The Ultimate Guide to Call Screening in 2025

Spam calls are everywhere today. There is a good chance that  the call logs of your business and personal phones  have a ton of spam every day. It's a bad situation for consumers, but businesses also face serious risks from these calls. 

According to Hiya, majority of companies have experienced 2-10 inbound attacks every year.. 

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Last year, MGM Resorts, a prominent casino chain, lost $100 million in revenue and experienced operational losses due to an inbound call attack. The hackers reportedly found an employee's information on LinkedIn, then impersonated them in a call to MGM Resorts' IT help desk to obtain credentials that they used to access and infect IT systems. 

With the rise of these threats, call screening can help.

Call screening serves as a gatekeeper for your phone, filtering out unwanted calls and allowing you to focus on the ones that matter. Let's understand how this simple yet effective technology can eliminate the risk of spam call attacks and help you run your business efficiently. 

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What is call screening? 

Call screening helps businesses take control of their phone lines–filtering and identifying incoming calls, choosing how to respond to those specific calls, and blocking annoying spam. Through this information, the caller can decide whether to answer it or send it to voicemail. 

Caller information is the most crucial part of the call screen process. It helps determine the caller's name, geographic location, phone number, and potential spam status. In a small business phone system, unknown callers are routed to automatic call distribution (ACD) and interactive voice response (IVR) by connecting callers to an automated virtual attendee that prompts for their name and reason for calling before transferring them to an actual person. 

The process of screening becomes a little trickier when it's for a business. Your business might receive hundreds of calls every day. So, who's gonna do all the screening? It's probably a massive waste of time doing it all yourself. 

Each time you or one of your teammates gets thrown off because of a nonessential call, it takes several minutes to regain focus at hand. A recent study by a German think tank reveals that even a single interruption can increase the time needed to complete a task by 15 to 24 percent, significantly impacting your day and productivity.

Of course, if you have the resources, you can hire an in-house receptionist or assistant for call screening. However, if you're looking to stay lean and hire and avoid unnecessary costs, we suggest deploying a virtual agent who can expertly handle and automatically screen your incoming calls. 

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The business impact of AI-powered call screening

Consumers and businesses alike consistently identify voice as their preferred method of communication due to the efficiency, reliability, and human touch that only voice

calls can be delivered.

Yet threats to the security and trustworthiness of voice calls also remain prevalent–and have only grown worse over the past year, with the average financial loss reported by consumers who fall victim to fraud calls reaching $2,257. Meanwhile, businesses continue to lose revenue due to unidentified spam and robo calls. 

The impact of call screening is paramount for both consumers and businesses: 

Productivity & time management 

Every minute an employee spends answering a spam call is a minute lost on productive tasks, leading to project delays and a showdown in workflow. Employees waste their precious minutes or even hours sifting through junk calls, which leads to a significant decline in productivity. 

For example, spam calls cost US businesses nearly $500 million annually due to wasted time. Answering spam calls wastes almost 20 million hours a year for small businesses in the US.

By setting boundaries in your phone–and by outlining your call screening preferences–employees can focus on a single task without being interrupted. Call screening helps identify callers and directs them to the appropriate agent, resulting in faster and more customized customer service. 

Blocking spam & robocalls 

Spam and robocalls are constantly increasing. Despite constant efforts from telecom operators, smartphone makers, and mobile operating system developers, spam calls continue to pester and scam people around the globe. 

According to Hiya, 9.7 billion calls were flagged spam in Q3, 2024, and 105 million calls are flagged spam every day. 

Another shocking benchmark says that businesses receive significantly more spam calls than private numbers. Almost 85% of companies receive at least one robocall per day. Out of these, 55% receive five or more spam calls. 

For business, spam calls are more than just an inconvenience in daily operations. They can break a company if they lose essential information to scammers (remember the MGM resort case we discussed above). 

With the right call screening partner, you don't have to deal with robocalls and spam calls. By using a list of known spammers (both individuals and organizations), it's possible to filter out spam calls coming to your business. And, if any call manages to scale, the call screen partner asks to manually screen the call for relevant information before passing it to the human agent. 

