How to Get a Toll Free Number for Your Business
Starting a business requires a lot of preliminary setup before you can actually open your doors, or launch your Web site, whatever the case may be. One thing you will need is a contact phone number. If you plan to provide your products or services outside your local area, you may consider getting a toll free number. Before going through the process of setting up a toll free number, it may help to understand exactly what it is. Toll free numbers have become so commonplace, you may not realize they aren't actually phone numbers.
A standard phone number is comprised of an area code, which denotes the region of the country where the number's assignee is located. The next three numbers are the exchange, which further narrows down the number's location, such as a city, or a county. The last four digits, usually randomly chosen, are assigned to a specific line, and are unique to a particular business or home. It's these last four digits that make your phone, and not someone else's, ring whenever someone calls you.
A toll free number isn't assigned to a region or location. It's assigned to a phone number. The toll free number acts as an exchange, forwarding calls to an actual number assigned to a specific line. This is why they work from anywhere in the country. For example, someone in Oregon can call a toll free number that is attached to a number in Florida, without having to dial the area code and exchange for that location in Florida. Since it bypasses standard dialing, the call doesn't cost the caller anything. The number receiving the forwarded calls is charged any applicable tolls. So a toll free number is free to the caller, but not the recipient.
Sure, many phone service providers now offer unlimited long distance, so do you really need a toll free number for that customer in Oregon? Until unlimited long distance is standard across the board, yes. Consider it a cost of doing business to offer this option to your customers. The return on investment is the loyalty you will earn from your customers, whom you hope will be repeat customers.
In addition, if your business provides a service rather than a product, you'll need a way for your clients to contact you. They're already paying for the service you provide. Don't require them to pay every time they need to call you, too. There may be times when you need to have lengthy conference calls to work out project details. The last thing you want is for your clients to be worrying about a phone bill when you're trying to get them to commit to a project budget. Pick up the phone tab, and let them focus on paying you for your work.
To get a toll free number for your business, the first thing you must find are toll free conference call providers. The company providing your local phone service may be able to set up a toll free number for you as well. But they may also be more expensive. Conversely, there are a lot of toll free providers out there operating on a shoestring that won't be able to provide you with a good level of service should something go wrong. If your toll free number goes down, you need fast service so your customers and clients aren't left hanging. Ask other small business owners who their toll free providers are to get recommendations. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends using the SMS/800 site, which offers a complete list of toll free providers in the United States.
Some toll free providers offer extra features like the ones available with standard phone lines. When choosing a provider, check whether they offer extras such as voicemail, call forwarding, or even fax support. The more ways you give your customers and clients to reach you, the more comfortable they will feel doing business with you.
Toll free numbers use the prefixes 800, 888, 877, and 866. You may not have a choice of which prefix you get as toll free numbers are assigned on a first come, first served basis. But, it's also possible to get a vanity toll free number. A good example of this is 1-800-FLOWERS, the toll free number of a company that sells—you guessed it—flowers. The number says what the company does, and is very easy for customers to remember. When applying for a toll free number, consider whether a vanity number might work for your business.
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