If you recently received one called muteor one of those phone calls where no response is given to your “Hello, who is this?”, know that you are not alone. In fact, there are many users who receive calls of this type every day from call centers and various telemarketing operators. The silent calls arise from the use of automated systems who call numbers at a rate faster than the operators’ ability to answer. When all operators are busy, the system is unable to connect the call immediately, leaving you in a situation of silence. While this approach was designed to avoid downtime for those who work in call centershas some rather annoying consequences, generating anxiety in users who are contacted without knowing why. To address the problem, the GPDP (Guarantor for the Protection of Personal Data) has established precise rules to limit the number and impact of these calls, such as the introduction of the so-called “comfort noise”which allows those who receive silent phone calls to understand the commercial nature of them through the reproduction of ambient audio.
Why silent phone calls exist
Silent calls therefore arise from the attempt to maximize productivity. Call centers use software that automatically makes calls to multiple numbers at the same timewith the idea of ”booking” contacts for operators. However, when an operator is not available, the call is not handled by anyone, resulting in this sense “silent”.
While this system makes life easier for call center operators, on the other it can cause quite a bit of inconvenience to the recipients of the calls in question, who could become suspicious and associate these contacts with possible stalkers or other unpleasant events. This is how a simple sales call turns into a huge source of stress.
What has the GPDP Guarantor done to mitigate the phenomenon of silent calls
To reduce the invasiveness of this practice, the Guarantor for the Protection of Personal Data has introduced very specific regulations which aim to mitigate the phenomenon of silent calls. For example, there cannot be more than 3 silent calls out of every 100 successful calls. Furthermore, a silent call must end within three seconds of the user answeringavoiding creating too long a silence. If a call goes silent, the system must prevent further contacts to the same number for at least 5 days and, furthermore, the possible subsequent reuse of the number used by the call center must take place provided that you ensure the presence of an operator capable of managing the phone call. These rules aim to protect users’ peace of mind and ensure more ethical practices by call centers.
Another element introduced to reduce the anxiety associated with silent phone calls is the so-called “comfort noise”. What is it about? On this page of the Guarantor for the Protection of Personal Data it is described in these terms:
The “comfort noise” serves to reassure the person called. The background noise perceived when the handset is lifted must give the sensation that the call comes from a working environment so that the user, even if not yet in contact with the operator, still has the sensation that the call received comes from a call center and can thus exclude any malicious hypothesis about the intentions of the unknown caller.
To ensure compliance with these regulations, call centers must keep statistical reports on silent calls for at least two years. This data allows the Guarantor to carry out checks and verify that companies respect the imposed limits. Those who do not comply risk heavy administrative sanctions. If you receive frequent or suspicious silent calls, it is important to know that you have the right to report them to the relevant authorities, thus helping to improve practices in the telemarketing industry.
