Having a vanity phone number is one way to promote your business. Numbers like 1-800-PLUMBER, 1-800-SKINCARE or 1-800-ANEWCAR are easy for your potential customers to remember. Sometimes they are used by customers who don’t remember the number, but hope they exist, like 1-800-TOWCARS.
Toll free vanity phone numbers are great for several reasons. If your business moves out of town, or out of state, you don’t have to change your number. You can block calls from coming in from parts of the country you’re not advertising to. You can route the calls to another phone or voicemail if you are out of the office or on the line. Vanity phone numbers are relatively inexpensive and are used by large companies, regional companies, and even in homes. You don’t need an extra phone line if you have a 1-800 number. These numbers are relatively inexpensive. Most cost around three to four cents per minute.
There are several companies out there that will help you find an available vanity phone number or vanity phone numbers that work for your company. It can take these companies from two weeks to two months to find you a toll free number. If you already have a vanity phone number, there are companies that appraise those numbers. That’s right. Phone number appraisers. They figure out how much your vanity phone number is worth to someone else. You can sell the number, or keep it for bragging rights.
There are currently four toll free number prefixes available for vanity phone numbers—888, 800, 877, and 866. The prefixes will continue to grow as companies and individuals see the benefits in having their own toll free number. There are websites available where you can type in your current phone number and it will tell you what your number could spell out, but in most cases you will probably have to change your number, or get a toll free number.
Toll free numbers can be somewhat confusing. There are so many options! Virtual fax, multiple mailboxes, voicemail, music playing while the customer is on hold, e-mail delivery, virtual calling card, no busy signal—and the list goes on—are all available with a toll free phone number. The options listed below, along with a vanity phone number are a great way to enhance your business.
Virtual Fax: You can actually receive a fax on your toll free number then forward it to a fax machine.
Multiple Mailboxes: If a customer needs to leave a message with you, or someone working in your company, this option allows them to do so.
Music-on-hold: You get to choose the type of music the caller listens to while they’re waiting on hold.
E-mail delivery: All voice messages are converted into print and forwarded to your e-mail.
Virtual Calling Card: This allows you to call from any phone to anywhere using your toll free number. All you have to do is enter a PIN and your toll free number into the phone you are calling from.
No busy signal: When someone calls your number they will not receive a busy signal, even after you have run an ad.
By Clint Hunter