Effects of Do Not Call on Business

I'd guess that most of us who have taken advantage of the U.S. Do Not Call Registry have seen some good effects — like no more phone spam at dinnertime. Yes, the Do Not Call Registry is a Good Thing. However, it has some down sides, and I'd wager that this is the same kind of effect that occurs when spammers so abuse whatever system that the government steps in to curtail it — and hampers everyone else into the bargain.

That is, that suddenly everyone is bound by the same rules; consider how anti-spamming rules have forced some pretty intense hoop-jumping for email newsletter writers and advertisers. What "Do Not Call" probably means to all of us in the U.S. with respect to contacting customers, clients and potential customers is amply covered in Cal-Lending.com's blog post Government "Do Not Call" Law Inhibits Mortgage and Real Estate Transactions. Though the article is targeted to the mortgage and real estate crowd, it's easy enough to see how it applies to anyone using the telephone for business — and how much an involuntary infraction might cost. Note bene: it's a cautionary tale.