Archive for July, 2010
Toll Free Numbers Explained
Toll free numbers have been around since the 1960’s and their popularity is still growing, especially for small businesses and entrepreneurial startups. In fact, the toll free number service is so popular and used all over the nation that the prefixes has to be expanded to meet the demand for numbers. It used to be that only 800 was available for tell free service. Now, the prefixes 888. 877. 866 and even 855 are being used to provide toll free service phone numbers.
If you are a business that is interested in selecting a toll-free service to fit your business needs, you should have a little background information on how the service works.
Number Availability
It may not be easy to come up with the perfect phone number, such as a vanity number, for your business but there are still a lot of choices for your business number. The numbers currently available have either never been used by anyone else or the numbers may have been re-entered back into the system. If you are interested in getting a toll free number and have come up with a number you want to use for your business, it is recommended that you reserve it as soon as possible before it is snapped up by another company or individual.
Numbers That Are Active
Recent statistics reveal that upwards of 65% of all available toll free numbers are being actively used by companies or individuals. The most popular choice is the prefix of 800 followed by the 888 phone numbers. The other prefixes are also gaining popularity as time goes by and consumers are becoming more familiar and trusting that these prefixes are also toll free calls.
Numbers that Have Been Given Up
When companies choose to discontinue a toll free number that has been in service, the phone number will go through what is known as an aging process. This allows the phone number time to essentially be forgotten until it is re-introduced back into the pool of numbers.
The toll free numbers with the prefixes that have been discussed work anywhere in the United States and Canada and require no additional equipment or purchases to function. Toll free numbers can be a wonderful marketing tool for your business and a convenience to all of your customers and clients, especially the potential ones.
Ty Ralot is a business owner and writes about issues concerning business communications, including business toll free numbers and the technology of the virtual PBX phone system.
