Are Toll-free Numbers Are Obsolete?

Are Toll-free Numbers Are Obsolete?

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I am a Judgment Broker who writes a lot. This article is my opinion on why toll free numbers are much less valuable than they were before, and why your business may consider switching to a conventional number to save money and time.

In the past, in the days of monopoly pricing for long distance calls, a toll-free phone number was almost essential for a nationwide businesses. Now, long distance calls are either cheap or free, particularly when bundled with the cost of phone products or service plans.

The obvious motive to have a toll free number is to save callers money. An advertised benefit is the (asserted) "enhanced integrity" that a toll free phone number provides. I think this is no longer true, because nearly everybody knows that it's now easy and cheap to order a toll-free phone number.

There are a few advantages for the owner of a toll free phone number. Toll free numbers permit someone to capture addresses and names from telephone calls.

Getting the name and address of callers who don't purchase your service is of uncertain usefulness. One should gear their business toward people that buy, not to tire-kickers.

Toll free numbers also stop the majority attempts to conceal numbers, so masked numbers usually are recorded on toll-free phone lines.

Besides additional costs, there is another downside to providing a toll-free number. When people do not pay anything, they can be more likely to not respect things as much.

On web sites, some entities conceal their phone number, partially because of telephone leeches.

One case of a phone leech situation, would be if one has a business selling a video tape-to-DVD transfer service. The web site clearly describes the simple business: Send us a tape and $20, and we will mail you a DVD of the video on the tape.

Even if your web site has a good FAQ, and has clear instructions, some people will call, and ask you for your number, what is your web site name, how long will it take to ship?, etc.

Some people like to read do not like to read very much. Asking you for your phone number, the same number they just called to reach you, is very silly; however, that does not require too much time.

A phone leech often goes off on long detours that have nothing to do with your product.

A phone leech might share part of their life story, for example, "I have three wonderful children, and they are getting out of school in two weeks for summer vacation. I am going to aunt Kate's party the week after that, and I will bring them, and I am going to bring my video reorder and two extra batteries so I won't run out, and will bring some apple juice too, and..."

You can teach your workers to efficiently bring wayward callers back on track, however, as long as you have a phone, some people will waste your time.

Having a toll-free phone number may attract telephone leeches. Moving to a regular number won't stop silly and wasteful calls, but it will save you time and cut your costs.

In our business, I tested a move from a toll free phone number, to a regular phone number. The switch didn't slow down our business at all, and we saved money, and get fewer phone leech callers now.

It seems that when people have to think about the phone number they are calling, it attracts more serious callers.

When you move from a toll-free to a regular phone number, you don't need to give up your toll free phone number, you just stop advertising it to the public. You can always tell your actual customers about it, but why spend extra money on the general public?

About the Author:
http://www.JudgmentBuy.com - where Judgments and debts quickly get recovered by the best - matched for free.

Mark D. Shapiro, with the best quality free leads for enforcers, collection agencies and contingency collection attorneys.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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