9.3 Honoring Opt-Outs and Do-Not-Contact Requests

When someone asks not to be contacted, that request needs to be respected — permanently, across every channel.

What to do when someone opts out:

1. Record the opt-out immediately, with the date, channel, and contact details involved.

2. Add them to your internal suppression list.

3. Remove them from any active audience lists, email sequences, or calling queues.

4. Cross-reference their details against future resolution exports and sync outputs before use.

Opt-outs are not temporary.
An opt-out does not expire. Do not re-contact someone who has opted out because time has passed or because they appeared in a new resolution export. Once they are on your suppression list, they stay there.

DNC flags are not a substitute for your own suppression list.
The DNC flags in a resolution record reflect national and state Do Not Call registries. They do not know about opt-outs that came directly to you. Your internal suppression list and the DNC flags serve different purposes — you need both.

What counts as a do-not-contact request:

• A reply to an email asking to be removed

• A verbal request to stop calling during a phone conversation

• An unsubscribe action in any email platform

• A text reply with STOP or equivalent

• Any written request asking not to be contacted

All of these carry the same weight. The channel through which the request arrived does not limit which channels the opt-out applies to. If someone asks not to be contacted, treat it as applying across the board unless they specify otherwise.

Handling a request that comes in after a resolution export:
If a contact from a recent resolution export reaches out and asks not to be contacted:

1. Add them to your suppression list immediately.

2. Remove them from any active sequences or campaigns.

3. Do not wait until the next export cycle to apply the suppression.

📸 [Screenshot placeholder — internal suppression list or opt-out log template]

BetterMarketers support cannot manage your opt-out or suppression list for you. That is your operational responsibility. If you have questions about compliance obligations, consult a legal professional.