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5 Things You Need to Consider Before Getting a 1800 number

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 6th May 2020 Tips

Getting 1800 numbers for your business is a big decision. One that needs to be deliberated over, researched, and thoroughly understood. Here we will go over some important factors to consider before getting a 1800 number for your business.

Which is the Best 1800 Number Service?

Finding the right toll free number provider can be a difficult task, especially when you do not know what to look for. The ideal provider offers you the perfect feature set with a budget that fits your pocket. This feature set should include services and tools needed to make your business communications better. This could include anything ranging from IVR, call recording, outbound calling tools such as a web dialer, etc.

While these are the most common aspects to consider, the following article will discuss the five main factors to keep in mind before getting a 1800 number service.

1. Number Prefix

The 1800 number prefix is a common and popular toll free number prefix. This means that it may not always be easy to purchase. Before settling on a provider, check with their customer support to ensure they have 1800 numbers available for your needs.

1800 are popular because they are the original toll free numbers. Prefixes such as 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888 followed once 800 numbers became exhausted. Callers generally associated 1800 numbers with large and professional corporations and therefore these numbers are in high demand as business numbers. They can add credibility and professionalism to a business’s image.

2. Amount of Call Traffic

1800 toll free numbers do not the callers anything; they don’t get charged for the calls. Instead, the receiver (that is, the business) incurs the charges. This helps your business build and manage high call traffic. Whether it is for customer service or to make a purchase/appointment, interested and returning customers can quickly connect with your business for free.

1800 numbers are known to increase call traffic by creating a free channel of communication for interested callers. Giving this opportunity to your customers shows them that you are determined to make caller experience better. And by extension, that you care about and value their business.

3. Destination / Number of Operators

Where do you want your calls to be forwarded to? And how many operators will these calls be directed to? Calls made to virtual 1800 numbers can be forwarded to select predetermined destination numbers. This way, when calls come in, they will go where you want them to; to your head office or a remote call center.

You can also have calls routed based on where a call is coming from or based on time. For example, off- or after-hours calls can be directed to an office in a different timezone. You can also have multiple destination lines so that incoming calls ring on multiple numbers or phones. This way, no call goes unanswered or missed. Before you purchase your 1800 number, consider and map out how you want your calls forwarded.

4. Length of Contract

Another important aspect to note is whether you want a contract with your provider. Some virtual toll free number providers offer one- or two-year-long contracts that are not easy to get out of. Part of signing up for their service is agreeing to use it for a set amount of time. If you are certain of this provider’s credibility and reliability, then this may be a safe choice.

However, it is also a good idea to sign up with a provider that has no contracts or long-term commitments, in case you want to change or cancel your plan. Global Call Forwarding, for example, has no contracts or long-term commitments. We hope that our high-quality service keeps our customers coming back for more.

5. Reliability of Provider

Finally, it is important to determine the provider’s reliability and credibility. How long have they been doing business? What are their customers or clients saying about the service? What features and services are they offering and are these up to date? The longer a provider has been in this business, the better they understand a company’s communication needs and will serve you better.

Purchasing 1800 Numbers

Feeling more confident about buying 1800 numbers for your business? Start by researching various toll free number providers. Global Call Forwarding offers virtual business numbers for more than 160 countries across the world. We offer local, international, and toll free numbers. Get your 1800 number with Global Call Forwarding today. For more information, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 to speak with an expert.

Building Credibility with Professional Toll Free Numbers

Tom Senkus 13th January 2020 Learn, Tips

If there’s one thing that new businesses need when they enter the market place, it is the credibility to attract customers. And there’s no better way to do so than with the help of professional toll free numbers from Global Call Forwarding. In this article, we will explore a number of ways that professional toll free numbers build credibility with customers around the world.

Getting Professional Toll Free Numbers

Think about the last time you contacted a high-level organization, like a government organization, non-profit, or multinational corporation. Or, what about a high-volume business, like law firms and large retailers? Chances are that in each case, those entities offered a toll free number to the public to enable communication that would otherwise be pricey – or impossible.

As you may be aware, toll free numbers help accommodate the broadest audience for your business by picking up the charges that would normally be incurred by the caller. Instead, your business foots the bill to enable all callers to reach your business. By offering this service, your business gains an edge over lesser organizations that demand more out of prospective customers. Even subconsciously, customers immediately appreciate a business that makes it problem-free to contact them.

