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Please do not withhold your number

mapletree
Grafter
Posts: 644
Registered: ‎28-07-2007

Please do not withhold your number

When PN phone me the caller ID says "withheld".  I can see no reason why a business would wish to withhold their telephone number.  Since most withheld calls are scams or cold callers I would not normally answer them at all and it was only chance that I did so.
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godsell4
Rising Star
Posts: 3,366
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Please do not withhold your number

Agreed, I dont answer those calls either. PN can make the CLID value be their freephone number if they wanted to.
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Chris
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Please do not withhold your number

I know we've looked into this before, but IIRC the main issue was due to the fact that we also operate Madasafish, Metronet, Just the Name etc from here too so it'd need different numbers displaying for each one. As the support centre don't have a set seat (they mostly hotdesk) then this isn't easy to implement.
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itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: Please do not withhold your number

I assume that PN use ISDN30 so hotdesking is not an issue and I would assume that calls for the different brands could be routed to give the correct CLI.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Please do not withhold your number

Alternatively keep the specific VISP phone support numbers for customer's initial contact.
Set up a new generic support number which is transmitted and displayed for caller ID regardless of which VISP the customer is with.
Any incoming calls on that number that customer support receive will need to be answered by an automated "PRESS" - "1 for Force9",  "2 for Plusnet". . .
That way us customers at least get the display of a legitimate number, and not ignore or bar it because it is yet another "number withheld" scam call.
mapletree
Grafter
Posts: 644
Registered: ‎28-07-2007

Re: Please do not withhold your number

TBH presenting any number is better than withholding it.  I don't really understand why you would have to present different numbers for your different brands unless you wish to pretend they are not related.  Wink
The company I work for I'm sure is much smaller than PN but we can do it and we don't even run a telephone or ISP service. 
Generally people who wildhold their number do it to hide their identity often for malicious purposes.
198kHz
Seasoned Hero
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Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: Please do not withhold your number

IF the problems mentioned by Chris are insurmountable, could it at least be made 'Unavailable' rather than 'Withheld'.
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Strat
Community Veteran
Posts: 31,320
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Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Please do not withhold your number

This really annoys me as important calls from organisations where the number is withheld can go unanswered causing more problems for the recipient.
On the other hand if 'number withheld' calls are answered because an important call is expected then the recipient is liable to be pestered with unwelcome cold calls.
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Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Please do not withhold your number

I have on at least two occasions (that I know of) not picked up the phone when Plusnet/Force9 support have tried to call me - because they "number withheld".
If I had been called with ANY legitimate UK phone number, then I would I answered the call immediately.  Roll_eyes
We receive about eight to fifteen "number withheld" calls EVERY single day and now simply don't answer those calls as 99% of the time they are foreign callers that we really don't want to talk to - and generally the same call centers every day !  Cry
Knowing that this was a problem (and for other reasons), I recently wrote in a Plusnet support ticket please DON'T phone to discuss the issue, but please respond ONLY using the ticket system, but Plusnet still phoned anyway !  -  D'Oh ! - not reading the ticket again  Angry
rongtw
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Registered: ‎01-12-2010

Re: Please do not withhold your number

must admit that i hardly ever answer a witheld number as 90% of the time its sales calls  Tongue
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TheIslander
Grafter
Posts: 95
Registered: ‎13-11-2011

Re: Please do not withhold your number

I cannot find the info. But from memory it's is not legal for companies to call customers witholding caller ID. They must show one even when you phone the number it advises who called. This does not stop the cowboy companies not doing that.
mapletree
Grafter
Posts: 644
Registered: ‎28-07-2007

Re: Please do not withhold your number

Quote from: 4C
IF the problems mentioned by Chris are insurmountable, could it at least be made 'Unavailable' rather than 'Withheld'.

That would be worse.  If 90% of "withheld" calls are nuisance calls then 99% of "unavailable" ones are cold-callers.  At least you can be fairly sure a "wildheld" call originated from the UK".
mariek
Grafter
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎22-11-2010

Re: Please do not withhold your number

I agree.  Withheld numbers are a nuisance.
Chris
Legend
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Please do not withhold your number

We had a discussion about this earlier today, there are quite a few things we need to consider so if we don't reply to this thread please don't think it's being ignored!
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chandu
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎30-12-2010

Re: Please do not withhold your number

Quote from: Strat
On the other hand if 'number withheld' calls are answered because an important call is expected then .......

This happened to me the other day, when I was expecting an important call and ended up picking up a cold call.  Next time this happens I shall have to ask the otherend to hang-on and just leave the phone on the table and get on with other work.  This should teach them a lesson.
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