Why nobody picks up?
The 7 real causes of a catastrophic pickup rate in the US market.
CASE #7
THE SHORT ANSWER
In 70% of cases, your number is flagged as spam by US carriers. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile use STIR/SHAKEN and analytics to block your calls before the phone even rings.
THE 7 CAUSES OF ZERO PICKUP RATE
Your number is flagged as spam
Carriers display "Scam Likely" (T-Mobile), "Spam Risk" (AT&T), or "Potential Spam" (Verizon). The prospect doesn't even see your call.
Too many calls from the same number
Exceeding 30-40 calls/day on the same number triggers STIR/SHAKEN analytics. The number gets auto-flagged by carrier algorithms.
Low STIR/SHAKEN attestation
Calls with B or C attestation levels are more likely to be flagged. Full attestation (A) requires verified caller ID from your carrier.
High-risk industry
Solar, Medicare, auto warranty, and debt collection face the strictest FCC scrutiny. These sectors are heavily monitored.
Wrong calling hours
TCPA restricts calls to 8am-9pm local time. Calling outside these hours or during lunch drastically reduces pickups and risks fines.
Anti-spam apps installed
Truecaller, Hiya, Nomorobo, RoboKiller, and carrier apps like T-Mobile Scam Shield block reported numbers without notifying the caller.
DNC Registry violations
Calling numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry without exemption leads to reports and fines up to $50,000+ per violation.
TOXICITY INDEX BY SECTOR (US MARKET)
| Sector | Toxicity | Recommended monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Solar / Home Improvement | Mandatory daily monitoring | |
| Medicare / Health Insurance | Mandatory daily monitoring | |
| Auto Warranty | Recommended daily monitoring | |
| Debt Collection | Monitoring 3x/week | |
| B2B SaaS | SAFE | Weekly monitoring |
Based on FCC enforcement actions and carrier flagging patterns in 2024-2025
DIAGNOSTIC PROTOCOL
Check the number
Test your number on didchecks.com. Score > 70 = your number is probably blocked by AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile.
Test manually
Call your own cell from the suspect number. Check display for "Scam Likely", "Spam Risk", or "Potential Spam".
Analyze volume
Count your daily calls per number. If you exceed 40 calls/day, that's likely the cause.
Change strategy
Rest the number, activate rotation, and monitor scores before each campaign.
Immediate actions
Quarantine the flagged number immediately
Switch to a clean number from your backup pool
Verify STIR/SHAKEN attestation level with your carrier
Short-term actions
Register with Free Caller Registry and carrier whitelists
Schedule daily verification on didchecks.com
Scrub your list against the National DNC Registry
THE 5 PREVENTION RULES (US)
Respect TCPA calling hours
Only call between 8am-9pm in the recipient's local time zone. Violations can cost $500-$1,500 per call.
Scrub against DNC Registry
Check the National Do Not Call Registry every 31 days. Fines up to $50,000+ per violation.
Systematic number rotation
Alternate your numbers every 2 hours or each half-day. Keep call volume under 40/day per number.
Use local presence dialing
Match area codes to your prospects (212 for NYC, 310 for LA, etc.). Local numbers have higher pickup rates.
Maintain STIR/SHAKEN compliance
Ensure your carrier provides A-level attestation. Register with the FCC Robocall Mitigation Database.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I know if my number is blocked by carriers?
How long does it take to recover a burned number?
What's the difference between "Spam Risk" and "Scam Likely"?
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