| Since 1967, companies have used Toll Free numbers | | | | - (Vanity Toll Free Numbers)Used for ease of |
| to provide a way for their clients and potential clients | | | | remembering your business number and number. (Ex: |
| to call them at no charge. As the telecommunications | | | | 1-800-Flowers) |
| and telecommunications hardware market has | | | | - Used for advertising campaign tracking (Telephone |
| become more sophisticated, this service has taken on | | | | carriers give you a monthly statement that shows the |
| an expanded and altered role. We take a look at what | | | | volume of calls per Toll Free number, the number that |
| businesses used this service for, what they use it for | | | | called, date, time, and where it was from. This |
| now, and why it is a tool your business cannot be | | | | information can prove to be invaluable when tracking |
| without. | | | | the effectiveness of an advertising campaign such as |
| Let's first define Toll Free numbers:Toll-Free numbers | | | | radio, newspaper, yellow pages, television, or others.) |
| are sometimes called "800 numbers" after the original | | | | - Businesses can be listed in the Nationwide Toll Free |
| area code which was used to dial them. They include | | | | directory and easily found |
| the area codes 800, 888, 877, 866, 855 (although not | | | | - Expand your marketing reach (Consumers and |
| yet in heavy use), 844, 833 and 822 (the last three are | | | | companies may not call an unfamiliar area code, but |
| not yet active but reserved). Toll-Free numbers allow | | | | they will call a Toll Free number) |
| the owner of the number to pay the calling charges of | | | | - Advanced call routing (Route incoming Toll Free calls |
| the incoming calling party. Because the owner of the | | | | in several flexible ways, including geographic routing by |
| number is paying for the call, they are allowed to see | | | | exchange or area code, Time of Day routing, Day of |
| the incoming Caller ID even if the calling party has | | | | Week Routing, Day of Year routing, Percentage |
| Caller ID blocked. | | | | Allocation Routing, All-Trunks-Busy Routing, Ring No |
| When Toll-Free numbers came into existence in 1967, | | | | Answer Routing, Emergency or Disaster Routing. |
| the average cost of long distance to the carriers was | | | | - Given to employees or remote trainees/students to |
| $0.24 per minute. (Equivalent in 1999 dollars to $1.21 per | | | | avoid higher cell phone charges and collect call |
| minute) They charged MUCH higher rates. That was | | | | charges for calls from the field. |
| for outbound long distance. Inbound Toll Free rates | | | | With typical calling rates at $0.05 and under per minute |
| were typically higher. The main reasons to own a Toll | | | | available now, Toll Free numbers are now a cost |
| Free number in the early years of the service were | | | | effective tool for every business. If you are looking for |
| the following: | | | | a Vanity Toll Free number, check your favorite search |
| - Used to help their major customers and suppliers | | | | engine for several sources. |
| avoid paying long distance charges and encourage | | | | If you are a company that does ANY advertising, how |
| them to make calls/increase sales | | | | do you track it? Do you rely on your receptionist or |
| - Created a larger company image | | | | secretary to ask every time "How did you hear about |
| - Ease of move of service if the business location | | | | us?" Are you convinced that method works or is |
| moved (Local Number Portability was a BIG issue for | | | | accurate? With a Toll Free phone number, you'll never |
| local businesses who moved and wanted to keep their | | | | wonder again if that yellow page ad you spend |
| current phone numbers. If they only gave out the Toll | | | | thousands of dollars on annually produces or not. With |
| Free number, moving was not an issue) | | | | a different Toll Free number for your radio and |
| Companies originally did not flock to the service, but it | | | | television ads, you'll be able to track your ROI, and find |
| caught on quick and increased every year. In 1967, | | | | out which methods do and do not work for you. Which |
| over 7 million calls were recorded, and now there are | | | | time slots, which direct mail campaigns, which |
| over 30 billion annually. Around 1980, advances in | | | | newspaper or magazine ads work for your company? |
| AT&T's long distance network enabled | | | | Not knowing can cost you dearly. It's now the least |
| businesses to use and promote a single nationwide | | | | expensive tool on the market to track exact results, |
| toll-free number, instead of different numbers in | | | | and it may save your company thousands of dollars in |
| different states. | | | | wasted or ineffective ad campaigns. |
| Almost overnight it became smart business to include | | | | Some nationwide carriers now offer business |
| a toll-free number in national television or print | | | | packages that include a Toll Free number, as well as |
| advertising. The advertising fueled consumer | | | | bundled minutes at no additional cost. Some carriers |
| awareness of toll-free numbers, which, over time, | | | | include long distance minutes that can be used for |
| grew into an expectation that companies wanting | | | | either outbound long distance or inbound Toll Free |
| business will provide a toll-free number. 40 years later, | | | | service as part of their package. This may be a tool |
| there are even more reasons to own a Toll Free | | | | you already have access to at no cost, but just simply |
| number. In addition to customer convenience, local | | | | have not been using. Consult with your |
| number portability and a prestigious company image, | | | | telecommunications professional to choose the right |
| there are several new reasons to consider owning | | | | solution for you. |
| your own Toll Free number. | | | | |