How to deal with a nuisance phone call from a withheld number or a call that shows ‘No Caller ID’ or ‘Anonymous’
Many of us are increasingly frustrated with nuisance calls where the caller’s number is withheld. If you’ve ever picked up the phone only to be greeted by a vague message like:
– Number Unknown
– No Caller ID
– Anonymous
…you’re not alone.
These calls are usually spam or sales-related and can become a significant disruption to your day. One common question we get asked is, “What can be done to block or divert these calls?”
Why Is This Happening?
Caller Line Identification (CLI), which displays the phone number of an incoming call, can easily be withheld by the caller. This is why you’re often left with nothing but “Anonymous” on your screen when a spam call comes through.
An example of an anonymous phone call as displayed on a telephone handset
What Can Be Done?
We’ve found the most effective solution for dealing with withheld numbers is to configure your cloud-hosted phone system to handle them for you.
Here’s how it works:
When a call comes in without a visible number, the system automatically plays a pre-recorded message.
A common example might be:
“Thank you for calling. We do not accept calls from withheld numbers. Please call back using a phone that presents a number.”
This polite but firm approach deters unwanted calls and puts the onus back on the caller to reveal their identity if they genuinely need to reach you.
Handling Cold Calls
Even if a number is displayed, cold calls from sales teams can be just as much of a nuisance. Fortunately, there are ways to manage these as well. If you receive an unwanted call, simply note the number and let us know and we can program your phone system to block it.
Alternatively, you can set up a pre-recorded message specifically for known cold callers.
These solutions can significantly reduce the number of nuisance calls you receive, allowing you to focus on the conversations that matter.
By taking control of how your phone system handles withheld and cold calls, you can ensure your time isn’t wasted by unwanted interruptions.
If you’d like to learn more about how to handle nuisance calls or have any questions about cloud hosted telephone systems, please click here to get in touch
September 2024
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