# Is there a name for that "bloop" you hear when connecting to a call center?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-that-bloop-you-hear-when-connecting-to-a-call-center/923155>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 17, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-that-bloop-you-hear-when-connecting-to-a-call-center/923155 "2020-10-17T04:10:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-that-bloop-you-hear-when-connecting-to-a-call-center/923155/1 "2020-10-17T04:10:51Z")

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You know, the spam call that you answer and it’s nothing then you hear “bloop” followed by car warranty/microsoft/social security agent. Or whatever it is. I did try the Google.

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**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-that-bloop-you-hear-when-connecting-to-a-call-center/923155/2 "2020-10-17T07:05:05Z")

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I don’t know what it’s called, but do wonder why I hear that noise when spam calls me.

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**Author:** ![ZosterSandstorm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e0b2c6/32.png) [@ZosterSandstorm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZosterSandstorm)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-that-bloop-you-hear-when-connecting-to-a-call-center/923155/3 "2020-10-25T21:54:14Z")

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There is often a beeping sound played on the line to alert the employee in an inbound call center that they have a call coming in. This may also serve as a standard reference tone for recording software to seek in order to determine when a new call has begun. The name for this is a [ziptone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_tone).

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**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-that-bloop-you-hear-when-connecting-to-a-call-center/923155/4 "2020-10-27T03:11:07Z")

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The tone is different I think than what the call center person hears. It literally sounds like “blOOP”.

Script:

- Phone rings
- I pick up.
- Hello?
- Seconds pass, phone is silent
- \<blOOP + call center noises\> Hi mister Squeegee, I’m calling from yadayadayada!

So what makes the bloop that I hear?