Shawn Gretz,
President
“The problem is plain to see, too much technology. Machines to save our lives, Machines de-humanize.”
Thank you Styx for the wonderful lyrics from Mr. Roboto to start a conversation about Robo-calls and the newest challenge for those of us looking to communicate with phones now protected by “robo-blockers.” Apple’s – App Store tells you just how big this challenge will be in the very near future. In October 2017, an app called Robo-Killer was introduced to the fanfare of many. As of January 2018, the app has been downloaded 12,900 times. The worst news for the call center industry is that this and several other “robo-blocker” apps combined together have over 150,000 downloads.
So what is a Robo-blocker app? Since early 2017, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has been working with tele-providers to start tracking robo-calls. They have created an entire database that is available to the public. This database has created a market for apps that intercept the call the moment your phone rings, and runs it through the database.
The database will:
1. Block any known spam numbers;
2. Notify you in the CallerID of any likely spam calls; or
3. Allow the call to come through.
If a person determines the call was spam, the app allows that person to mark the call as spam and block the call from future attempts. This information is then reported to the database, crowd-sourcing what numbers are unwanted calls. The app then blocks unwanted calls for all users of the app. Brilliant right?
Well, not so fast. Americollect has been tracking our numbers in this database along with our early out client’s numbers, and the scary challenge is that legitimate numbers are being marked as spam. Imagine if all numbers you own are one day blocked from appointment reminders, pre-surgery authorization calls, calls from your doctors to relay test results, or in our case calls to try to communicate about patients’ balances. The lost revenue in missed appointments alone should be scary to any healthcare system.
So what to do?
1. Assign an individual to continually check the FCC’s database to ensure your telephone number is not reported to this database. If your number happens to be one that is blocked, the FCC does allow for you to report that your number is a legitimate business.
2. Download as many of the apps as possible and double check to see if your numbers are being blocked by calling your cell phone.
3. Start gathering emails NOW!
4. Request the ability to text your patients.
5. Ask for as many phone numbers as you possibly can.
If you have any questions regarding this article, please contact [email protected].