Why Are My Answer Rates So Low?

You've probably heard of them: Hiya, TNS, FirstOrion.  They analyze massive amounts of call data to predict fraud, flag suspicious numbers, and create risk scores that determine whether your call is labeled as spam—or blocked entirely.  Far too often, they get blamed in the answer rate game as many calls never reach them.

These middleman carriers pass calls between networks, but along the way, they might alter caller ID data, apply filtering rules, or drop calls altogether. You think your call is going through? It might never reach the other side...and worse: it sometimes will appear answered which might be fraud...

The major wireless carriers have their own internal fraud detection for good reason: to protect their subscribers from bad actors.  Understanding if your calls get caught up here...smart.

Phone makers like Apple and Samsung build built-in call filtering into their devices. That means the phone itself can silence your call, categorize it as unknown, or push it straight to voicemail—without the user even seeing it.

Spam-blocking apps like Robokiller, and Truecaller let users report numbers and automatically block "suspicious" calls. The problem? Once your number is flagged, getting it off their blacklist can be hard to do.

These services set traps for spam calls by using fake phone numbers that only spammers should dial. But legitimate businesses sometimes get caught, leading to false positives and lower answer rates. If your number lands on their list, your calls could be doomed before they even start.

Manage caller ID names using LIDB (Line Information Database,) but delays in updating the correct name information and mismatches can make real calls look suspicious

Designed to stop spoofed calls by verifying caller identity, but inconsistent attestation levels, carrier filtering, and call routing issues often lead to legitimate business calls being flagged, downgraded, or blocked outright.

Screen calls to help users, but they can misjudge real business calls as spam or unimportant.

Some businesses rotate numbers to avoid spam flags, but many entities track these patterns as they consider them 'deceptive.' If your numbers switch too often, they might get flagged as suspicious or blocked completely—even if your calls are legitimate.  And guess what...groups work together on this one...watch out.

Cloud dialers and CRMs help businesses connect faster, but their internal spam controls, compliance rules, and call pacing limits can restrict outbound calls. If your call volume spikes or triggers internal filters, your calls may be throttled, delayed, or blocked entirely without you knowing.

There’s no single national blocklist, but carriers, analytics firms, and regulators all maintain private, overlapping databases of flagged numbers. Once a number lands on one, getting off is nearly impossible—and you may never even know you’re on it. :(