The holidays are a busy time of year for businesses of all shapes and sizes. No matter what product or service you're selling, chances are your call volume will start going through the roof as we get closer to the holidays. But traditional enterprise level phone systems along with keeping adequate staff on hand to field incoming calls aren’t always in the budget, which is where virtual numbers might come in handy. Virtual numbers can be routed to mobiles or landlines of your seasonal workers, and, to take this a step further, you might consider toll free numbers to create even more benefits for your business image. Here's how:
1. Credibility for Your Business
Toll free numbers are often perceived as a symbol of professionalism and establishment. People want to make sure their purchases are being made through real companies that deliver on their promises, particularly when it comes to being timely with their holiday gift orders. Adding a toll free phone number to represent your company is one way to validate your business image (unless you specifically want to appear local). Furthermore, choosing a toll free number with repeating or patterned digits can help reinforce brand recognition by making it easy for prospects and customers to remember your company phone number.
- Handling High Call Volume
When you think of toll free numbers, you typically think of enterprise level companies like national hotel and car rental chains, but even a one person business venture can reap the benefits of a toll free number. Not only do toll free numbers provide a professional image for your business, but when they are added as virtual numbers, they come with features like a virtual assistant, call forwarding and professional voicemail services that give your customers the attention they deserve, and the automated service your business needs. This means that if you have a business that is likely to see the holiday volume ramp up and/or you know you'll need to call in the seasonal troops, simply add a virtual number that's toll free to scale your call volume. Whether you or your team is answering questions, scheduling services or selling products, customer calls need to be answered promptly – and incoming callers would rather hear an option to hold than a busy signal or even worse, no answer at all.
- Filling Pre-Orders
Pre-ordering hot gifts, holiday necessities and timely services, like tickets to a haunted house or securing a Santa costume for a holiday party, is a way for consumers to guarantee an item will be in their hands, and it’s also a way for businesses to make customers happy during the most wonderful time of the year. Keep your customers satisfied by getting them the means to reach you via a toll free number when they want – before they have a reason to move on to your competitor!
- Providing Phone Support
When consumers are frustrated or in a rush, they want to talk to a real person rather than wait for a response through digital forums or online support portals. Providing a toll free number that connects callers directly with a real person is a tried and true way to win approval and build lasting relationships. By answering questions and granting requests on the spot, your customers will feel confident in their purchases and recommend you to their friends and family. With the right service (like Cloud Phone!), you can easily snag a toll free number and route it directly to the mobile and/or landline numbers of your choice – making the holiday communication influx easier on you and your customers.
The holidays are serious business, and now thanks to virtual numbers and toll free numbers, even the smallest of businesses can offer the same kind of phone service to its customers as a Fortune 500 company – minus the heavy overhead. Could your business benefit from a toll free number over the holidays? To learn more, read our blog on 4 Ways to Gauge Whether You Need a Toll Free Number.