How to Stop Unwanted Calls

Unwanted calls won’t necessarily cost you much time if your notifications are off. But if you keep your notifications turned on, and you check your phone every time it rings, buzzes or vibrates, receiving unwanted calls could add up to many lost minutes per day. During a big election year, the amount of time you lose could multiply exponentially.

So, how can you stop unwanted calls? Unfortunately, it’s impossible to 100% stop them. Charities, political organizations and surveys are exempt from “do not call” rules. Scammers and spammers don’t follow rules at all. But there are some steps you can take to cut back on them.

*Register on DoNotCall.gov – Registered telemarketing companies that follow laws and regulations won’t call you on your landline or mobile phone.

*Report violators of your Do Not Call request here.

*Utilize call-labeling and call-blocking apps – CTIA provides a list of resources here.

*Utilize call-blocking features on a land line – get FTC resources here as well as step-by-step instructions from Community Phone here.

The FTC has an FAQ page that answers many questions you might have about nuisance calls. You can also find additional ideas here from Hello Leads CRM.

I take advantage of Verizon’s spam auto-block feature on my mobile phone. It automatically sends spammy texts to a spam folder. I stopped replying “STOP” to texts I didn’t want because the unscrupulous texters get verification that your number is “good” and send even more and/or sell your contact information to others.

Verizon also identifies calls as “Potential Spam” so if I happen to see someone calling, I can let it go to voicemail if that label appears on my cell phone screen. I would love to be able to use the feature in my phone settings to only allow my contacts to ring through, but that would eliminate prospective clients and new business relationships I’m getting contacted by for the first time.

Our landline is a bit more difficult to deal with since our telephone provider doesn’t allow the call-blocking feature. After four straight days of the same number calling 10 times per day, I filed a complaint with the FTC. Additionally, I turned my answering machine off in the weeks leading up to both the primary and run-off elections. After 10 days of that same number calling, they stopped. I guess I won. For now.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas for how to stop unwanted calls. Good luck!

For recommendations on how to save time in your professional life and personal life, browse The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.