The DMA has changed its Code of Practice to make provision of Caller Line Identity (CLI) mandatory for its members, so that consumers can find out who is cold-calling them. Members are also required to keep statistics on use of automated dialling equipment.
But Belinda Haden, consultant at customer management consultancy CM Insight, pointed out that the DMA's Code only applies to its members. "The guidelines are a first step, but they will not be enough until they are made a legal requirement," she said. David Jermyn, contact centre director at Dataforce, agreed that imposing CLI would not stop "those who are persistently making silent calls".
There are also fears that predictive dialler statistics could be easily distorted. Ruth Booth, business development manager at Centrica, suggests that use of predictive diallers should be licensed. "We could look to license diallers, so companies can only receive them after going through an industry audit," Booth said. "Obviously this would need to be reviewed periodically," she added.
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