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The service will allow businesses to display short messages to customers to explain the nature of their call.
Back in 2024, AT&T struck a partnership with TransUnion to launch the latter’s Branded Call Display service. This service allows opted-in businesses to have their brand name and logo displayed on customer handsets when receiving calls, thereby helping customers to identify scam callers posing as legitimate businesses.
Now, the service is going one step further, with the latest feature allowing businesses to include the reason for their call on the on-screen notification. Businesses must seemingly choose their reason for calling from a wide range of preset options, including “Appointment Reminder,” “Customer Inquiry,” “Customer Service,” “Refill Reminder,” “Delivery Service,” “Patient Callback,” and “Upcoming Visit”.
The service is available on “most Android devices” and does not require an app to use, being part of the industry standard STIR/SHAKEN call authentication.
“We’re excited to announce the ability for businesses to add the reason for their call to the mobile display,” said Erin Scarborough, AT&T senior vice president, Mass Markets Product Management. “Research shows consumers still prefer calling for communicating with businesses – especially for urgent, personal, or high-value issues. Now they can safely answer verified branded calls, knowing who’s calling and why.”
Spam calls remain a major issue for the telecoms sector. According to spam protection company Truecaller, US customers experience roughly 3.3 billion spam or unwanted calls every month. As such, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been taking increasingly strict measures to prevent spam calls in recent years, with mixed results.
Are telcos doing enough to protect their customers from spam and fraudulent calls? Join the discussion at Connected America, live in Dallas, Texas
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