Businesses face a rising challenge in the voice‑channel, as roughly 80 % of unidentified calls go unanswered. For retailers, service organisations, and any brand relying on outbound voice interactions—especially within omnichannel ecosystems—this means a critical communication gap.
Why Caller Reputation Matters
In today’s complex consumer journey, voice still plays a role—from customer service callbacks to delivery notifications and loyalty outreach. But with increasing spam, spoofing, and regulatory scrutiny, recipients are less confident answering calls from unknown numbers.
Brands must manage caller reputation proactively: the number, the display name, the network, and the linkage to known brand touchpoints all matter to whether a call gets answered.
Implications for Omnichannel Retail & Customer Experience
For omnichannel retailers like Walmart—with high call volumes (fulfilment notifications, in‑store pickup, fraud alerts)—this trend translates into direct customer impact.
If legitimate calls are blocked, flagged, or ignored, brand trust erodes and operational efficiency falls. It also complicates tracking and attribution of voice touchpoints in the wider omnichannel measurement framework.
Action Steps for Brands
- Audit your outbound calling numbers: ensure they align with your brand, are consistently named, and are recognised by major carriers and caller‑ID services.
- Monitor answer‑rates and delivery metrics by number and segment; identify drop‑outs where reputation is low.
- Work with vendors or partners that specialise in branded‑calling authentication, voice‑ID and spam mitigation.
- Embed voice‑channel performance into your broader omnichannel measurement stack—not as a silo but as part of the full journey.
