, the registry has grown significantly, with over 200 million phone numbers added as of September 2016. It provides consumers the option to add both landlines and cellular phones to the registry, granting them protection from unsolicited telemarketing calls. Federal laws further reinforce this protection by prohibiting marketers from using automated tools to call cellular phones in almost all instances.The establishment of the Do Not Call Registry was driven by significant complaints from consumers regarding cold calls and robocalls, as well as the inconvenience of having to pay for such unwanted calls. While landlines were less strictly regulated due to many calls going unanswered during daytime hours when people were at work, the scenario changed with cellphones. Cellphones being carried with individuals at all times resulted in a higher rate of answered calls, leading to increased annoyance and a surge in complaints. Consequently, more stringent laws were introduced to address these issues and protect consumers from unsolicited telemarketing calls on their mobile devices.
Ringless voicemail presents several advantages over traditional cold calling. Unlike cold calls, ringless voicemail does not interrupt individuals from their activities, allowing them to check messages at their convenience. Moreover, since ringless voicemail messages are delivered directly to voice mailboxes, recipients do not incur any charges.As of now, ringless voicemail is not subject to specific regulations or restrictions, making it a legally viable communication method for businesses and marketers.
Despite the existence of the National Do Not Call Registry, unwanted calls, including robocalls, remain a persistent issue for many people. To address this problem, lawmakers proposed a bill in 2016 with the intention of banning all robocalls, which would encompass ringless voicemail due to its automated delivery method. However, as of the time of writing in September 2017, the bill has not been enacted into law, and ringless voicemail remains legally permissible.