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Fraud prevention and security benefits 

Research shows that a third of IT and security leaders say their business has fallen victim to phone scams. In addition, 70% report that their business experiences at least one cybercrime every year–meaning attackers used calls to trick employees into getting confidential information or access credentials for IT systems.

On average, each cyber attack costs businesses around $4.88 million, with smaller businesses often losing around $25,000. Call screening protects businesses from these attacks to a great extent by filtering client inquiries and saving your company from spam calls. 

Call screening can help prevent imposter scams, where scammers pretend to be someone authoritative to extract private information or trick individuals into sending money. However, such callers are quickly identified via the CNAM database or prompt, and then the caller's information is displayed for the agent. 

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Cost savings

The cost of hiring a human assistant can vary significantly based on several key factors. These include the type of assistant you need, whether they work full-time, their geographical location, and their specialization.

Based on these factors, your cost of hiring an assistant can range from $50,000 to $150,000 annually for US-based in-person roles.

In contrast, the cost of hiring an AI-powered call screening tool can vary depending on the provider and the features it offers but generally falls within a range of $20 - $500 per month for subscription-based services, with some providers also charging one-time setup fees between $100 - $1,000; higher-tier plans with advanced capabilities may cost more.

That means your business would be saving thousands of dollars if they choose an AI-powered call screening partner. 

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How AI Voice Agents Like Synthflow Screen Calls (Step-by-Step Process)

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Automatic call screening and smart call blocking utilize sophisticated algorithms and machine learning (ML) technologies to proactively detect suspicious patterns or behaviors and analyze incoming calls associated with scams, spam, and other forms of unwanted communication. 

Calls flagged as spam are automatically blocked based on data-driven decisions before reaching the end user, enhancing voice security at the network level while efficiently managing spam calls and detecting fraud.

Here's the step-by-step mechanism behind automated call screening and blocking:

Incoming call detection 

When a call comes in, AI voice agents capture the inbound number and the call. This is the foundation of call screening and determining how to handle the interaction. 

The system then checks the number in the CNAM (Caller Name or Caller ID Name) database to find the associated name that can be matched. If it matches with someone, then it will display the name. 

For instance, if the number belongs to Michel from work, then it will display a work call from the office, not spam. 

If the CNAM is unidentified, the incoming call screening system asks the caller for their name. This ensures that no spam calls are attended to.
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Intent-based prioritization 

Customer purchase intent predicts a customer's likelihood of buying a product or service. It empowers businesses to anticipate customer needs and refine their customer strategies. 

When a call comes in, your call screening partner strives to identify the intent of the caller. In the context of call screening, this can include various actions such as visiting a website, opening emails, or responding to outreach efforts.

Call screening partners implement an intent score system, which assigns points to prospects based on their actions.

For instance:

• High-intent buyer: This refers to callers who are ready to purchase and need quick, hassle-free communication. Immediate assistance will give them no time to get distracted and abandon their purchase. Result for your business? Higher close rates!

• The high-value buyer: Let's say you sell a number of different products, some of which have higher margins and are much more profitable to your buyers. Now, you've got a customer who is looking to buy one of these high-margin products. AI voice agents will quickly identify the intent and route these callers to human agents who excel in selling these high-value products. Result for your business? More revenue!

• The dissatisfied customer: Last but not least, you have a customer who's intent on canceling their service. AI voice agents quickly understand customers' dissatisfaction and write the caller directly to your retention department, which saves the customers from churning. Result for your business? Improved sales growth and profitability!    

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Lead qualification and routing 

Voice bots simplify lead qualification by automating the collection, analysis, and prioritization of prospect data. These AI-driven tools engage with potential customers conversationally, ensuring a seamless and efficient process from initial content to sales handoff. 

• Collecting Initial Information: Voice bots initiate a conversation by collecting details like contact information, name, and business requirements.

• Asking key qualifying questions: Voice bots ask targeted questions like budget, needs, and timeline to evaluate the prospect's intention to purchase. These questions are tailored to align with your sales team's criteria, ensuring that only high-quality leads progress.

• Scoring and Categorizing Leads: Once the bot collects the required data, it assigns a lead score based on predefined metrics like interest level, purchase readiness, and budget fit.

