Why We Need Caller ID

Forwarding numbers that don't provide Smith.ai with Caller ID are charged for "spam & unsolicited sales" calls. 

If you'd like to keep your monthly bill lower, you must enable Caller ID in your routing software (see directions for Google Voice, RingCentral, Grasshopper, and Phone.com; contact us for assistance with others).

Smith.ai's blocking system for spam and unsolicited sales calls relies on Caller ID as the primary input. This means that once you identify a number as undesirable and block it, we can prevent it from ever reaching our receptionists (through your number) again.

When a number you are forwarding does not pass Caller ID to us, it means our receptionists are forced to answer calls, repeatedly, that should otherwise be blocked. For some of our clients, this means we are answering four times more spam calls than real calls. 

Forwarding numbers that do not provide us Caller ID means:

  • You will be charged for all spam or unsolicited sales calls that reach us through this number.
  • You will not be able to block or whitelist calls that reach our receptionists through this number.

(You will not be charged for test calls or wrong numbers, since those can exist with or without Caller ID.)

Questions? Contact us!

If you're already a Smith.ai client and need help, please email us at support@smith.ai or call us at (650) 727-6484 for assistance.

If you're not yet a Smith.ai client, please schedule a free consultation to get started with our virtual receptionist services or email us at sales@smith.ai. We'll help you select the best plan to match your business’s growth goals and budget.

How did we do?

Porting Your Number to Smith.ai

Contact