Starting October 17, 2026, commercial calls in Spain are placed from numbers that begin with 400. Customers will be able to tell a call is commercial before they pick up, and that may affect your answer rate.
The good news is that much of that effect can be offset by preparing the contact better. The call no longer starts when the customer picks up: it starts before.
If you're not yet familiar with the regulatory change or how to request your 400 number, first read Mandatory 400 Number Range for Commercial Calls in Spain Starting October 2026.
1. Reach out as soon as possible
When someone has just filled out a form or requested information, that's when your offer is most top of mind for them. The less time between the request and the first call, the better: the contact still remembers what they asked for and why they left their details.
2. Give notice before you call
With the 400 prefix, an unexpected call is easy to ignore. An SMS sent right after the lead comes in turns an unknown number into a call the customer is expecting.
Hi [Name]. We've received your request and one of our advisors will call you shortly from a number starting with 400. Thank you!
The goal isn't for the customer to reply to the SMS, but for them to know who's calling when the 400 number shows up.
3. Give context in the message
The notice can also reinforce the reason for the call:
Hi [Name]. We've received your request about [product or service]. One of our specialists will call you shortly from a number starting with 400 to help you.
This way the customer connects three things: I made a request → they're going to call me → the number starts with 400.
4. Design a sequence, not a one-off call
Avoid the "lead → call → no answer → done" pattern. Combine channels and attempts, for example:
Lead received → notice SMS → first call → second attempt → follow-up SMS → another call
The exact combination depends on your business, your customer profile, and the consent you have for each channel.
5. Before calling more, find where the problem is
If your answer rate drops, the first reaction shouldn't be to make more calls. Check first:
- Are we taking too long to make the first call?
- Does the customer know we're going to call?
- Is the SMS being sent, and is it arriving?
- Are we calling at the right time and with enough attempts?
- Is the advance message clear?
6. Measure the whole funnel
Answer rate matters, but it isn't the only metric. Look at the whole journey: lead → contact → answered call → conversation → opportunity → sale. A somewhat lower answer rate doesn't necessarily mean fewer sales if the people who answer come in with more context and intent.
7. Turn the 400 into a trust signal
If the customer already knows you'll call from a 400 number, the prefix stops being a barrier and becomes part of your contact experience: "We'll call you from a number starting with 400."
How to set up the notice SMS in Vixiees
- Create the template in Settings → SMS Templates → Create SMS Template and link it to the playbook your leads come into.
- In that playbook's workflow, add the Send SMS Template action so it's sent as soon as the lead comes in.
- Set up the attempt sequence of the call task so the first attempt goes out as soon as possible.
More detail on sender and cost in How SMS Sending Works: Cost, Sender, and Integration.
Tip: an SMS with no accents or emoji fits in a single 160-character part. Check the parts notice while writing the template so you don't pay more than needed.
Important for sending to Spain: for the SMS to be delivered, the sender must be registered in the CNMC alias registry.
Conclusion
The 400 prefix may change how customers respond to commercial calls, but the answer isn't simply to call more: it's to prepare each call better. Reach out fast, give notice first, add context, combine channels, and measure the whole funnel.
Because when customers can identify a commercial call before they pick up, the conversation starts well before the phone rings.
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