FAQ - RoboCent Support Docs

Homepage RoboCent App Agent Portal Terms of Service
Search…
❓
FAQ
Have a question that isn't answered here? Email [email protected] and we will answer it and add to this page!
Use the "Search" Feature on the upper right corner to search for your question.
Can we get a message sending today?
Absolutely!
We request a 2 hour lead time from when you schedule the message to when you want it to start sending. We can usually get messages sending in as little as 15 minutes (with a rush fee).
How long does it take to sign-up?
Most customers can create and account and get their first message scheduled in as little as 20 minutes. After you've scheduled your first message, most customers can schedule additional campaigns in as short as 5 minutes!
Visit our Guide if you need help signing up -> How To: Sign-Up​
How do I use RoboCent?
We operate a Self-Service platform that allows our users to schedule their messages within their account. For assistance in learning how to use the RoboCent platform, we have created this Guidebook to assist customers with some of the technical questions they may have.
Visit our Guide to learn everything you need to know about our Self-Service app -> How To: Use the RoboCent Platform​
How many characters can my Text Message include?
Every text message includes 160 Characters for your message. Links, emojis, disclaimers, and Opt-Out verbiage all count towards the limit. For an additional 3¢/text, you can increase the character limit by 160 additional characters. The max limit for a text message script is 1,600 characters.
When creating a script in the platform, our live character counter will show exactly how many characters are entered and how much each text message will cost.
In the bottom right of the script text box, you will see the character counter and cost per text, calculated live.
Do you charge based on total dials or successful connects?
RoboCent’s pricing structure is based on a per dial rate. Billing on a per-dial basis also allows us to collect payment before sending, which eliminates risk and allows us to keep our pricing low. It also does not incentivize us to “juke the stats” and falsify success (unlike some of our competitors) since we collect payment regardless of the results.
Learn more about our transparent pricing here: Pricing Explained​
Does RoboCent clean/scrub my list before we contact anyone?
Yes! We provide a complementary list scrubbing with every file upload. Before returning the total number of landlines or mobile on your list, RoboCent will complete a complementary list scrub to remove malformed, invalid, disconnected, and duplicate phone numbers. This ensures we leave only the highest quality phone numbers on your list – and ensures that we do not charge our customers for bad numbers.
Learn more about our complementary list scrubbing here: Phone List Scrubber​
Can I use my own contact list, or does RoboCent provide the list?
Either option works for us! You can provide a list of phone numbers that you would like dialed or we can provide a quote to purchase a new list of voters. Visit RoboCent.com/voter-data to learn more about purchasing data.
Learn more about how to purchase data with RoboCent here -> How To: Request Voter Data​
What is an Ringless Voicemail and why are they suspended?
An RVM is a Ringless Voicemail Drop used to target mobile phone without ever ringing the device.
In early 2021, RoboCent temporary suspended our Ringless Voicemail Service. While RVMs for political messaging are legal and completed in compliance with all federal regulations, there are nefarious actors outside of the RoboCent platform that use RVMs for spam and scams. This has caused increased political and regulatory scrutiny that RoboCent does not want to be associated with. Until these bad actors are shut down and there is more regulation in the industry to match the RoboCent standards, we have suspended our RVM services.
RoboCent will continue to monitor the situation from a legal perspective; should RVMs again become a safe way to contact voters, we will reinstate our Ringless Voicemail services.
In the meantime, Text Messaging is a 100% compliant and responsible way to contact voters on their cell phone. Consider scheduling a text with SMS Connect, a RoboCent product, to ensure all your voters hear your message.
Are disclaimers required on outbound calls?
Yes, a disclaimer is required on any RoboCalls, RVMs, Surveys. This must include a 10-digit callback number at the end of our message. You must also introduce who is authorizing the call at the start of the message.
Example: “Hi, this is John with John for Congress. [message, bio, vote for me, etc.] Thank you for your time this evening. This call has been paid for and authorized by John for Congress. 555-555-5555.”
Learn more about our disclaimer policy here: Identification Requirements for Automated Calls​
Does the disclaimer at the end of my audio count towards the total message length?
Yes. Any airtime on your audio file counts towards the total message length. Because the carriers that deliver your message from RoboCent to the recipient round up, we do as well. A message that is 30.6 seconds long will be billed at the 30-45 second bracket.
Is a disclaimer or opt-out verbiage required on text messages?
Every initial Text Message sent through the RoboCent platform must include Opt-Out language.