• Handing over warm leads: The qualified leads are then seamlessly transferred to human sales representatives to focus on closing deals and not gathering information. 

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Automated responses and follow-ups 

Automated responses can be configured by selecting from pre-set actions, allowing you to manage incoming calls without directly engaging with the caller or interrupting important commitments like team meetings, lunch breaks, or holidays.

For instance, if a client calls during your lunch hour or while you're in a crucial meeting, you can set up a message that states, "We're currently unavailable and will respond as soon as possible." This approach reassures important callers that you are attentive and will follow up with them promptly.

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Transferring to Live Agents

If the caller successfully navigates all the screening filters, the call is forwarded to the appropriate agent designated to handle the interaction. The agent will have access to the caller's name, phone number, and the reason for their call displayed on their screen, allowing them to prepare for the conversation in real time.

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How do we measure AI call screening success? 

Call or contact center managers have volumes of calls coming in from various platforms that focus on different business processes. Metrics provide a way to monitor, qualify, and understand this data. While every call center has its methods for evaluating performance, there are several common metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that are widely used throughout the call center industry.

Here are some key metrics that should be considered to measure your AI call screening success: 

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Accuracy metrics:

• True Positive Rate (TPR): Percentage of legitimate calls correctly identified as relevant by the AI.

• False Positive Rate (FPR): Percentage of irrelevant calls incorrectly identified as relevant by the AI.

• Precision: Percentage of calls flagged as relevant by the AI that are actually relevant.

• Recall: Percentage of truly relevant calls that the AI correctly identifies.
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Operational metrics:

• Call volume reduction: Percentage decrease in total call volume reaching agents after implementing AI screening.

• Average handle time (AHT): Reduction in average call duration for calls handled by agents after screening.

• Agent productivity: Increase in the number of calls handled per agent per hour after implementing AI screening.
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Customer experience metrics:

• Customer satisfaction score (CSAT): Rating of customer experience with the AI call screening process.

• Abandonment rate: Percentage of calls dropped before reaching an agent due to the screening process.

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How Synthflow AI helps in call screening?

AI agents like Synthflow AI simplify call screening by asking the right questions and evaluating whether the number is spam or a potential lead that needs to be transferred to a human agent. These Synthflow AI agents are available 24/7 and can simultaneously pick up to 100 concurrent calls.

Here are some types of questions AI agents can ask:

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Qualification Questions

• Basic Information:

• What is your name and title?

• What company do you represent?

• How did you hear about our product/service?

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Interest and Needs:

• What are your current challenges related to [specific area]?

• How does our product/service align with your current needs?

• Are you actively looking for a solution like ours?

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Decision-Making Authority:

• Are you involved in the decision-making process for purchasing [related products/services]?

• Who else is involved in this decision?

• Budget and Timeline:

• Do you have a budget allocated for this type of solution?

• What is your expected timeline for implementing a new solution?

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Previous Experience:

• Have you used similar products/services in the past?

• What was your experience with those solutions?

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By using these structured questions, Synthflow AI can efficiently screen and qualify leads, saving time and resources while ensuring that only the most suitable leads are advanced to the next stage.

Want to try a free demo to see how you can replace your traditional call centers with AI voice bots? Sign up here.  

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FAQs 

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1. Will AI block essential calls?

No, AI systems used in call management are designed to filter out spam or robocalls while ensuring legitimate calls are delivered.
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2. What happens if a caller refuses to speak to the AI voice agent?

If a caller refuses to interact with the AI voice agent, the system typically redirects the call to a human representative (if available) or records a voicemail. 
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3. How does AI learn and improve over time?

AI learns and improves using a process called machine learning. It analyzes data from previous interactions, identifies patterns, and updates its algorithms. For instance, with call systems, AI might refine its ability to identify spam calls or understand various accents by processing a large number of calls over time. Feedback loops and manual tuning further enhance performance.
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4. How does AI handle calls from unknown numbers?

AI systems typically screen unknown numbers by cross-referencing databases for spam or scam indicators. If the number is unidentified but not flagged, the call may proceed as usual. 

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