The Many Uses Of Toll Free Numbers

A toll free number is today a very effective means of establishing contact with a customer and vice versa. It is an effective tool for tele-marketers as well, when the marketer calls the customer to communicate about his product or services. But how did it all begin?

To trace back history, toll-free numbers were introduced by AT&T, way back in 1967, enabling customers reach a business without having to pay for it. This was soon considered to be a great value-addition by many companies and they adopted the 800 number service, which soon became a popular market trend by the ‘80s.

Ever since commercial enterprises began business transactions in the world, where the seller had to sell his product or services to an otherwise unknown entity called the ‘customer’ or ‘buyer’ – there was one aspect of business which emerged as being the most critical. And that was finding means to establish ‘contact’ with the user of the product or services. Print or electronic advertising, even fax or e mail advertising seemed too ‘one way’. How could it be made more interactive? How can we hear the customer? How can we know more about the ghost who buys my product? Questions like this kept on plaguing the minds of many marketers who had brilliant products or services to sell but also needed to begin a two-way communication with the users or potential users of this product.

The phenomenal innovations in the field of tele-communications have witnessed unprecedented developments in the world of marketing and advertising communications through out the world. To make your product or services seen and heard in a crowded market, marketers and advertisers are resorting to an amazing plethora of promotional tools to get their message across and make their brands remembered. Today, you can access anybody, anywhere, anytime. Marketing has now become a two-way communication.

A toll-free number is one such communication tool, increasingly used by businesses to help customers contact the marketers. In fact, not merely for commercial purposes, a toll free number could also double up as a ‘help line’ – used by law enforcing authorities, hospitals, NGOs and the government, for the safety and benefit of members of society. Considered as one of the most effective, and convenient ways for establishing contact, the use of toll free numbers has now found its way for home and family use also. For instance, a college-going young adult could find a cheap 800 service bought for him, extremely useful for calling home without having to pay for it. 800 phone number service offered by a company can increase its public goodwill in the market as a customer-service oriented marketer, who cares for its customers, since the customer can call free and get service/advice/counseling, etc.

Toll Free Number