When customers see an unfamiliar number on their phone, they may ignore the call before the first conversation even begins. For contact centers that depend on outbound communication, establishing trust starts before an agent says hello.
Authenticated outbound calling helps businesses strengthen caller identity assurance and give receiving networks more information to evaluate incoming calls. By combining STIR/SHAKEN technology with responsible calling practices and effective contact center operations, businesses can improve the credibility of legitimate calls and create a more reliable customer experience.
Why Caller Trust Matters for Contact Centers
The challenge of unanswered calls
Contact centers use outbound calling for appointment reminders, customer support follow-ups, payment notifications, sales conversations and service updates. However, customers have become cautious about answering unfamiliar numbers because unwanted calls and caller ID spoofing can make it difficult to distinguish legitimate organizations from potential scammers.
This creates a practical business problem: even a genuine call may go unanswered when the recipient does not recognize or trust the caller.
For example, a healthcare provider might call a patient about an appointment change. If the patient ignores the call because the number appears unfamiliar, the provider may need to make additional attempts or use another communication channel.
Trust supports better customer communication
Authenticated calling can help reduce uncertainty around caller identity. It does not guarantee that every call will be answered or that every authenticated call is trustworthy. However, it can contribute to a stronger foundation for legitimate business communication when combined with consistent calling practices.
For contact center leaders, the objective is to make legitimate outreach easier for customers to recognize while protecting the organization's calling reputation.
Understand How STIR/SHAKEN Supports Authenticated Calling
A technical foundation for caller identity
STIR/SHAKEN is a framework used by participating voice service providers to authenticate caller ID information. It uses digital certificates and cryptographic signatures to help receiving providers assess whether the caller identity information in a call has been authenticated.
In a typical US implementation, the originating provider's authentication service creates a signed identity token associated with the call. The receiving provider can then verify the signature and evaluate the authentication information.
The framework also uses attestation levels to indicate the originating provider's level of confidence in the caller's right to use the calling number:
Full attestation (A): The provider has authenticated the customer and verified the customer's authorization to use the calling number.
Partial attestation (B): The provider has authenticated the customer but cannot fully verify the customer's authorization to use the number.
Gateway attestation (C): The provider is acting as a gateway and can attest to the call's entry into its network without making the same customer and number authorization claims.
These levels communicate different degrees of assurance. They are not a universal rating of whether a conversation is safe or whether the caller's purpose is legitimate.
What authentication means for a contact center
Consider a contact center calling customers on behalf of a bank. If its calling arrangement supports the required authentication process, the originating provider can sign eligible calls with the appropriate attestation based on the information it can verify.
The receiving network can evaluate that information as part of its call processing. This supports caller identity assurance but does not replace fraud detection, customer consent or compliance with applicable calling regulations.
Align Contact Center Operations With Authentication Requirements
Start with number ownership and calling permissions
Authentication is only as strong as the information available to the originating service provider. Contact centers should work with their telecom provider to ensure that outbound numbers are correctly provisioned and that the provider can establish the appropriate relationship between the customer, the calling number and the call.
This becomes particularly important when a contact center uses multiple business numbers, outsourced agents or cloud-based calling platforms. A number that has been moved between providers or assigned to a different team may require additional validation before the provider can confidently authenticate calls.
For example, a financial services company might operate separate numbers for customer support, collections and appointment scheduling. Maintaining an accurate number inventory helps the originating provider determine the appropriate attestation for calls made from each number.
Keep authentication consistent across calling systems
Contact centers often integrate customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, automatic dialers, SIP trunks and cloud telephony services. Each integration should be reviewed to confirm that outbound calls follow the intended authentication path.
PeeringHub offers STIR/SHAKEN certificate services and developer APIs that can support certificate generation and integration into provider workflows. Its tools are relevant to the certificate and authentication infrastructure behind calling operations, rather than a substitute for contact center management software.
The goal is to ensure that legitimate calls can be authenticated consistently as they move through the provider's network.
Combine Authentication With Branded Calling and Responsible Outreach
Help customers recognize legitimate calls
Authentication and customer recognition solve related but different problems. STIR/SHAKEN provides information that helps networks verify caller identity. Branded calling solutions may display additional business information, such as an organization name or other supported caller details, depending on the provider and recipient's device or network.
