NEWS...
The £2million Cost of Silence
Businesses making excessive 'silent calls' could be fined up to £2million, following a government hike in the maximum fine for offenders.
Lengthy consultation with MPs led to the telecoms regulator Ofcom being granted improved firepower – including the ability to increase the penalty from the previous maximum of £50,000.
The new fines can be imposed on any company where more than 3 per cent of all calls it makes in a 24-hour period are abandoned – and subsequently left silent – once someone picks up the phone.
This kind of call is generated when automated calling systems dial more numbers than there are staff available to man the phones.
In the first half of 2010 Ofcom received almost 2,500 complaints about silent calls – and around 6,000 in total for 2009.
Original article courtesy of Credit Today. For further information visit www.credittoday.co.uk
