Nobody answers the phone anymore — and David Krasinski, VP of Identity and Trust Solutions at TransUnion, knows exactly why. He joins Squeeze's Carson Poppinger and Justin Jump to lay out a four-pillar playbook for rebuilding consumer trust in the voice channel.
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Key takeaways
- Spam-tag removal is table stakes — no branding strategy can overcome a 'Spam Likely' label.
- Call branding must be tested by use case; in collections it can lower contact rates while increasing dollars collected, so downstream metrics matter more than contact rate alone.
- Dialing inactive, reassigned, or unlinked phone numbers triggers spam-tagging algorithms and wastes agent capacity.
- Responsible dial cadence ('dial like you'd want your mother dialed') protects number reputation and sustains productivity beyond the 10th attempt.
- Speed-to-lead wins over call-window timing for fresh form submissions; call-window scoring is better suited to aged-lead programs.
- Consumers who have answered a call previously show 80–90% answer rates on follow-up — prioritizing these records is highly efficient.
- There is no silver bullet or whitelist; reputation management requires continuous monitoring and a partner with carrier-level remediation access.
Why the Voice Channel Is Broken — and How to Fix It
Consumer trust in phone calls has eroded over decades of spam, robocalls, and anonymous caller IDs. The result: people no longer pick up numbers they don’t recognize — a reality that costs businesses sales, deliveries, prescription reminders, and more. David Krasinski, VP of Identity and Trust Solutions at TransUnion (formerly Tarus Info and Neustar), has spent nearly 20 years at the intersection of caller ID data and outbound communications, and he joined The Juice Consumer Direct Podcast to share the framework he recommends to every company still relying on the voice channel.
The Four-Pillar Framework
- Remove spam tags. Spam and scam labels are table stakes to address first. Consumers are so conditioned to reject flagged calls that no amount of branding or timing optimization can overcome a “Spam Likely” label. Continuous monitoring and rapid remediation with a connected partner is essential.
- Test into the right branding strategy. Putting a name on a number doesn’t automatically lift answer rates — it depends on call type, brand recognition, and context. Krasinski notes that emerging “call use case” display (e.g., “Walgreens — Prescription Ready”) will take branding a step further by surfacing intent alongside identity. Some clients layer strategy: brand name on calls one through three, then shift to role-based labels (“Your Project Advisor”) to sustain engagement across a longer dial sequence.
- Fix your dial-file data. Dialing stale, reassigned, or disconnected numbers doesn’t just waste agent time — it actively triggers spam-tagging algorithms. Clean data means linking verified names to active phone numbers, scrubbing numbers not dialed in 12+ months, and flagging recently reassigned lines.
- Dial responsibly. Krasinski’s shorthand: dial like you’d want your mother to be dialed. Productivity data shows returns crater after the 10th or 11th attempt. High-frequency blasting burns numbers, generates complaints, and signals spammer behavior to carrier networks.
Branding Isn’t Always About Contact Rate
One of the episode’s sharpest insights: branded calling in collections can lower contact rates — but still drive more dollars collected. When consumers see a known bank or lender calling, many bypass the call entirely and log into a portal to pay rather than engage with an agent. Measuring only contact rate misses this downstream lift. Krasinski and the Squeeze team advocate tracking conversion rate, promise-to-pay, and revenue per dial as the true north-star metrics.
Speed-to-Lead vs. Call Windows
TransUnion offers call-window scoring — a two-hour optimal contact window for any given consumer. But the hosts note that in lead generation, a fresh form submission is its own best signal: the consumer is engaged right now, and speed-to-lead wins over algorithmic timing. Call-window data makes more sense for aged leads where there’s no urgency signal and protecting number reputation is the priority.
The Silver Bullet That Doesn’t Exist
Krasinski is direct: there is no whitelist, no single service that immunizes a dialing program. Reputation management is continuous — a combination of clean data, responsible dial cadence, spam-tag remediation, and strategic branding working together. Companies that treat it as a one-time fix will keep cycling through the same problems.
If that's not the epitome of lack of trust — there's no better story to illustrate. People don't pick up the phone when they don't know who's calling.
— David Krasinski
There's no need to call someone 45 times in a week. There's no need.
— David Krasinski
Don't look at contact rates. The people that actually answer the phone are going to convert at a much higher clip.
— David Krasinski
In order to have trust you need to have transparency.
— Carson Poppinger
Episode chapters
- 00:10 — Hosts introduce David Krasinski of TransUnion
- 02:22 — David's 20-year journey: Tarus Info → Neustar → TransUnion
- 05:07 — The single biggest issue in telemarketing: eroded consumer trust
- 12:22 — The four-pillar framework: spam tags, branding, data, dial discipline
- 18:31 — Is there a silver bullet for spam tagging? (No)
- 22:16 — Branding strategy: testing, cost, and call sequencing
- 26:38 — Voicemail and branding leave-behinds — the collections case study
- 29:01 — Why contact rate is the wrong KPI for branded calling
- 38:13 — Speed-to-lead vs. call windows in lead generation
- 43:19 — Closing thoughts and takeaways
Frequently asked questions
What is caller ID branding and does it actually improve answer rates?
Caller ID branding displays a company name (and soon a call purpose) on the recipient's screen instead of an unknown number. It can improve answer rates, but results vary by industry — in collections, branded calls sometimes lower contact rates while boosting downstream payments. Testing by call type is essential.
How do spam tags get added to a phone number?
Carrier analytics engines flag numbers that show patterns associated with spam: high dial volume, many unanswered calls, dialing into disconnected or inactive numbers, and consumer complaint signals. Once flagged, the tag appears on the recipient's screen and drastically reduces answer rates.
Is there a whitelist service that permanently removes spam tags?
No. Krasinski explicitly warns against vendors who promise a permanent whitelist. Spam-tag status is dynamic and tied to ongoing dialing behavior, so continuous monitoring and rapid remediation through a carrier-connected partner is required.
When does speed-to-lead matter more than optimal call timing windows?
Speed-to-lead takes priority when a consumer has just submitted a form inquiry — their intent is highest at that moment. Call-window timing data is more valuable for aged leads where there is no fresh engagement signal and protecting number reputation matters more than immediacy.
What metrics should outbound teams track beyond contact rate?
Krasinski recommends measuring conversion rate, promise-to-pay rate, dollars collected, and sales-close rate. Contact rate alone misses the quality of conversations generated by branded or high-intent calls, where the people who do answer are far more engaged.
How does data hygiene affect outbound calling reputation?
Dialing disconnected, reassigned, or inactive numbers signals spammer behavior to carrier algorithms, accelerating spam tagging. Regular scrubbing to verify active, correctly linked phone numbers reduces wasted dials and protects number reputation.