For example, a customer who receives an appointment reminder may be more likely to recognize the organization if the calling experience includes supported business identification. Authentication can help establish confidence in the calling number while branded calling can provide additional context.
These capabilities should not be treated as interchangeable. A verified number does not automatically guarantee that a business name or logo will appear on every recipient's phone.
Build trust through calling behavior
Technology alone cannot establish a good customer relationship. Contact centers should also maintain clear calling policies, respect consent and opt-out requirements, use reasonable contact frequency and make it easy for customers to verify the organization independently.
A business that repeatedly calls customers at inconvenient times can damage trust even when its calls are authenticated. Conversely, a relevant and expected call supported by accurate caller information gives recipients a clearer basis for deciding whether to answer.
Authentication should therefore be part of a wider customer communication strategy rather than a standalone attempt to improve answer rates.
Measure Calling Performance Without Overstating Authentication
Track the metrics that matter
Contact center leaders should evaluate authentication alongside customer experience and calling performance. This helps teams understand where improvements are occurring and where other factors may be responsible.
Useful metrics include:
Authentication coverage: The proportion of eligible outbound calls that receive the expected authentication treatment.
Attestation distribution: The share of calls receiving full, partial or gateway attestation where applicable.
Call answer rate: The proportion of outbound calls answered by recipients.
Call completion rate: The proportion of attempted calls that successfully connect, using a clearly defined measurement.
Customer complaints: Reports of unwanted calls, suspicious caller identity or excessive contact.
Authentication failures: Cases where signing or verification does not complete as expected.
These are suggested operational measures rather than universal industry benchmarks. Establish a baseline before implementation and compare results over a consistent period.
Interpret results in context
Suppose a contact center improves authentication coverage but sees little change in answer rates. That does not automatically mean the authentication system is ineffective. Customers may still ignore unknown numbers, calls may arrive at inconvenient times or the number may have a poor reputation.
Likewise, an increase in answer rates does not prove that STIR/SHAKEN alone caused the improvement. Number reputation, branded calling, campaign relevance and customer expectations can all influence results.
The most useful approach is to evaluate authentication alongside these other factors rather than treating it as a guaranteed solution to low call completion.
Choose the Right STIR/SHAKEN Technology Partner
Compare capabilities against operational needs
Contact centers generally depend on their originating voice service provider or communications platform to handle the technical authentication process. The right supporting technology depends on the provider's architecture, scale and existing tools.
PeeringHub offers STIR/SHAKEN Certificate Authority services, certificate repository hosting and developer APIs for certificate generation and related operations. Its public tools include Identity header decoding and certificate inspection capabilities. These features can be relevant to providers that need certificate infrastructure and programmatic integration.
TransNexus offers STIR/SHAKEN authentication and verification services alongside secure key management, certificate hosting and call-treatment capabilities based on verification results and call analytics. Its portfolio may suit providers seeking a more integrated authentication and verification platform.
These offerings serve overlapping but not identical operational needs. Providers should evaluate certificate management, signing and verification requirements, integration effort, monitoring capabilities and total operating cost before selecting a solution.
Maintain accountability when using third parties
Using an external authentication provider can reduce the need to build every component internally. However, outsourcing technical operations does not necessarily remove the originating service provider's regulatory responsibilities.
The FCC addressed third-party caller ID authentication arrangements in its November 2024 order, emphasizing that service providers remain accountable for meeting applicable STIR/SHAKEN requirements.
Contact centers should therefore confirm that their voice provider understands its responsibilities and can explain how authentication is implemented across the calling path.
Conclusion: Make Caller Trust Part of the Contact Center Strategy
Authenticated outbound calling gives contact centers a practical way to support caller identity assurance and strengthen the credibility of legitimate business communication. STIR/SHAKEN provides the technical foundation, while accurate number management, consistent authentication, responsible outreach and performance monitoring help turn that capability into a dependable operating practice.
Start by reviewing your outbound calling numbers and confirming how your voice provider authenticates eligible calls. Then evaluate whether certificate management, branded calling and call analytics can address additional gaps in your customer communication strategy.
PeeringHub provides STIR/SHAKEN Certificate Authority services, certificate repository hosting and developer APIs to support the infrastructure behind authenticated calling.
Explore its tools to determine how they fit your organization's calling and authentication requirements.
Visit PeeringHub: https://www.peeringhub.io/
Explore the technical documentation: https://doc.peeringhub.io/guides/peeringhub-sti-api
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