Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a robo-call ?
2. How much does a robocall cost ?
3. Can I bundle multiple orders and get a discount ?
4. Why do some robo call vendors charge more for calls than others ?
5. Is sound quality a factor in my message ?
6. What is your connect rate for your calls ?
7. Will I get a report when the robo-call campaign is complete ?
8. How do I know if I'm dealing with a reputable robo-call provider ?
9. Are there any extra fees associated with setting up a robo-call campaign ?
10. Do you supply lists ?
11. What about the "Do Not Call" list and other laws ?

1. What is a robo-call ?
   A robo-call (or robocall) is a pre-recorded message usually 30 seconds in length. Coupled with a list of telephone numbers, voice broadcast technology simultaneously sends out that message to hundreds of people every minute.
   The message can be compressed into a .WAV file or other recording media or recorded using the same technology you would use to record your voicemail message on your telephone. Here's how it works at Winning Calls.
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   How much does a robocall cost ?

   Winning Calls' prices vary based on the size of your order, the length of your call, the plan type and our current agreement with the phone company. Our Call Plan A^LITE is currently (October 2008, subject to change) 3 cents (or less) for a 30 second message, with a $100 minimum order. Please request a quote for more detailed information on any of our plans and we will send you a detailed brochure breaking it all down, along with some helpful tips for recording your robo call message.
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   Can I bundle multiple orders and get a discount ?

   Absolutely! This is one of our most popular options for party chairpersons and long term clients. Simply submit an order form for each candidate, and we will add up the total number of calls to get you a better discount. You can even use the same list for multiple candidates. Or, make multiple calls for your own campaign. For example, we can call voters when early voting begins and then again a second time the day before the election to get the most cost effective penetration for your message. Some folks like us to call once with a message in their own voice and then again the next week with the voice of a supporter or celebrity endorsement. We simply require that multiple orders be placed at the same time to get a discount.
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   Why do some robo call vendors charge more for calls than others ?

   The price of a robo-call varies because there are many technological factors that go into the price of a phone call. For instance, a robocall company that sells you calls for a penny a call may be using phone technology that allows for the cost of the connection to be less than a penny. What the provider isn't telling you is the quality of the call. The entire industry could sell their calls for a penny a call, but not all companies are going to give you the best quality. Price should be the least determining factor in the decision making process. There are reasons why people buy cars over the competition, because of the features and the quality. It is no less different with robo-calls.
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   Is sound quality a factor in my message ?

   Well it should be! The industry norm for a robo-call is between 8 and 11 kbps (kilobytes per second). That amounts to talking through a tin can with a string attached to another tin can. Is your message really worth inferior sound quality? What does that say about the efforts of your campaign when a constituent gets a call from a politician, hears the name, and the message is all garbled? It speaks volumes about your ability to clearly appoint someone to get your message across, not to mention your leadership capabilities.

   At Winning Calls, we provide sound quality that is 6 to 8 times the industry norm!!!! At 64 kbps, it will seem like the candidate is sitting in your room giving you the message personally!
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   What is your connect rate for your calls ?

   This piece of information is perhaps the most important in deciding which company you choose for your next robo-calling campaign. The connect rate is how many people actually picked up the phone or had their answering machine capture your message. That determines how many people actually listened to your message.

   The single biggest factor is the quality of your list of phone numbers. As hard as we try, we can't make disconnected or out-of-service phone numbers answer your call. While we don't provide lists, obtaining a good one must be one of your first orders of business.

   That said, many companies out there and there are a lot (we have done the research) will guarantee a high connect rate for their calls. This is truly false. Winning Calls has performed hundreds of calling campaigns and compared the statistics of all of them. After one attempt of calling all the numbers on a particular list, whether it is 10,000 or 1,000,000, the connect rate is 50-60%.

   That means one out of every two people on your list will listen to your message. Even for 10,000 people (average order size) that means 5,000 people did not hear your message. What's worse? Most companies only contact a number once before counting it as a call. You might as well hand your money over to the provider and let them keep the money upfront. You want the provider to attempt the call more than once? Well that is an extra fee.

   At Winning Calls, with all but our CALL PLAN A^LITE, we attempt to contact your list THREE TIMES at no additional cost before we count a particular number as a call. Our success rate has been on average 85-90% of numbers called pick up the phone and hear the message by the time the third attempt is completed. We wait hours (or days) between the second and third tries to make sure we reach as many people as possible.
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   Will I get a report when the robo-call campaign is complete ?

   Depending on the company, you may very well get a report e-mailed to you about how many calls were made, how many connected, and how many did not connect. That report could be false. Some Voice Over IP (new phone technology using the Internet) applications do not have the capability to keep track of which number was called or how long they were on the phone for. The report you receive may very well be false entirely. There is no way of holding the company accountable of fulfilling their contractual obligations. For all you know, the company could make 10 calls to 1,000 numbers and give you a report. When doing business, ask the company for a comprehensive detailed report outlining each call and it's results.

   If that feature is not available, then you might wonder how reputable the company really is. At Winning Calls, we email you a summary report and a detailed number-by-number report every day. This will help you in seeing your quantitative results and finding dead numbers on your list. (Removing dead numbers will save you money in future calling campaigns even if you make the calls manually.)
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   How do I know if I'm dealing with a reputable robo-call provider ?

   At Winning Calls we think it's important to perform a quick web background check on the companies providing your service. You never know who you are doing business with and that may reflect in your overall results as a candidate. We are happy to provide you with testimonials and reference contacts.

   We entertain a lot of inquiries from commercial interests that we flat out refuse because robo-calls are illegal in that context and have been for quite some time. Please do not contact us if that is your intent.
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   Are there any extra fees associated with setting up a robo-call campaign ?

   There shouldn't be! The most work that is associated to the campaign is obtaining and inputting the contact list. There are quite a few companies out there that charge you to record your voice, to obtain a list, thin out your list of duplicates, extra call attempts, taking payment, a detailed report, set-up fees, and the list goes on. The only charge Winning Calls excludes in their price is an extra penny for an additional 30 seconds on messages. Everything else is included. Why should you have to pay more?
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   Do you supply lists ?

   No, Winning Calls is not in the list business. We suggest contacting your Board of Elections, County Clerk or the professionals at AmeriCan GOTV Enterprises, LLC (mention Winning Calls linked you, or call us if you are in a hurry and we can talk to our friends over there on your behalf).

   When you are ready to email us your list, we ask that you just send us the phone numbers in spreadsheet or text format. Please try to remove other personal information from your list. We will then clean your duplicate and incorrectly formatted numbers at no extra charge. You pay Winning Calls only for the final count of unique, valid numbers.
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   What about the "Do Not Call" list and other laws ?

   Voice broadcasting is illegal under US federal law for purposes of unsolicited commerical advertising. That's why at Winning Calls we focus on helping political organizations, labor unions, and other non-profits. We also assist companies in notifying consumers of important product saftey recall information, and we place calls on behalf of local goverments to alert citizens of emergency situations and evacuation instructions.

   There's a lot we can do, but there are still a lot of regulations in our industry, including the federal "Do Not Call" list and other federal rules. Please read our detailed analysis of the variety of state laws for more information on the rules in your calling area.
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