| What
is a toll free number?
Currently there
are 4 toll free prefixes available - 800, 888, 877 and the
newly issued 866 prefix. Another new prefix, 855, has a target
issue date of November 18, 2000. Toll free numbers, for over
30 years, have provide a convenient access for customers and
an easy way to draw new business to an organization.
Why use
a toll free number?
By using a toll
free number in your advertising or as a customer service
contact number you are effectively providing your customer a
no-charge means of communication with your company. Studies
show that by using a memorable toll free number increases your
caller potential and maintains your competitive position.
What is
a toll free vanity number?
A toll free
vanity number is a number, such as 1-800-FLOWERS,
1-800-CHEAPTICKETS, or 1-800-4800USE that promotes either your
service and product, or your overall organization.
Product, Service or company recognition increases overall
customer awareness and assures
Why
should I use a toll free vanity number?1
Studies show
that using a National Toll Free Vanity number that brands your
organization will also trigger an elevated response over
numeric and increase the buying behavior of your customers.
According to many mainstream marketers, 800 vanity numbers
attract more callers who are qualified and have the ability to
use your service. Studies show that by using a strong
and easily memorized vanity toll free phone number, you can
increase your advertising effectiveness by 300% and boost your
overall business sales by 30% to 200%. A specific
January 1999 study reveals that vanity phone numbers
dramatically increase advertising response rates, finding that
radio ads with a vanity 800 number drew fourteen times more
calls than those with a numeric 800 number.
How
many toll free numbers have been issued so far?
While the
original 800 series of 7.7 million numbers lasted almost 30
years before being exhausted in 1996, introduction by the FCC/SMS
in 1997 of an additional 7.9 million 888 series ran low in
only 2 years. To meet the demand another 877 series of the
same size was introduced in 1998 but even that started running
low in early 1999. A new 866 series was released July 29, 2000
and a new 855 series has an expected release some time in
2001. Demand has simply increased as business owners
discovered that Vanity Phone Numbers are a marketing sales
tool that truly works. There is simply no easier way for a
customer to reach a merchant than a great "user
friendly" Vanity Phone Number.
Which
prefix is better - 800, 888, 877, 866 or 855?1
According to a
September 1998 study, 91% of television commercials that use a
toll free number use the 800 prefix, 57% of which are vanity
numbers. Additionally 79% of 15-second commercials with toll
free numbers use vanity numbers, as do 75% of 30-second
commercials. It is a well-known fact that, although there
continues to be an awareness campaign from the major phone
carriers, consumers will be slow to acknowledge new toll free
prefixes. While the 866 and 855 numbers have more
readily available numbers because they are newer, but may
require some time to become established. The tried and
true 800, 888 and 877 prefixes remain your strongest exchanges
in terms of consumer awareness and ease and accuracy of use.
If I
move my business to a different state or Canada, can I move my
toll free number with it?
Portability is
another important benefit of toll free numbers, since calls
can be sent almost anywhere, i.e. your pager, branch office,
cellular phone, voice mail, meeting site, hotel, trade show,
etc. Moving your place of business won’t affect your toll
free phone number either and your move will not stop customer
calls.
Do my
toll free calls have to ring to the same place all the time?
Call routing
can be made based on area code, location, date, time or a
blend of all 4. A prime routing example is when all calls
during a lunch break would be routed directly over to your
satellite office for direct customer assistance rather than
just simply forwarding to voice mail. Another routing
configuration used most often if a company has several
regional offices actually distributes calls based on area code
specifications. Callers within a certain area code grouping
would route to one office and other callers in another region
or grouping would be directed to another local office.
Can I limit my callers to a certain area of the country?
Toll free phone
numbers can have the added feature of blocking unwanted calls
from specific area codes or even prefixes. Often this is done
to prevent wrong phone numbers, especially if you only need a
smaller portion of the country or are receiving wrong
telephone numbers from only one section of the country.
What
does it mean when the phone company said the toll free number
I want is “unavailable”?
Just because a number is reported as
"unavailable" doesn't mean that the number can't be
made available for your use. Find out actual
availability by linking to "Toll Free Vanity Search"
on the Toll Free Links Page.
1Statistical
data provided by Response Marketing Group |
