What Are The Uses of Toll Free Numbers?

After Google Voice from last week, I wanted to get back to the basics and describe some of the uses, both standard and more complex, that consumers and businesses can put to toll free numbers. I’ll touch further on consumer use of vanity toll free numbers in a future article, but first, let’s discuss what toll free numbers can do for your business.

First thing’s first: the Wikipedia article has all kinds of esoteric facts about toll free numbers. As you might have guessed, they were initially employed by businesses through AT&T. In fact, a specialized company formed to host numbers from rental car and hotel chains. Once that company went under, these businesses realized that they needed to continue their toll free operations regardless, and the toll free number was born. But I don’t want to give you a history lesson.

Let’s take a look at a company whose entire brand has revolved around their toll free number. I’m speaking, of course, of 1-800-Flowers, probably the dominant case study in what a toll free number can do for a business. Don’t get me wrong; Jim McCann, founder of 1-800-flowers, already had a thriving business encompassing 14 retail stores in the New York metro area. But once he got his iconic toll free number in 1986, his business became national virtually overnight.

And he’s not the only one. Other direct sale businesses like Dial-a-Mattress have also thrived thanks in no small part to their toll free numbers.

Other types of businesses have been fixtures of the toll free number scene, such as Fidelity and East West Mortgage. All of these businesses got their start before anyone had ever heard of the internet, when word of mouth and catchy advertising jingles were the primary ways to attract customers. You don’t need a multi-million dollar advertising budget to successfully deploy a toll free number. With the web and local business listings growing at a frenetic pace, all it takes is a solid business model and a toll free number that sticks in customers’ brains.
To see if your dream number is available, pay us a visit at Custom Toll Free.com.