Rich Call Data (RCD) – What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Rich Call Data – you may have heard something about it in recent news. In mid-July, First Orion, along with T-Mobile and other industry partners, completed the first-ever mobile proof-of-concept that combines Caller ID and Rich Call Data (RCD) due to the compliance regulations of STIR/SHAKEN.

Now, you’re thinking – ok, so what? What do they mean by rich? What kind of data? How does it affect my phone call?

Here’s the lowdown on RCD and how it will improve your call experience.

What is Rich Call Data?

Rich Call Data – it has nothing to do with money or wealth. Think of rich, as in abundant or plentiful. Now think of data or information. And add those two with a call, and you get a phone call that uses abundant information. Experts believe it’s the future of calling standards for the telecommunications industry.

What Kind of Information?

RCD is information provided by the call originator to identify themselves to the call recipient. In other words, it’s a way for companies or organizations to generate calls that send an abundant amount of information to a consumer’s phone so that the person recognizes the caller. This information could be a combination of the company/organization name, logo, and corporate colors. It could also include the reason for calling.

Rich Call Data leverages the infrastructure created by STIR/SHAKEN. The STIR/SHAKEN framework is designed to securely sign and verify calling party numbers in Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling used to set up phone calls. The standards establish a framework for carriers to help identify, track, and minimize spoofed calls. With call authentication and verification, consumers can have more peace of mind and learn to trust their phones again.

What Can Rich Call Data Do for My Business?

People have major trust issues with their phones, and it’s no secret why.  More than 1 in 5 Americans (21%) received more than 50 scam calls in a month in 2020; 18 percent of consumers reported getting more than three scam calls per day.

With this in mind, it’s not surprising that people ignore calls from numbers they do not know – and they definitely don’t answer calls identified as scams. This is a problem for legitimate businesses that are trying to reach their clients.

When you make a call using RCD, you’re telling, and showing the caller who you are, which makes it more likely that the person you’re trying to reach will answer. And when you connect, you’ll have a more meaningful conversation. This applies to nearly every industry, from restaurants to retail and insurance to banking.

What’s more – your clients will learn to trust your brand and company again, leading to more consumer satisfaction.

Can My Business Use RCD Now?

Not just yet, though phone manufacturers are working on it; it could be several more years before there are a significant number of RCD-enabled phones in consumers’ hands. But there is another way to deliver your contact and branding info to mobile devices when you make a call.

As mentioned earlier, First Orion, along with other industry leaders, recently completed a successful proof-of-concept of RCD calling. This is a major step towards delivering a standardized caller identification service in the near future (perhaps 2-5 years). In the meantime,  First Orion offers two solutions in the market today that organizations can use to deliver branded phone calls to their consumers.

Branded Calling Solutions

As it stands today, companies must rely on their clients having their number and company information saved in their phone contacts. Due to the potential for number spoofing and scam calls – which could lead to unwanted frustration with your brand – First Orion does not recommend this practice. Conversely, when your company’s number shows up without identifying information, consumers are left to wonder if it is a real call or not. Plus, some companies use different numbers for different reasons; one could be customer support, while another is for sales.

You get the idea – it can become a headache for businesses that need to reach their clients.

As a result, First Orion offers the INFORM and ENGAGE solutions, which have been proven to increase contact rates and more conversions for companies. Plus, both solutions include technology to protect your company against spoofed numbers and spammed calls.

INFORM is a branded caller ID solution that delivers 32-character text-based messaging to phones; rather than just a plain number, the call delivers the company name (or message) on the client’s device.

Our ENGAGE solution is a little different. Using a content-rich format, ENGAGE can deliver your call with your name, logo, colors, and message.

Though RCD technology is not quite ready today, you can still take control of your phone calls with your company’s identity. As a result, you’ll provide a better overall call experience for consumers, and in turn, higher satisfaction with your brand.

Contact First Orion today to discover more about branded calling.