next »

[Badalou]

Do any of you use 800 number or 888 number and if so who and how much. Thinking of adding but don't know where to go and not get ripped off. Lou

[binki]

we dont but it sounds like the toll free number vendors are like the credit card process vendors..... all scum.

wish i could help out on this one but we have never been in a position to do a toll free number.

[charles95405]

With so many having cell phones with free long distance, Skype, email etc...I would really doubt it would benefit enough to pay the bill

[precisioneng]

I have to agree with Charles on this one. I use to have a toll free number but after doing research and tracking where calls were coming in from over a 2 year period, I was paying a monthly fee for something that was not hardly getting used.

Cell phones and email have taken over. With my cell phone service I can call anywhere, anytime in the USA with no long distance charges 7/24.

Mike

[tiger3000]

We also agree with Charles.
We had a 800 number for 6 years
and then droped it, as the cost
vs profit was not there.

 Russ

[Badalou]

Thanks. I think you guys help me make my mind up on this.

[EnMartian]

We do have a toll free number for EnMart, and for us it has proved to be useful.  We still have a percentage of customers who place orders by phone.  I'm not sure how the toll free numbers were set up,  as our IT department handles the phone system,  but I know having the numbers has been worth it for us. 

[American logoZ]

As a retailer, I don't have a toll free number, but my husband does.  While I agree that many individuals use a cell phone, he does a lot of company-to-company business.  Folks sitting behind a desk at the company headquarters appreciate the 800 number.

[EnMartian]

Good point, and that's why we have toll free numbers for EnMart and Ensign.  A lot of businesses do still use them and appreciate their suppliers having them.

[irish]

I have an 800 number and have for years.  Mostly because we travel so much and don't have a "base" any more.  I use ringcentral.com and love it.  I can program it however I want and I have never gone over the $17/month it costs me.  I was able to port my old 800 number to them with no break in service.  I am able to send and receive my faxes through them as well for the same fee and use the same number. 

I have the number ringing to my cell phone and I have a code at the front of the number coming in so I know that it is a business call.  If necessary, I can easily have the number ring into another phone instead.  I have "hours" set up when the phone rings into my cell and it goes to voice mail off hours (great for those customers that think they can call all hours of the night).  All voice mails are forwarded to my email and I can listen to them there.  Also I can ring-out using my 800 number to call people as well.

I wouldn't be without it.  I have had way too many customers calling my old business number (local) late nights and week-ends.  I also think it appears more professional.