3Mar

Toll Free & the Future: Are 1800 Numbers Still Worth the Cost?

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A major part of a business owner’s responsibility is ensuring that every expense is going to make a return. One of first and most important decisions you’d have to make whether or not to get an 1800 number. Before you decide whether they are worth the cost, here are some questions you have to ask yourself first.

What exactly are 1800 numbers?

Simply put, 1800 numbers are virtual numbers that can receive inbound calls. They terminate to an answer point which could be your landline or a mobile phone. Inbound numbers don’t affect the functionality of the answer points. You may still make and receive calls with your original number. The toll free number simply directs calls made to it to your designated terminating number and cannot be used to make outbound calls.

Are these for you?

Anyone with a business that requires affordable and convenient communication between you and your customers benefit greatly from having an inbound number. Not only is it easy to recall, it also provides a stable and professional image for your brand. Think about it, if you were a customer, would you be more comfortable doing business with someone who uses a home/mobile phone or a business that has a dedicated toll free number? An 1800 number is also a great way for hospitality and customer service related industries to reach out to their market and show them that their concerns are important enough for the business to provide free calls for them. Studies have long proven that most people are deterred from calling numbers with out of state area codes for fear of long distance costs. Not having a toll free number can actually cost you new and existing business. Customers definitely appreciate the convenience, most especially when 30 minute or hour long conversations are needed to resolve issues.

Is it worth the added cost?

DEFINITELY. Because they are virtual, 1800 numbers allow you the flexibility to configure routing depending on the time of day, your availability, and or caller origin. You can even point it to a live answering service after hours or while you do house calls to guarantee that there is always a real live person in Australia to take and forward messages for you. Never miss a business opportunity ever again. Serious marketers benefit immensely from the free reporting tools that come with this service. Imagine getting vital information for business intelligence for free! Increase your sales by doing call analytics and make informed business decisions relating to expansion, scheduling, and training based on your current call data. Most importantly, 1800 numbers are portable. Since they are virtual, you can take it wherever you are. You own the rights to the number so you never have to worry about changing numbers ever again. You even have the option to get highly memorable numbers that spell out your service or company name. Talk about hitting two birds with one stone! Balancing cost and functionality can be challenging, especially while investing on a business communication solution for start-ups and small businesses. With the help of the right service provider, your business can enjoy the advantages of having an 1800 number in Australia.