Examples:
Reply STOP to END
STOP to Unsubscribe
Opt-Out? Reply STOP
STOP to Opt-Out
A paid for by disclaimer is not required on Peer-to-Peer texting since RoboCent uses live human messaging.
When will my Text Messages reach the voters phone?
Typically, we expect the text message to reach the contact's phone within 60 seconds. However, the delivery time of text messages is dependent on a few main factors: 
Throughput - the carrier assigned limit for how many text messages per minute your brand is approved for. This is assigned by the carriers based on your brands verification status. Typically, verified brands are allocated upwards of 200,000 messages per day although we have not yet experienced carrier filtering when brands exceed this volume.
Agent Sending Speed - how fast can the agents send. Since all text messages are human initiated, the speed at which the messages are sent from RoboCent to the carriers is determined by how fast the agents click the "Send Message" button. The faster agents click, the faster we send the messages to the carriers.
Once the messages have been sent to the carriers, the delivery is out of our hands. Some carriers use a queue system, where they send messages in order that they were received with a short time between messages. Others simply send them immediately once they pass the approval algorithm.
While most messages are delivered to your contacts shortly after the agents hit the "Send Message" button, some scenarios exist where the messages can be delayed for a few minutes to several hours. These issues are outside of RoboCent's control and are not covered by our refund policy.
Why is your pricing so low? Do you cut corners to save money?
RoboCent has the most beneficial formula for your political campaign. We don’t cut corners on delivery, spending the extra resources to ensure high-success rates. We have low overhead, which means we can keep our prices low to accommodate both small and large campaigns – without sacrificing quality.
Cheaper Phone Messaging Providers are, simply put, not very high quality. They cut corners on delivery (shorten the dial time so less people answer which makes it cheaper for them), minimize drops to Voicemails (by waiting a very short time on an answering machines before failing the call), and not using the highest quality delivery methods. We know because these are all the things we avidly avoid. This equals a cheaper price for the consumer, but for a lower quality item.
For those companies that are charging more than us, you will be hard pressed to notice a difference in quality. The additional costs they charge are paying for their large marketing budgets and huge support teams that still haven’t returned your call.
​
How long does it take to set up your service?
That's one of the best things about the RoboCent service. Our self-service platform is incredibly easy to set up, especially if you have to spin up the campaign right away! There's no need to go through all of the other things that make other platforms a chore (contracts, negotiation, monthly commitments, minimum volumes, et cetera). With RoboCent, you're ready to go with your messaging once you're signed up. We can get you started on making your vital campaign calls right away (in as little as two hours after you sign up for the service). 
How do you ensure you stay compliant with all the essential rules and regulations?
This is one of the key benefits of the RoboCent service. It's critical to make sure that all of your boxes get checked with federal and local rules and regulations; after all, those sort of legal headaches are the last thing a campaign needs! There's no need to worry about legal compliance with RobotCent's services. Our complimentary list "scrubbing" method for every file upload removes all of the malformed, invalid, disconnected, or duplicate phone numbers, allowing you to stay entirely FCC and TCPA compliant.
What sort of call marketing services do you offer to clients?
RoboCent can provide both robocalls and transfer calls to your specific organization or campaign. Robocalls are a commonly-used and highly effective campaign technique (not to mention affordable). Armed with a target voter database, RoboCent's technology calls each of the numbers within; once that number picks up, your targeted message automatically plays. You get to control the message you send to each person, all with pitch-perfect audio quality. The other option for service? Transfer calls. These work very similarly to robocalls; the only difference is that the number will have an instruction ("Dial X," for example) within the message. If the person on the other end of the line is interested, they can transfer straight to an operator. 
What is better for my campaign: robocalls or transfer calls?
This depends on your objectives as a campaign or an organization. If you're looking to get out a specific message to an audience (an endorsement, a key issue, etc.) or need to go on the attack against an opponent, a robocall might be the perfect option. It's a fantastic way to increase name recognition and deliver crystal-clear messaging on a topic or an issue. However, if you're looking for something more interactive, a transfer call could be the way to go. You can quickly connect a voter with a volunteer to collect donations, voice their opinion, or answer questions. 
Do you do live phone banking?
Yes! We've just rolled out our live phone banking service. This is a fantastic way to reach out to your voters to let them know they should cast their ballot for your candidate or just to give a "personal touch" when you're canvassing the environment. Avoid the time-consuming campaign phone banking and turn to RoboCent for your services. Our American-based call team lets you connect with the voters who make a difference while working on the crucial nuts and bolts for the campaign.