Geographical Agnosticism

One way to build credibility is to have a national presence instead of being tied down to a specific area code. With toll free numbers, your organization’s toll free numbers help to create something called “geographical agnosticism.” This component enables your business to gain a professional sheen that automatically implies that your organization has the capabilities to handle inbound calls from nearly anywhere.

And because most toll free numbers are national, geographical agnosticism can help obscure where your business is calling from, particularly if it is located in a less-favorable location or one not known to carry the same weight as major cities.

Accommodating International Customers

One particular challenge that comes with offering toll free phone numbers is that international callers are not able to receive these benefits when dialing a phone number located outside of their country and/or numbering plan. Instead, these callers are saddled with long-distance fees, saddled with the chore of dialing outside of their country, and may not be able to complete the call depending on their telecom service providers’ requirements. This can reduce credibility in the eyes of international markets and may render your efforts useless. Is there a better way to guarantee ease of communication?

Yes, there is. Luckily, with the help of Global Call Forwarding’s services, you can use two forms of toll free numbers that help bridge the gap: ITFS numbers and UIFNs (International Toll Free Numbers and Universal International Freephone Numbers, respectively). Both types of toll free numbers enable international callers to reach your business without incurring charges or service blockages. In most cases, these phone numbers match the area code and remaining digits identical to “normal” toll free numbers that those customers are already used to, which is something your international callers will certainly appreciate.

Professional with Toll Free Numbers Customer Service Directory — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100077897772

Adding Professional Toll Free Numbers Directories to Your Business

Going back to our first example, another component you’ve probably encountered with large, high-volume organizations is first encounters a directory that allows you to self-select which person and/or department you’d wish to speak with, as well as provide information relevant to your inquiry (i.e store hours, frequently asked information, voicemail services, staff list, etc.). One common form of directory available from Global Call Forwarding is called Interactive Voice Response (IVR), which uses spoken voice commands to navigate through your company’s directory, which can reduce the hassle of constantly dialing numbers to navigate (or eventually dialing ‘0’ to reach an operator to guide you, if available).

Global Call Forwarding also offers PBX services, which is short for “Private Branch Exchange.” Essentially, by using a PBX, you can expand one phone number into many sub-directories for callers to reach various departments and staff members, usually by dialing * and the appropriate digits. Callers appreciate this and it helps build professional credibility, particularly when multiple calls need to be made quickly and directly.

Better Functionalities with Add-ons from Global Call Forwarding

Because modern professional toll free phone numbers are powered by cloud computing (supplanting the limitation of landlines), there is a host of new advancements that can be added to regular phone service to augment how your business operates. Let’s cover a brief list of some of the most popular add-ons to build credibility:

CallMe Click: As the name implies, when you use CallMe Click, a visitor to your website can initialize a call from their device to reach your business with a simple click. This makes contacting your business more instantaneous instead of having the customer dial the number manually. This allows for fast action, allowing for almost-instant connection with a customer, and wasting no time.

Time of Day Routing: This add-on enables inbound calls to be routed to a specific destination depending on when a call is placed. For instance, if callers reach your business outside of regular business hours, those calls can be forwarded to another destination, such as a call center in a favorable time zone or voicemail.

Call Recording: This add-on records and stores calls made between your phone number and the public. By using call recording, you can more adequately assess if your staff is following company protocol to establish the best customer service possible and follow best-practices – a crucial component to building credibility.

Secrets of Using a Toll Free Number to Boost Your Business Calls

Ilsa Morales 16th May 2019 Tech, Tips

Do you have a toll-free number for your business? If you do, then are you using it to its full potential? Toll-free numbers can benefit your business in numerous ways, and most importantly, they can boost your business calls.

Smartphones ended the era where we memorized phone numbers. If people are no longer memorizing the phone numbers of loved ones, do you think that they will remember the phone numbers of businesses? Definitely not. A company that relies on phone calls to find new customers could suffer from these problems if they are not using a toll-free number in their marketing campaigns.

The digital age had a very quick rise to the top, and many businesses shelled out a lot of cash to increase their search rankings or spent a lot of time trying to find followers on social media. Many companies realized that marketing online is not easy and have now turned back to traditional channels of marketing. Currently, there are more radio, print, and TV ads because they are secure means to measure ROI. Broadcast, print, and television can help to get your name out to potential customers, but if you’re looking for callers, then they need to get your phone number, too.

