Spam and wrong-number calls: how to answer them and save your staff’s time
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Spam and wrong-number calls are a normal part of a business phone: wrong numbers, sales pitches, robocalls, silent calls, job enquiries. Write one ready line for each type and end such calls politely within half a minute. Tell a wrong-number caller who you are, too: they may become a customer. Check that your number is correct on your website, Instagram and maps, give suppliers a separate email or Telegram, and count these calls separately in your reports.
Kinds of unwanted calls, and what to say
| Type | What it looks like | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong number | Looking for another company | “No, this is a flower shop. Please check the number.” |
| Sales pitch | Ads, loans, service sellers | “Please email your offer, and the person responsible will look at it.” |
| Robocall | A recorded announcement | Nothing: hang up |
| Silent call | Nobody speaks | Say “Hello, I’m listening” twice, then end the call |
| Job enquiry | “Do you have any vacancies?” | Give the HR number or Telegram contact |
| Pranks and abuse | Laughing, insults | Answer calmly once, then end the call |
An unwanted call isn’t always unwanted
Someone who dialled the wrong number may still become a customer: they may have been looking for another company in your line of business. If your number used to belong to another firm, its customers will call too.
So don’t hang up straight away. Say in one sentence who you are and what you do, then say goodbye.
Example: a wrong-number call
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Lola flower shop, this is Malika.
Caller: Sorry, isn’t this Nur taxi?
Sado: No, this is a flower shop. One digit must be different; please check the number.
Caller: Oh, sorry.
Sado: No problem. By the way, if you ever need flowers, we deliver across Tashkent within two hours. Have a nice day!
The whole call took half a minute. The caller wasn’t offended, and they’ll remember the flower shop. The delivery time is only an example.
How to get fewer unwanted calls
- Check that your number is right everywhere: website, Instagram, maps, old ads. Some wrong-number calls come from outdated listings.
- If your number looks very like another company’s, print it large and clearly in your ads.
- Give suppliers and job seekers their own channel: email, Telegram or an HR number.
- If one number makes unwanted calls several times a day, ask your telephone provider whether it can be blocked.
- Once a month, review a week of calls: how many weren’t customers, and where they came from.
Why count them
For example, if 15 of 120 daily calls aren’t customers and each takes two minutes, a staff member spends 30 minutes a day on them. That’s about 13 hours a month. These numbers are only an example: work out your own.
Keep unwanted calls separate in your reports. Otherwise your “calls that became orders” rate looks lower than it is, and you might switch off an ad that was actually working.
An AI operator and unwanted calls
An AI operator for incoming calls answers every call, including wrong numbers and sales pitches. You decide how it answers: for example, giving an email address for offers or a Telegram contact for job seekers. Your staff spend no time on these calls.
In the portal every call has a short summary, so you can see which calls came from customers without listening to the recordings. You pay only for talked minutes, with no monthly fee: pricing. Common questions: FAQ. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
How should you answer a wrong-number call?
Politely and briefly: say your company name and what you do in one sentence. The caller may remember your service.
Can you block spam calls?
If one number keeps calling, ask your telephone provider whether it can be blocked. But don’t block every unknown number: the first call from a new number may be a customer.
Do you pay for unwanted calls the AI operator takes?
With Sado you pay only for talked minutes on any call, 800 so‘m a minute. Wrong-number calls are usually short, so they cost little.