Toll-free numbers can be the ace up your sleeves to exceed your customers’ expectations. According to a report compiled by Hubspot, around 93% of your existing customers are likely to engage with your business after the first purchase only if your customer service is top-notch. It is, therefore, the cornerstone for a business to operate successfully.  

Consumers nowadays compare brands basis their approach towards customer service. As we continue to embrace the new normal in a pandemic hit world, businesses are competing to ensure complete customer satisfaction for a higher customer retention rate. A toll-free number for business can be the perfect tool to establish a seamless mode of communication with customers and prospects.  

Toll-Free Numbers – The Key to Efficient Customer Service 

Even if your business is committed to providing prompt customer service, many other factors influence the opinion of the consumers. Always being available and ensuring seamless communication are the two key essential metrics for great customer service. With a toll-free number, you’ll have it covered on both fronts.  

With the onset of the pandemic, the importance of 24/7 communication has become paramount. Seamless communication plays a pivotal role in establishing customer trust and building credibility. While these two factors have always been always regarded as crucial for businesses, the COVID-19 crisis has made it even more critical for the survival of some specific industries.  

But before we delve into the intricacies of why and how toll-free numbers are the lifeline for pandemic hit industries, let’s understand the basics. 

What are Toll-Free Numbers? 

A toll-free number, commonly known as 800 numbers begins with a distinct three-digit toll-free code (such as 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833), followed by the area code and business phone number. The business using the toll-free number is charged for both incoming and outgoing calls, meaning your customers or prospects trying to reach you will not be levied any charges. All that your customers or prospects need to do is, dial your toll-free number from their landline phone or mobile phone to reach your customer support team.  

Why Should You Consider Integrating Toll-Free Numbers? 

A toll-free number in USA has a broad spectrum of benefits for businesses of all scales and industries. Some of them include: 

Higher Customer Retention 

Toll-free numbers play a determining role in brand building. It portrays that you are willing to put in extra efforts to make them feel important and cared for. Better customer care then translates to enhanced customer satisfaction.   

Boosts Employee Productivity

The toll-free system is organized and efficient. It seamlessly routes the calls to specific departments, depending on the problem and who is the most well-equipped to deal with the customer’s problem. This makes your overall customer service more streamlined and efficient.  

24-Hour Availability 

Any business that offers round-the-clock customer service wins over the trust of its customers. A toll-free number facilitates easy communication between you and your customers and prospects and ensures that they get real-time support from a live agent or an IVR system. 

Marketing Insights

Toll-free numbers can also work as an analytical tool, helping businesses make well-informed decisions. They can help you compile data like the number of calls received, caller locations, and the success of marketing campaigns.  

How Are Toll-Free Numbers Helping Industries in The Pandemic? 

The pandemic has been a hard-hitting crisis for most industries. It has brought about a multitude of challenges that are compelling businesses to revise their business strategies.  

Here’s how different industries are leveraging 800 numbers for business during the pandemic: 

E-Commerce 

During the pandemic, most of the retail shops had to abide by the lockdown norms. Many of them switched to an e-commerce model of business. Customers too prioritized online shopping and delivery due to a contactless buying journey.  

E-commerce websites witness a barrage of phone calls regularly related to customer orders, queries, payments, and so on. Without a toll-free number, a customer would be charged every time they make a call. This is not only inconvenient but also degrades business reputation. On the flip side, toll-free numbers bridge the gap between the customers and business by establishing 24/7 communication without incurring any charges on the customer.  

Banks and Financial Institutions  

The pandemic oversaw a significant rise in the number of digital transactions and online banking operations. Such a drastic shift implies that people who had never conducted banking operations online were confused about many things. They turned to customer service executives to handle their queries 24×7. Banks and financial institutions had to integrate toll-free numbers into their existing ecosystem to keep encouraging their clients to turn to digital banking operations.  

Healthcare 

The healthcare industry remains the centerpiece of the pandemic. With virtual healthcare becoming significant during the COVID-19 crisis, the healthcare industry adopted toll-free numbers to deliver seamless services and dedicated assistance to their patients.  

On-Demand Services 

During the initial days of COVID-19, people turned to digital on-demand services like food deliveries, grocery shopping, and even personal care services. Toll-free numbers highly influenced the growth of this industry as they incentivized customers to call the business and place their order without the apprehension of incurring extra charges for the call. 

Final Thoughts 

The COVID-19 pandemic has now reached the endemic stage. But it has left a deep-rooted mark and has changed the entire outlook of how businesses operate. The changes are there to stay, as the consumers are no longer open to accepting a business model from the pre-COVID era. The toll-free numbers for business played an integral role in helping businesses adopt digitization and thrive during challenging times by helping them bank on an effective mode of communication.