Making Your Business Number Memorable

So, how will a potential customer remember your phone number when they won’t even bother to memorize their mother’s phone number? The answer is with a vanity number!

A vanity number is the best way to get a customer to remember your phone number. Vanity numbers are toll-free numbers that use the letters that are placed on a phone’s keypad to spell out something related to your business. For example, if you are a baker, you might use 1-800-COOKIES. Vanity numbers stand out among the crowd and don’t look funny printed on an ad or spoken about on television. Many successful companies will attach a jingle to their vanity phone numbers when advertising on radio and television as a new way to help commit the phone number to people’s memories.

Using a Toll Free Number for Business — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100211230098

Vanity Numbers Have Seen a Rise in Popularity

Vanity numbers are gaining popularity again because they are so simple to remember and can be used anywhere. If you’re driving past a billboard, you can memorize a vanity number, or if you’re listening to a radio ad, you can memorize a vanity number. Vanity numbers and toll-free phone numbers have always been an excellent choice for businesses, but the recent gain in popularity means that the best names are going fast, so don’t wait to secure the best vanity number for your business.

Make it Easy for Customers to Contact Your Company Using a Toll-Free Number

Customers do not want to put in work to contact your business. And why should they? It is your job as an excellent company to make it easy for them to get in contact with your business. Your company should advertise its number in as many places as possible so that it is not hard for your customers to find it. It can be very frustrating for customers when they can’t find a way to contact a business. Once they find your number, make sure that you are available for their calls at any time of the day. Toll-free vanity numbers are also beneficial to customers because it does not cost them anything to call a company. A customer probably won’t choose your business if they have to pay to get in touch with you when they can call another business for free.

Vanity and toll-free numbers are also great for credibility. A customer will assume a company that uses a toll-free number is a large company or corporation, but in reality toll, free phone numbers are so affordable that any size business, whether it is a very small start-up or a large corporation, can afford to get one. If you are working from your kitchen table, you can still have the same credibility that a Fortune 500 company has, and that ability will give you an edge over your competition.

Your Toll Free Number is BORING – Here’s How to Fix It

Ilsa Morales 14th May 2019 How To's, Tips

It’s not a secret that it’s much easier for people to remember vanity numbers over the average phone number or toll-free number. Vanity numbers are making a comeback in popularity for large and small businesses alike. Any business can benefit from using a vanity number, so here is a deeper look at what they are and what they offer. If your toll-free number is boring and you are ready for an upgrade, read on!

If your toll-free number is boring – Use a vanity number!

Vanity numbers work exactly like toll-free numbers, only you can customize the number to reflect your business or products. For example, 1-800-Flowers lets you know exactly what you’re getting when you dial them.

Vanity numbers have all of the benefits of a toll-free number, plus they are easy for people to remember. The more people who know your number by heart, the more often you will receive calls, and the more sales you can make. Vanity numbers are still at no cost to the customer, and they can be used for marketing purposes. Vanity numbers can be placed on billboards, and the drivers whizzing by can read your ad and remember your number on their commute to work. You should also be advertising your number on your website and business cards. Customers and clients prefer the companies they do business with to have a phone number. This is because they know that they can reach your company at any time and be greeted and helped.

Why are words easier to memorize?

According to cognitive neuroscientists, when a customer wants to remember a telephone number they heard or saw, they will use their “working memory,” which is the “voice” inside of their head. The one you hear when repeating something to yourself silently, so you do not forget. However, repeating something over and over to yourself does not guarantee that you will remember it. While your brain works to try to memorize a number, anything can come along to distract you. Whether it is a crying baby, a barking dog, or a car horn honk, things are always around to distract you from what you want to be doing. This is why we will forget a sequence of numbers no matter how hard we try to remember them. The best way to remember a telephone number is to link the number to something meaningful or memorable. This puts the number into our long-term memories, instead of the short-term ones, which are quickly forgotten. For example, if you associate a phone number with a word, then that word will bring up a picture in your head, which is precisely how vanity numbers work.

Oddly enough, some sequences of numbers are easier to remember for humans than other number sequences. Many American citizens have an easier time remembering a number using the series 1776, as that is the year that America gained independence from Great Britain. A citizen that is not from the US will not have that ability, unless they studied American history or it is important to them for another reason, like a date of birth. If your toll-free number is boring, it won’t stick as much as a number with a more familiar number sequence.

