How to vet a lead or call vendor: a 12-point checklist

1–3. Traffic and sources

1. Where do the calls come from? A good vendor can describe its sources in plain language.
2. Are any calls outbound, transferred or incentivized? Know exactly what you're buying.
3. How are publishers vetted? Manual review beats auto-approval.

4–6. Exclusivity and qualification

4. Is each call or lead exclusive? Get it in writing.
5. What exactly is billable? Duration, geography, service match, hours, dedupe window.
6. Can I hear every billable call? Recordings should be standard.

7–9. Compliance

7. What consent language and records exist for any lead that involves follow-up calls or texts?
8. How are AI- and bot-generated calls handled? They should be contractually invalid.
9. Does the vendor publish privacy, DNC and traffic policies?

10–12. Commercial terms

10. What's the dispute window and process?
11. Can I pause or adjust caps quickly?
12. What are realistic volume expectations for my trade and market — and does the vendor refuse to guarantee what it can't control?

How we answer these

We welcome these questions. Our sources are our own sites plus vetted publishers under a written traffic policy; calls are exclusive; billing rules are written into your insertion order; every billable call is recorded; and AI/bot traffic is invalid by contract. Ask us anything.