How does your text messaging service work?
Our text messaging engagement service is simple, easy to implement, and remarkably effective. With RoboCent, you get American-based specialists sending out your message through our system; you don't have to worry about the same TCPA, FCC, or opt-in list requirements as you do with political robocalls. The reason? There's a real, live human actually sending the messages out! The setup process is just as simple as the other services are. We'll have you up and running for your campaign within a few hours and offer both managed or self-service plans.
What's best for my organization: managed or self-service RoboCent text message campaigns?
With our managed service, you can use RoboCent's trained experts to deliver your initial message; we'll send over any responses to the client for manual follow-up. For our self-service, you get to use your own agents, staff, volunteers, or other personnel to send out messages. There's no approval or wait times, and we offer discounted pricing, bulk rates, and other benefits. There's a minimum balance and pre-pay required. As for which one is best for your campaign? That depends. If you're just starting out with a smaller staff, our managed service may work better. The RoboCent self-service may be a better option for established campaigns with lots of personnel. 
What makes text messaging so effective as part of a campaign?
In addition to its simplicity (again, there aren't a lot of pesky legal hoops to jump through), the statistics show just how effective political text messaging is at influencing an audience. Almost every American (97%) uses text messaging once a day. They've also got ridiculously high (98%) open rates, and 90% of those text messages get read within three minutes of arrival. We also see a 45% response rate, averaging a little over a minute and a half from arrival to response. The statistics show it: text messaging is the best way to connect with constituents on a personal level.
What types of text messaging can we send?
There are a plethora of different text messages to send to constituents, targets, and possible voters. Send out a birthday message direct from the organization or a holiday greeting to wish them well for the season. Give a legislative update to show the candidate or organization directly in action and underline their importance. Distribute a link to a custom survey or poll to see what your constituency is thinking. Gather the funds you need through fundraising messages, or remind people to get out to vote (GOTV) on election day. The possibilities are endless.
Do you offer call management services?
We do! With our specialized HelloInbox phone management system, you can control your phone calls with this how-to program custom-designed for political campaigns and businesses. You'll be able to control inbound calls, review messages and voicemails, avoid carrier filtering, and much more. We offer a complete suite of tools that every campaign needs for their communication. HelloInbox comes fully functional, is FCC compliant, and is an easy way to increase your success rates and deliverability for every outbound message you're sending out.
What sort of features does HelloInbox offer?
HelloInbox features everything a dynamic campaign needs for a phone management service. With HelloInbox, you can access user accounts, view messages, send inbound calls straight to voicemail, develop a unique voicemail greeting, and even simultaneously ring multiple phones. Additionally, HelloInbox allows for an SMS autoresponder and lets you transcribe voicemails that come in. It's a great way to increase your success rates and deliverability on outbound messages through frequent rotation of your outbound phone number! It's also a handy way to avoid carrier filtering.
Do you provide voter data services?
We do! As part of our suite of services, you can purchase voter data directly from RoboCent's top-quality database. We'll deliver precisely what you need to get the campaign started; that can range from a new robocall list or just an update of your records for in-person visits. Another benefit? We offer complimentary phone list scrubbing on every list you upload. 
What sort of voter data can you provide?
RoboCent delivers a complete list of every detail a campaign needs to get started. That includes name, suffix, prefix, and address with house number, street, city, state, zip, and precinct. Additionally, we can provide political affiliation (provided by state or inferred), gender, age, birth year, jurisdiction breakdown, and demographics. We can provide the information necessary for your campaign no matter what you need. If you already have a list, we can also provide an append service for updating (and you only pay per successful match).
What other features does RoboCent offer?
Some of the highlights? You can watch the live results for your outbound message as it's actually going out, so you can see progress, success, and results. Add in a custom callback number to go right back to your organization. We offer complete analytics in a downloadable .csv file in order to see what's working and what isn't. Oh, and there's also a dedicated call-in recording line so you can record your messages by phone and have them go straight to your account. 
What sets RoboCent apart from other robocall companies?
We make the service simple. Do you know what's at the heart of a lot of other companies? Tons of paperwork and wasted time. There are volumes of contracts to fill out, along with a lengthy negotiation process and lots of haggling. On top of all that? They might require things like a monthly commitment or a minimum volume, both of which don't help campaigns achieve their objectives. With RoboCent's unique pre-pay structure, transparent pricing, and commitment to fast service, we cut out the red tape and enable your message to go out quickly and effectively.