Now that you understand how vanity numbers can work for your business, you can begin your research into choosing the right one for your business. So how do you go about finding the number that you want? It can be tricky, because some of the best number and word associations are already claimed, such as 1-800-CONTACTS. Nonetheless, you can still find a vanity number that will get the job done for you. The first step is to brainstorm a list of numbers and words that would work for your business, and then you can search for these numbers. Some of them may already be taken, but Global Call Forwarding will work with you to find you the best number. One way Global Call Forwarding looks out for its customers is that they offer other toll-free prefixes. So if you won’t budge on a word, then you can make an exception from 1-800 to other alternatives such as 1-855 or 1-866. The popularity of alternate toll-free prefixes is rising, and more people are becoming aware that 1-800 isn’t the only toll-free option. All you need to do is use a little bit of creativity, and you will be on the fast track to success.

Are 1800 Numbers Free?

Ilsa Morales 21st June 2018 Learn, Tips

There is sometimes a fear surrounding 1800 numbers that you may be charged a fee for calling their number and using their services. If you purchase an item or use a certain service from a 1800 number you may have to pay for this item or service. However, simply dialing the phone number will not incur charges. Toll free numbers are telephone numbers that utilize original three-digit codes that can be dialed from any landline and most cell phone service providers, without a fee being charged to the person making the call. 1800 numbers are used by businesses as a means for their customers to get in touch with them all over the world and not incur a long-distance fee for the phone call.

Is a 1800 Number Free to Call?

Yes, 1800 numbers or 800 numbers are business toll free numbers and, therefore, are 100% free for callers in the country of origination. Customarily, a 1800 number is used as a customer service tool to let customers call a business for free. The toll free phone number usually provides returning customers and potential customers with a means to ask the business questions they might have about their product or services or get assistance.

Cell phone callers may find that their phone call was charged because they do not use an unlimited calling plan. However, most plans include unlimited calling and therefore 1800 numbers should be covered by their cell phone provider. Additionally, if a business has enabled SMS messaging for their services, then it would also be possible for the business to receive a text message from the customer.

A photo of a lady dialing a 1-800 number for free. — Source: Stockphoto.com O#20443 – ID#171762674

Are There Different 800 Numbers?

While 1800 numbers using the prefix ‘800’ are the most common type of toll free number, there are type prefixes being used as well. Other toll free codes include 888, 877, 866, 855, and 844. These toll free codes were created due to a shortage in availability of traditional 800 numbers. Note that none of these different codes are interchangeable, and dialing a business that has advertised 1-888-DINE-NOW would not be the same as dialing 1-800-DINE-NOW. Each toll free number is routed to a different local telephone number.

How do 800 Numbers Work?

There are many people who are confused by how toll free numbers work. Although many businesses use these numbers, some customers believe that they will be charged a fee if they call the number. However, businesses often ensure that the customers located outside of their physical location (region, city, state, or country) are able to contact them for free. This is where toll free numbers come in.

These businesses are able to provide this service by using different country-specific virtual phone numbers. Each country will have its own number that has its own separate coverage and accessibility. If you live in Ireland, your toll free number will begin as 1800 followed by six numbers as local Ireland toll free numbers are formatted. Similarly, the U.K. has a different freephone number format of 0800 or 0808 followed by six digits and so on.

Then, locals in that country can call the 800 toll free number for free while calls that come in are forwarded to the business’ location in another country or region through international call forwarding. The majority of toll free numbers only work within their own country. This means that if your customer is physically out of the country, they will either be charged an international fee or be unable to reach the business. But if they call from within the country, their call is free.

Why Use Toll Free 1800 Numbers?

800 toll free numbers are integral in many business communication strategies. They allow the customer to call from anywhere in the world, and not charged a fee. This allows businesses to expand their markets beyond their physical location and still connect with their customers. Having the ability to make the connection with customers results in an overall more positive image of the company.

Get 1800 Numbers for Your Business Today

There is no such thing as a global toll free number, unfortunately. However, most businesses will accommodate their clients in other countries by using virtual phone numbers that have local area codes. If you are running a business and you would like to encourage contact with international companies, it is highly recommended that you check out Global Call Forwarding and have a look at their many offerings for virtual international numbers.