An Overview Of 1800 Numbers

1800 numbers are hugely popular among companies because they offer customers a free way to call with their questions, request service and more. In some cases, companies use toll free numbers as an important marketing device. Vanity toll free numbers are special toll free numbers that spell out a company’s name or the name of a product or service. These numbers are also popularly used for marketing purposes.

Rise of Toll Free Numbers

It was in 1967 that AT&T came out with the first toll free numbers with the intention to give its overworked operators some respite. In the U.S. these numbers are known as 1 800 numbers while in the rest of the world they are known as “Freephone Numbers”. As more companies realized the advantage of toll free numbers, their popularity rose and there was a time when 800 numbers went out of supply. This was the time when another toll free prefix “888” was released. But the demand for this number continued to rise and so other toll free prefixes including 877, 866 were also released. “855” was the latest addition on this list of toll free prefixes.

The Unique Edge

Although it was assumed that cell phones would finally destroy the importance of toll free numbers that has not been the case. Some were of the opinion that cell phones would completely ruin the toll free number system. The cost of long distance calls has come down remarkably because of the fierce competition among the different cell phone service providers. There was a notion that this would make 800 numbers irrelevant. But this is did not happen. In fact, 1800 numbers have their own business value that has made them a pre-requisite for all businesses.

Gives a Marketing Edge

Someone does not need a degree to understand that people would prefer to call a number which is free. People might need to inquire about your product/service and they may not feel comfortable paying just for an inquiry. Moreover, it is a courtesy not to charge your prospects and customers. Your customers feel relaxed to call you and inquire about your products. They also feel convinced about the service they can expect from you. This is a true advantage over your competitors. 1800 numbers make a business look big, professional and smart. These numbers help to attract more customers which in turn boost sales.

Proposes Better Business Value

Once you know the needs of customers, it is easier to address them. This can actually help you to engage a caller more effectively. No advertising works better than word of mouth and a reference from a satisfied customer can do miracles. Both these can work together to get better sales for your business. 1800 numbers help you to provide better customer service and add value to your service/product. This way the business value of an 800 number far exceeds the merits of a cell phone.

Using Vanity Numbers

For marketing and advertising reasons, it is always better to use vanity numbers. Vanity numbers are unforgettable and make your business and contact information memorable simultaneously. A vanity number is an alphanumeric number that contains a combination of words and numbers. The letters of this number spell out the business name/ product name/service name it’s associated with.