The Significance of Toll-Free Numbers in the Age of Smart Systems!

Posted by Prachi Priya

Today most of the businesses have customers that connect through social media platforms, emails, or texts. Such an era where digitalization has made business-customer communication easy, it is hard for several companies to digest the fact that toll-free numbers are still prevalent.

Well for various services providing companies like E-commerce firms, BPO companies, and IT businesses, the need for toll-free numbers will always be alive.

Why?

Well, there are enormous times when customers are unable to connect through social mediums and through other online channels, which is why toll-free numbers are still significant. Most importantly, some customers still believe in telephone answering services, which is why toll-free numbers have not lost their name.

Several times customers try to connect over calls as they find it feasible. This is one big reason why service-providing firms want a BPO company by their side to look after the answering services. Since keeping a check on customer satisfaction is important for every company, thus, every firm tries to make sure that they have a team to answer each call on time. Call abandonment and long call queues can have a detrimental effect on the business name, which is why a check on customer support is significant.

Talking of customer service, Neil Blumenthal says:

"It's through vulnerability that human beings create connections. The more vulnerable we can be with one another, the more that we'll trust one another and the more we'll be able to collaborate effectively."

To avoid deteriorating the customers’ interest in the business function, companies have to hire and train agents in-house or have to outsource to reliable outsourcing firms. Since outsourcing is cost-effective, which is why most companies today believe in having an outsourced partner to handle customer support.

Moving forward, if we talk about start-ups and the firms that have less audience that connect them through online channels, toll-free numbers prove to be their guardian angels.

What are Toll-free numbers?

Toll-free numbers help callers connect with their designated service provider over the call without charging any extra penny. Such numbers can be identified by prefix number (800, 866, 855, 1-800, etc.)

If we talk about the ways Toll-free numbers work, here it is:

Moving forward, not every company has a reachable online presence to the customer, thus calling services becomes significant for them. Moreover, calling services are considered the real marketing tool because they help to strategize customer service and eases the process of branding. Since call support agents can be trained to gain positive customer experience, thus companies do not want to ignore its need.

Additionally, the call changes for toll-free numbers are so minor that customers’ calling internationally does not even notice it, thus they prefer interacting over calls and getting their services done without much hassle.

Want to know more reasons why considering toll free numbers are significant, check out as we list up the reasons below:

1. Unique number for your brand

Several companies question the need for toll-free numbers and think of an adequate reason why it is necessary.

Well, when a company has its own toll free number, its brand receives a unique number by which customers know them. Such unique numbers increase business visibility and ease customer-business interaction even when online services are unavailable.

Moreover, numbers starting 1800-100- and carrying area code suffix are easy for the regular customers to memorize, thus having such numbers for customer-business interaction becomes all more vital.

Knowing such benefits, will you still avoid toll-free numbers and allow your customers to get into the hassle of searching for ways to connect to you?

Well, no company would do that I guess!

2. Good for a large audience

When a company serves the regional audience, it has to have local phone numbers where customers can contact easily. Since companies would need a team of answering agents to answer the calls for the same, that is why firms will either outsource their telephone answering services to BPO companies or will hire and train a team of answering agents in-house.

In-house service handling is quite expensive where you have to train and pay agents on a monthly metric. However, by outsourcing, companies only have to pay for the work done and for a certain period, which is why it is cost-effective. Thus, to augment the answering process, outsourcing is considered cost-efficient.

In addition, when companies have toll free numbers, they get area codes attached to their numbers, which gives the customer a feeling that the business is established nationally and thus it is easy for them to rely on the services.

So, will you not love to have your own toll free number to attract more customers?

3. Flexibility

Source - https://exotel.com/

In today's digitalized era, companies think that their online services offer better flexibility and that there is no need for any toll-free number. Well, toll-free numbers have various perquisites to offer and this is one big reason why companies consider it even today.

What are those reasons? Check:

Toll-free numbers can be customized as per the business requirements, which is why it offers better flexibility.
The number can be updated anytime.
The numbers can forward calls to different numbers as per need.
It is easy to schedule and route calls.
Such toll-free numbers can easily enhance brand name with flexible systems, thus boosting customer satisfaction.
Toll-free numbers can easily connect the business service to the most remote customer too.

Source - https://www.callsource.com/

4. Attractive to customers

Who wouldn’t love a company that allows the access of toll-free numbers to the callers where queries and inquiries are listened without charging any cost to the caller? Well, it is obvious that such a strategy attracts the customers, as they feel valued to be a part of such a company that listens to them.

Toll-free numbers can be the business plan to attract more customers and the same when taken care of sincerely earns customer satisfaction easily. Moreover, with the help of such calling numbers, companies can reach their customers 24X7.

After all, customers love to be listened to without being charged anything for the call and with services availability 24X7X365.

5. Toll-free numbers are easy to memorize

One more reason why companies today want toll free numbers is that such unique numbers are easy to memorize for the customer.

To get close to the client and help them memorize the business calling number easily, having a toll-free number with area code can be excellent. After all such unique numbers are easy to recall.

Why businesses consider have a calling number and choose amid reliable BPO companies is because most companies even today consider having a call support function for their customers and want their callers’ queries resolved instantly.

After all, it is customer service that earns a name for the business, thus companies make sure that their answering services are handled on point without any threat to customer experience.

6. Highlights the brand’s coverage area

Companies want to have telephone answering services to expand their coverage area. It is easy to attract customers with the business toll-free number because such numbers portray that the business has an established brand name and covers a particular areas’ service. Such a thought allows customers to call the provider without hesitation and thus, gaining customer satisfaction becomes easier.

Source - https://www.callsource.com/

7. Reliability

Having a toll-free number for the business, a company augments its credibility. Since such numbers are only associated with established companies, thus customers easily rely on firms having toll free numbers to call.

No company would ever want to lose customers with just online services and avoiding toll-free numbers. When customers feel confident talking to companies having such numbers to communicate, then why avoiding the same for online services.

It is good to make services available online as well as through call answering services.

8. Leadership enhancement

When a business owns a normal number, it is not easy to attract customers’ trust. Nevertheless, with a toll-free number, it is easy to earn the callers’ trust and thus enhance leadership.

After all the business gets a designated number with area code suffix, which highlights that the services of the company are official. It is crucial for companies to build their brand name, thus having a designated toll-free number is indispensable.

Who can get a toll-free phone service?

Such numbers are basically used by organisations no matter big or small. Describing in detail, here we have the enterprises that can use toll-free services:

Hospitality companies.
Companies offering sales, customer support.
E-commerce firms

Ending Statement

The instances discussed above clearly highlights that companies today need toll free numbers without any doubt. With such technological advancements where businesses have easy access to customers through social channels and online chatting applications, toll-free numbers are still alive.

As we discussed, there are numerous perks of having toll-free numbers, which signifies the need for companies to have a team to answer the calls. Companies can easily select customer support services from famous BPO companies or hire and train agents in-house to answer customer calls coming in from clients.

Since outsourcing to a BPO company is cost-efficient, which is why companies emphasize on outsourcing the answering service to a reliable BPO firm. Not only is this, but outsourcing makes a team of experts available to check swift customer support and that too within budget, which is why most companies consider outsourcing to a reliable partner.

Lisa Masiello has well said, "Happy customers are your biggest advocates and can become your most successful sales team."

What are your ideas? Do let us know in the comment section below.

Tags: Toll-Free Numbers BPO companies Telephone answering services Telephone answering Answering service