Insights

Five Key Functions of Text Enabled Toll-Free Numbers

Oct 26, 2015

Today Toll-Free is a unique business number. What started more than 50 years ago as a channel for avoiding the cost of a long-distance call has today evolved into a trusted link between business and consumer.

For businesses, Toll-Free builds brand identity and can play an integral role in every facet of their operation, from expanding business opportunities to measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Such a multi-faceted role is accentuated by the fact that Toll-Free Numbers support both voice and text communication—which is important for reaching an audience that increasingly looks to communicate using multiple channels.

According to a recent Harris Poll conducted on behalf of OneReach, roughly 64% of consumers with texting capabilities would prefer to use texting over voice as a customer service channel. This means businesses now have an effective channel for reaching consumers on their terms.

Looking specifically at the ways in which text enabled Toll-Free Numbers can add value to the business-consumer relationship, we focus on five key functions:

Troubleshoot: Consumers are able to obtain technical support and the ability to file claims and report issues quickly and efficiently.

Schedule: The option to schedule appointments, deliveries, and request callback services can now be done with a text rather than waiting in the phone queue.
Inquire: Businesses can now offer a convenient channel for warranty claims, service issues, and reservations.

Order: Requests for refills, the placement of orders and and the ability to confirm or cancel an order can be done with minimal interaction.
Acquire: Companies use Toll-Free Numbers in online “click to call” ads to obtain data about potential customers that can be used to acquire new customers. 

Somos plays a vital role in helping businesses make meaningful connections using text enabled Toll-Free Numbers. With the recent launch of the Texting and Smart Services Registry, Somos is providing the first formal industry-wide system to support the growing demand for the text enablement of Toll-Free Numbers.

With the TSS Registry, Service Registrars can help businesses complement existing Toll-Free voice services with text. Service Registrars provision Toll-Free Numbers into the TSS Registry, which holds the authoritative routing data used to deliver text messages to the correct destination. This creates a single centralized source for text enabled Toll-Free Numbers.

Creating a seamless experience no matter how customers wish to interact with businesses not only makes customers’ lives easier, it also helps businesses build a brand that is friendly, available, helpful, and reliable.