Airtel Business launches 'Business Name Display' for enterprises; pilots with 250+ firms
The service enables businesses to display their brand name on the recipient’s mobile screen during outgoing calls, thereby fostering trust and helping customers distinguish legitimate business calls from spam.
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Airtel Business has announced the launch of ‘Business Name Display’ (BND), an industry-first solution designed to enhance customer engagement for enterprises. The service enables businesses to display their brand name on the recipient’s mobile screen during outgoing calls, thereby fostering trust and helping customers distinguish legitimate business calls from spam.
To curb spam calls, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) last month instructed telecom operators to promptly implement and complete trials of the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service on mobile phones by April 14. The service makes name display compulsory for incoming calls. In January, during a meeting with telecom operators, the department asked the telcos to implement the CNAP without any delay.
While the trials for the technology are ongoing, for 2G users, the service won’t be feasible as the technology does not permit it. In February last year, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had called on the government to mandate telcos to implement the CNAP service to combat customer harassment from unknown/ spam callers.
In the latest move, Airtel solved the spam challenge for its customers with the launch of India’s first spam-fighting network, supported by a nationwide awareness campaign to educate users. While these initiatives have significantly increased customer awareness, leading more people to ignore calls flagged as spam or from unknown numbers, it also resulted in unintended consequences where call from brands got tagged as spam. Consequently, customers were missing on critical calls from banks, food delivery, courier delivery, hospital for critical doctor’s appointment et al. The “Business Name Display” solves for this challenge and facilitates a relevant yet safe communication environment enabling end customers to make informed decisions on all incoming calls, which will display the name of the company the call is from. In turn, businesses can stand-out to their customers even as they protect them from fraudulent callers.
Sharat Sinha, Director and CEO, Airtel Business, said, “We will be helping businesses establish trust and stand out with every call while simultaneously giving customers the confidence of knowing who is reaching out to them. It is about making communication more personal, secure and seamless for both sides.”
The solution was successfully piloted with over 250 businesses across sectors including banking, retail, food delivery, mobility, Quick commerce, courier and logistics. These businesses used 1.5 million+ phone numbers to make 12.8 million calls in the last 30 days, leading to an impressive increase in customer engagement.
By displaying a verified name at the onset of each call, businesses can: clearly distinguishes themselves from unknown calls; build trust and enhance their brand reputation; provide context that improves the customer experience as well as the call answer rates.
