Toll Free Number - A Comprehensive Guide

Have you just started a business and want to give your customers the option of customer service? If so, you have undoubtedly heard of the toll-free numbers used by practically all companies today. These are the 1800 numbers where customers can communicate with their service providers quickly and for free. Let’s understand everything related to these numbers.

A toll-free number: what is it?

An 1800 prefix phone number is a toll-free telephone number used by businesses in India. Customers have the option of making a free phone call to this number. It's one of those numbers where the companies, not the callers, pay for incoming and outgoing calls. It has become one of the most superficial contact methods between businesses and their clients because toll-free numbers are not charged.

How do businesses use toll-free services?

A corporation must follow procedures when offering toll-free service to its consumers rather than a regular phone connection. The steps are broken down below for your convenience:

• Obtain an 1800 toll-free number

  Before doing anything else, businesses must rent a toll-free number from a toll-free service provider. They should always prefer to choose a phone number that is easy for their clients to remember.

• Personalize the call flow in the dashboard of the service provider

  Companies should set call routing rules and customize the call flow after receiving the number. In this step, the businesses also set office hours, an IVR greeting, a voicemail option, and other details. It is done to ensure that there is a seamless customer experience.

• Post the number online to begin receiving calls

  The service provider needs some time to set up the call routing rules. Once this has been completed, the businesses can publish the toll-free number on their websites and other marketing materials. After sharing the number, companies can anticipate calls from clients. The firm using the toll-free number is always responsible for paying the call costs, not its clients.

What advantages do toll-free numbers offer?

Here are a few advantages for businesses employing toll-free numbers:

• Improved brand identity

  A toll-free number is easy to remember, and customers can link it to certain companies. Additionally, giving your customers access to a toll-free number available around-the-clock can give your brand a sympathetic and helpful image.

• Customer Experience gets Improved

  Customers would not like to call a company for an issue and pay for those call charges. These issues are also fixed by calling 1800 numbers. Customers can contact the business whenever they want without worrying about call fees because the company will cover those costs. Such encounters encourage customers to patronize the company for a long time. To improve the client experience, IVR options are also available with toll-free lines.

• Marketing Metrics

  Any organization may readily track the marketing ROI by using 1800. When businesses employ these numbers in print and online advertisements, they can trace every call and analyze their marketing expenditures.

• Enhanced Sales

  Billboards and TV ads with toll-free numbers attract more attention, as has been repeatedly shown. It is more likely that they will generate more sales leads because it is the most straightforward and convenient approach for a customer to contact a business. Additionally, since there is no cost associated with the call, consumers call toll-free lines more frequently. It will eventually result in higher sales, which will benefit the company.

• Improvements to Cloud Communications

  Numerous service providers also provide cloud telephony suites, which enable businesses to measure agent productivity more effectively, initiate and receive unlimited parallel calls on a single number, and more.

• Run a national business

  Customers frequently assume that tiny, locally-owned businesses operate with local telephone numbers. On the other hand, a company with a toll-free number appears more reliable, has a high turnover rate, and is a powerful corporation.

How to get a toll free number?

You can obtain toll-free numbers in India from companies like Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL, Reliance, Tata, and many others. Additionally, a lot of cloud telephony providers provide toll-free number services. Any business that wants to use a toll-free number for operations must take the steps outlined below.

• The organization needing the toll-free number must contact the local franchise in their region.
• After getting in touch with them, they must complete the form and provide the necessary paperwork for the connection.

If a company decides to sign up with a cloud telephony provider, the process is as follows:

• They must select the 1800 toll-free number.
• The business would have to enter the IVR script and the forwarding number.
• Later, they would need to create an account, confirm their identity, and reserve the toll-free number for immediate activation.

Benefits of hiring a cloud telephony provider

A telephone service provider uses leased lines and might provide fewer advantages than a cloud telephony provider. Here are some more services that a business can get from a cloud telephony provider rather than a phone service provider.

• Call Monitoring

  Call tracking is a feature that a cloud telephony service provider offers, allowing businesses to assess their performance anytime.

• Call Retention

  With a call recording feature, the business can track its calls and assess its effectiveness at accomplishing its goals.

• Plain IVR

  A cloud telephone service provider can aid a corporation in setting up a straightforward yet expert IVR system in less than 5 minutes without any technical assistance.

• Detail Reporting

  Cloud telephony service providers provide an excellent reporting system that enables comprehensive and personalized reports for each account.

• Countless Channels

  Any company using cloud telephony can make unlimited concurrent calls on the same number.

• Integrated CRM

  The company's CRM can be readily integrated with cloud telephony providers' simple-to-use APIs.

Which is preferable: a provider of cloud telephony or phone service?

When choosing between a phone provider and a cloud telephony provider when purchasing a toll-free number, consider your answers to the following questions:

• Is your company able to build its infrastructure?
• Are you managing the complete infrastructure with an internal IT team?
• Is investing in new infrastructure an expensive endeavor for you?
• Can you forecast the number of calls you'll receive and adjust your infrastructure and costs to match?

If the answers to the above mentioned questions are affirmative, you should choose a telephone service provider; otherwise, select cloud telephony.

Who can use a toll-free number?

Here are a few companies that could benefit from using a toll-free number.

• Medical care - Using the IVR feature on the toll-free calls, 1800 numbers can assist people in scheduling doctor's appointments, speaking with various departments, booking ambulances, and many other similar tasks.
• Financial organizations - Any financial institution that wants to advertise new offers and investment plans and improve customer service can do so easily by setting up a toll-free number.
• The Educational Institutes - Access to application status, cost information, program choices, and much more is simple for students and parents of schools and institutions.
• NGOs - NGOs can promote a cause or run brief educational courses through toll-free phones.

What is the cost of a toll-free number?

Depending on the projected monthly consumption of each company, the cost of the toll-free services will vary. Estimated monthly call volumes and agent counts are included in the utilization.

What distinguishes a toll-free number from a virtual phone number?

A virtual phone number is just a phone number stored in the cloud. These numbers are linked to a phone line and are set up to redirect incoming calls to a predetermined range of phone numbers of the user's choosing. On the other hand, a toll-free number is a virtual phone number with the predetermined format 1800-XXX-XXXX. Toll-free numbers allow customers to contact businesses at no cost because the company covers the expense of dialing these lines.

How exactly does the toll-free number operate?

The majority of toll-free numbers used by service providers operate in the following format:

• The caller or the consumer calls the toll-free number provided by the company through its brochure or advertisements.
• The actual phone number, which is mapped behind the toll-free number, is then contacted.
• Conversely, the agent answers the call, and the business is charged for the call.

Wrapping up

There are plenty of toll-free service providers in the market today, but choosing the right one is essential. When looking for a service provider, look for someone who offers you fewer or minimal installations while also allowing you to change your forwarding number anytime.

Additionally, search for a service provider who can give you reporting tools to assess the efficiency and performance of your company. For a seamless customer experience, the system should also be simple to integrate with your CRM. Don't forget to select a nice number that can be simply learned and remembered while looking for a fantastic service provider.

Choose a service provider who can provide a free trial option as well, if at all possible. Installation of a toll-free number followed by its termination won't do much to enhance the company's reputation. You should constantly weigh all the advantages and disadvantages before deciding, then choose the company with the best features and benefits.