How These Businesses are Leveraging their Toll-Free Numbers

No matter what industry a business belongs to, it needs to build channels allowing customers to contact the organisation. A startup may get away with using the local office line. But as it expands, adds departments, and grows its customer base, the front desk phone may not be enough to address the regular communication and collaboration demands. That is when it is good to get a toll-free number and start handling phone calls like the leading players across industries. 

Businesses have many things to take care of. From the management of their capital and operating expenditures to the decisions on new strategies for winning new customers and retaining the older ones, there are multiple challenges to address every day.

Additionally, consumers today have plenty of choices and marketing collateral has only a brief opportunity to pull their attention, engage them, and prompt them to contact the business.

Even if your efforts persuade a client or prospect to reach you, a little distraction can negate all the efforts. It is also easy to forget standard business contact numbers. Consumers do not even wish to pay to connect to a business, making it mandatory for organisations to invest in a toll free number (toll free no).

Let us see how toll-free numbers serve these segments:

Airlines

Passengers booking flight tickets online or through travel agents typically have concerns such as:

• How can I change my travel date or cancel the booking?
• How do I book a seat of my choice?
• What are the charges for booking refreshments on my flight?
• What items are not permitted on the flight?
• If I have a connecting flight with this airline and I miss it due to the late arrival of the incoming flight, how will I be compensated?
• What is a group booking?
• What happens if my baggage is damaged?

Airlines’ websites usually address these FAQs. However, passengers may not have access to the Internet at certain locations or may prefer personalised replies to their queries. That’s where toll-free numbers help.

By keeping a toll free number, an airline can demonstrate its concern for paying customers and enable prospects to connect directly with the organisation. Airline can get all reporting through centralized call centre, give opportunities to upsell services and apprise the passengers of customised offers to improve their experience, offer instant resolution of issue and answered queries. They can explain the merits of frequent flyer programs to eligible travellers and get long-term clientele.

Direct to Home (DTH) Services

DTH services for multichannel entertainment on TV are among the top users of toll-free numbers . The IVR options or direct contact services accessible through such numbers enable customers to make the top-ups easily.

Another advantage of keeping a 24*7 contact number at a DTH customer care centre is the flexibility of providing services in different languages. While it is not easy to design and update multilingual versions of comprehensive FAQ sections on websites, customers can connect to an agent – speaking a language they understand – via a toll free number. As an example, Tata Sky Helpline¹ has associates speaking 13 languages to answer customer queries from various regions. DTH service provider can transfer call as per calling circle of customer and language choose by customer.

From after-sale support to addressing requests for addition and deletion of TV channels in real-time, toll-free numbers are helping DTH service providers to serve their customers in several ways.

Electrical Appliance Suppliers

Electrical devices such as TV sets, computers, smartphones, washing machines, ovens, and dishwashers are infrequently bought items, and customers try to derive maximum value from such investments. It is essential to stay connected to the supplier for free services provided under warranties, repairs and other troubleshooting solutions.

By relying only on a web-based platform for such services, electrical appliance companies risk:

• Limiting the scope of information to be shared with the customers
• Delaying the responses on queries/emergencies that need immediate answers
• Eliminating the human touch that customers expect for resolution of their concerns

With toll free no, customers can connect directly to agents, explain their issues\queries and get resolution at the first point of contact. This also boosts the company’s reputation as a service provider. Companies can check recording of calls to understand major issues highlighted by customer and work around a final solution.

Travel and Taxi Services

With rising middle-class incomes and hectic work-life schedules, the use of private cabs services in urban areas is common. People book taxis for trips to airports/railway stations, commuting to work, or drop or pick children from school, and also for weekend getaways or travels to distant cities. Organisations with day-and-night operations, such as BPOs, also hire cab services on long-term contracts to provide safe commuting services to their employees.

Such individual and business users prefer dedicated phone lines for faster bookings and to get updates on their cab number or driver’s details.

Companies having a toll free number in India have better chances of winning and retaining customers as their 1800 number adds a professional touch to the business. Whether a client is calling from the same location (where the organisation is based) or checking the status of the cab from a town they are about to be picked from, the call is free, direct and quick on a dedicated 1800 line.

E-Commerce Stores

Thanks to the significant discounts, doorstep deliveries and convenience of multiple payment options, online shopping is a growing trend in India. To cater to their extending customer base, e-commerce companies have also adopted toll-free numbers.

Such organisations get thousands of queries, which may be related to orders, payments, offers or customer accounts. While general information can be provided on the website, a buyer’s order-related details can only be discussed with them, as per compliance procedures. Toll free services can offer routing feature and can handle millions of calls at a time. A dedicated number is essential in this case, and customers appreciate the toll-free service that enables them to get the exact details directly from a human.

A marketplace providing online platforms to sellers of different products must also have a phone line to resolve queries. This is another reason why e-commerce companies keep toll-free services.

Bank

As institutions that hold savings of millions of people, banks must ensure the security of their customers’ money and provide prompt answers to their queries. A dedicated toll-free phone line gives account holders the flexibility to use banking services outside business hours and on weekends. They can enquire about their balance, make bill payments, transfer funds to other accounts, stop payments on cheques and block ATM cards if required.

A toll-free phone banking service also brings benefits to the bank as it reduces the number of visits for non-cash transactions and enables the bank to engage its staff in other management activities. By deploying phone banking, they streamline the customer service process and make it more secure with PINs and OTPs. Banks need to adhere to RBI Guideline and offer a toll free number in India to their customers for connecting with banks in case of any fraud or lost of credit\debit card. A business cannot survive without its customers and must build multiple channels of communication with them. Toll-free numbers supplement the marketing potential of websites, social media platforms, print ads and billboard displays. They are easy to remember, improve brand credibility and encourage customers to get in touch with the organisation.

Do you want your enterprise to stand out in a crowded marketplace and increase the effectiveness of its customer service contact points? Know more about toll-free numbers or order your own by contacting Tata Tele Business Services at 1800-266-1800.

Sources

https://www.tataplay.com/dth/help