Summary #
This video tutorial by Matt from White Hat explains how to block spam phone calls from entering a CRM system. The primary method involves using the contact record’s Do Not Disturb (DND) inbound calls and SMS setting to block specific spam numbers. Additional advice includes exploring the spam blocking features on smartphones and understanding why certain phone numbers attract more spam, possibly due to their internet exposure or being on spam lists. Matt also discusses workarounds for dealing with spam contacts in the CRM, such as filtering contacts without names to manage spam clutter. Finally, he highlights the current limitation that spam numbers must be retained as contacts to block them and expresses the desire for an improved system to block numbers directly without holding them as contacts.
Key points #
1. Blocking spam calls using CRM DND settings #
- Inbound DND Option: Matt recommends accessing the spam caller’s contact record and enabling the “DND inbound calls and SMS” option to block future calls from that number.
- Mobile Access: This setting can be applied on mobile devices within the CRM app to prevent spam calls and messages.
- Effectiveness: Enabling this feature stops spam calls and prevents unintended charges related to those numbers.
2. Using smartphone spam blocking features #
- Phone Settings: Many smartphones have built-in spam blocking options, though availability varies by device (e.g., not always found on Samsung Galaxy devices).
- User Action: Users should research how to activate spam blocking on their specific phone models to complement CRM-level protections.
- Additional Layer: This serves as a secondary defense against spam calls beyond CRM configurations.
3. Understanding why spam calls occur #
- Phone Number Exposure: Some numbers are more prone to spam if they are publicly available or easily harvested from the internet.
- Number Reputation: Certain phone numbers may be on spammer lists inherently, attracting more unsolicited calls.
- Solutions: Users should investigate their phone number’s visibility and consider changing the number if it continually receives spam calls.
4. Managing spam contacts in the CRM #
- Retention of Spam Contacts: To block numbers via DND, the contacts must remain in the CRM rather than being deleted, which some users may find inconvenient.
- Spam Filtering via Smart Lists: Creating a smart list filter that excludes contacts without a first name helps isolate spam contacts and keeps the contact list tidy.
- Spam Cleanup Strategy: Avoid creating entries with names for unknown callers and filter to minimize clutter caused by spam entries.
5. Limitations and potential improvements #
- Current CRM Limitation: Blocking inbound calls requires retaining spam contacts, which may cause messiness in the database.
- Desired Feature: Matt suggests a future feature allowing users to block phone numbers separately from contact records to avoid clutter.
- Developer Engagement: Efforts will be made to discuss these improvements with CRM developers for better spam management functionality.
