Call Capture - Levels of Service

Levels of Service

Levels or grades of call capture exist. If you have Caller ID, then you have the lowest grade of call capture. However, calls from unpublished numbers are blocked, or, you can't view them, on Caller ID.

The best call capture technology uses Automatic Number Identification (ANI). ANI serves a function similar to Caller ID, but utilizes a different underlying technology, and is usually impossible to block by prefixing a call with *67.

ANI was originally developed by telecommunications companies for billing purposes and is one of the core technologies behind 911 emergency services. It's also available for commercial purposes for customers who may benefit from knowing who is calling them. The Federal Communications Commission allows anyone who is paying for a phone call (800 numbers are free to the caller, not the owner of the 800 number) to know who is calling them.

A personal computer can be used for detecting Caller ID. In addition, sales leads and their contact information can be sent to an email inbox by companies. For instance, a real estate agent could print out his/her list of leads from the previous day every morning and start to call them back.

As far as alternative lead generation systems, call capture has several advantages.

• Leads are transmitted directly to the client without a middle man. This should reduce costs.
• Call capture is a potent substitute for cold calling, especially in light of the new "Do Not Call" laws. Anyone who calls a call capture 800 line falls under the "90 day business inquiry" rule of the Do Not Call laws. This means that the end user can call anyone who has called their call capture 800 number in the past 90 days.