No silence please, we’re British…

Ofcom today announced some measures intended to combat silent calls, a problem we’ve paid a little attention to here, thanks mostly to the efforts of David Hickson.

Ofcom said:

Silent calls occur when automated calling systems used by call centres for telemarketing, market research, debt collection and other purposes, generate more calls than the available call centre agents can deal with. When the person dialled answers the telephone, there is no agent available, resulting in silence on the line. These abandoned calls can cause significant anxiety and annoyance.

And proposed a series of new measures:

* Any abandoned calls must carry a recorded information message which identifies the source of the call and offers the person called an opportunity to decline further calls from that source;

* Calling line identification (CLI) must be presented on all outbound calls from call centres using automated calling systems. CLI allows people to dial 1471 and access the telephone number of the person or organisation calling them;

* Telephone numbers dialled then abandoned should not be called again by that organisation’s automated calling system for at least 72 hours, unless a dedicated operator is available to take the call;

* Abandoned call rates must be below three per cent of total calls for any 24 hour period for each campaign. This is a lower threshold than existing published industry codes which require a five per cent limit, and is intended to require operators to manage their systems more effectively; and

* Records must be kept to demonstrate compliance with these requirements.

This is a consultation — responses are due by no later than 9 January 2006, and should address the following questions:

Q1 Do you agree that consumers are concerned by silent calls and that Ofcom is right to take enforcement action against the companies that make them?

Q2 Do you agree with Ofcom�s proposed approach to taking enforcement action, guided by a sense of administrative priority?

Q3 Do you agree that the range of procedures proposed in the statement will be effective in reducing the degree of anxiety, annoyance and inconvenience caused by silent calls?

Q4 Are there any additional procedures which call centres could adopt to reduce the degree of anxiety, annoyance and inconvenience caused by silent calls?

My take: Not exactly tough questions Ofcom are asking here! My only other comment at this time is that Ofcom should more actively publicise the Telephone Preference Service.

Your take: Email us (blog@ofcomwatch.co.uk) or comment below…