Wherever you look you will find businesses offering toll-free 800 numbers to attract customers with the convenience of a free call. This begs the question "Does my business need a toll-free number for our customers?" and in this brief article we will explore some of the reasons why you should offer this as part of your customer service and marketing strategy.

Customers find toll-free 800 numbers simple and convenient to use and a sign that a business is serious about its commitment to customer service. There are also definite benefits for your own company image and customer reputation in using 800 numbers. Bluntly, you are demonstrating your commitment to customers both new and old.

There are negatives to a toll-free number such as unwarranted calls being made to you on your tab. This is a small price to pay for the opportunity to talk to a potential customer or an existing one about your business and what you have to offer; as any salesman will tell you, the three rules of selling are "Talk to the People, Talk to the People and Talk to the People!"

Businesses that rely for the most part on local custom are not likely to be able to leverage the benefits of a toll-free number service. If your customer and prospect targets are widely dispersed around the country then an 800 toll-free number certainly will convey significant benefit to your reach, image and reputation. Businesses that are providing a product or service that has a need for technical support calls tend to significantly outperform rivals that do not have an 800 number as part of their customer service offering.

Toll-free 800 numbers have a very significant feature that your business can use to great effect - anonymity! No-one will know what part of the country they are calling as the number will give no clue. Combining a toll-free number with a mailing address, allows you to establish a virtual presence anywhere in the country, at a fraction of the cost of setting up a physical base. Consider the enhanced perception of customers if a financial services company has a Wall Street mailing address coupled with a toll-free number, and yet, they can be physically located in Boise, Idaho or anywhere outside New York.

With a toll-free number the call cost is charged to the business who owns it. Charging structures and rates vary as widely as there are service providers, and usually you buy toll-free call time units at a predetermined price but are charged whether you use all of the time in a unit or not; in other words the cost of the call to you is rounded up to the next whole unit of time. Blocks of call time are charged in units of 6, 30 and 60 seconds with cheaper rates for the longer blocks. The majority of businesses seem to choose the shortest time unit possible, to avoid being charged for time they do not use.

Service providers for toll-free 800 numbers are easily found as there are many of them and you do not need to be restricted to your existing telephone provider. The internet or Whitepages will provide you with dozens of 800 toll-free service providers and with a wide choice comes the need to research their terms and conditions carefully.

Customer preference has driven the popularity of toll-free 800 numbers and businesses have latched on to this. While a minority of businesses may not have a need for setting up a toll-free 800 number the vast majority of businesses will benefit. Place yourself in your customers shoes and ask this: "If that company is not prepared to pay for the cost of a telephone call to themselves to discuss their products and services before taking my money, are they really serious about looking after me before, during and after I've bought from them?"

Technology Products on our marketplace

Related reading: Also learn about using toll free numbers plus free reverse 800 number search options - just click the links to find more info.