5 Reasons Why You Need a Toll-Free Number (and How to Get One)
2 min
If you’ve ever called a 1-800 number, you’ve made a toll-free call. Toll-free numbers can help customers reach you from a long distance, market your business and come with rich features you can use to boost sales.
In this article, we’ll show you why toll-free numbers matter and how you can obtain a toll-free number for your business.
What Is a Toll-Free Number?
A toll-free number is a phone number where the caller doesn’t pay for the phone call; the recipient carries the cost. Business owners use toll-free numbers so that prospects or existing customers can get in touch without worrying about the cost of an expensive, long-distance phone call. Toll-free numbers usually begin with area codes like 800, 888, or 833.
The Benefits of Having a Toll-Free Number
Toll-free numbers are fairly inexpensive and very easy to implement. Toll-Free numbers can make your business more accessible and appeal to your clients. Here are just a few of the reasons you should consider getting a toll-free number for your business:
1. Extended Service
Adding a toll-free number to your company expands your service for your customers because they can place a call for any reason without worrying about being charged for the call. This will help build brand loyalty, streamline and optimize the channels customers use to get in touch with your business, and provides a convenient, free channel of communication. Customers who aren’t being charged for a call are far more willing to communicate, which means you can solve their problems, reduce churn and improve customer satisfaction.
2. Improved Marketing
There’s a reason toll-free numbers feature so prominently in TV commercials. You can modify toll-free numbers to make them more memorable. You can use this tool to promote your business and make it easier for prospects to get in touch. Since toll-free numbers are usually associated with larger companies and television advertising, having a toll-free number may even create the illusion that your business is larger than it actually is. This association instills confidence in potential clients and presents them with a number where they can reach you at any time.
3. Portability
What happens to your marketing materials, website, and clients when you relocate your business? Relocation means that you need a new contact number (especially if you use a landline solution) which could lead to lost business or dissatisfied customers who try to call a number found on outdated marketing materials or online. With toll-free numbers, you can use your old contact information and link to a new number to avoid service disruption. Clients will simply dial your toll-free number like always, none the wiser to the fact that you’ve moved to a new location.
4. Access to Rich Features at a Reduced Rate
A call center software provider will offer a lot more than just a toll-free number. Companies like PhoneIQ can provide feature-rich call center solutions to link your business to a toll-free number, along with a host of other functions, such as call recording, analytics, automation, and more. Your business can use these features to gain new insights into your call center and sales operations and make data-driven decisions that improve operations from the ground up.
Toll-free numbers are usually cheaper than typical phone subscriptions, which means that there are virtually no downsides to adopting a toll-free number. You can save money and improve customer service at the same time.
5. Access to Cloud Technology
The world is moving online, and many toll-free number solutions are powered by cutting-edge cloud technology, which makes your toll-free number cheaper, more reliable, and incredibly easy to implement. You can equip your business with the latest call center technology and all of the benefits associated with it.
How to Get a Toll-Free Number with PhoneIQ
It’s easy to acquire a toll-free number with PhoneIQ. Simply visit the Phone Numbers view in the Admin panel. Here, you can buy a new toll-free phone number to be provisioned and used instantly.
Go to the locations app in the Phone Numbers view and select the Buy Number option. Select Toll-Free under the Number Type option. Here you can perform a search to view all of the available numbers within the search results, select your preferred number and then press Next.
You can enter an optional description of the number in the Number Settings tab, assign it to a user or call flow, and press Next to complete your purchase. If automated provisioning isn’t supported in your country, you can contact support ([email protected]) to receive your number within 20 minutes. You can also port an existing number by emailing support using the same details.
Conclusion
Toll-free numbers offer your business the opportunity to open up communication with your customers for free. They not only offer a means of improving your marketing, extending your service, and taking your number with you wherever you go but can provide greater access to new technology, including rich analytical features and cloud technology.
