Business Phone Numbers

Telecommuting jobs have become a quickly growing trend amongst businesses. Remote workers are being hired in droves and even people you see around the office are choosing to work from home multiple days a week. The change seems to have staying power, too. Allowing workers to stay at home has increased employee productivity. This may have something to do with cutting out time otherwise spent commuting, and distractions like coworkers and the water cooler. Because of this flexibility and ease of working at home or around the corner at a favorite coffee spot, workers have escaped the mundane feeling of having to come into an office each day. Perhaps it is the freedom that is boosting creativity.

Working from home has become possible because of the introduction of cloud technology. Cloud technology can take many forms, one of which is telephony. If you work from home you might already use a softphone; if you do not you might want to consider getting one. There are several benefits to using a virtual phone and not just because it helps to keep your professional life separate from your personal life.

It’s Inexpensive

If you’re not already using a virtual phone system because you think it might be too expensive, it should be reassuring to know that there are virtually no up-front costs and because everything works through cloud servers, they cut out the cost of hardware and IT services. They also won’t take up any space in your house because it’s virtual.

You’ll Be More Productive

Using a virtual phone system means you can use your own device to access phone calls and messages from anywhere. Your cellular phone, your tablet, your home computer, or a traveling laptop are all possibilities. Anywhere you go, you’re connected to your business if you want to be. You can even convert audio files to fax documents or email messages if you need to. You can also make use of other tools that enable remote working such as online content and project management systems, chats, etc.

It’s More Professional

Your home phone will not be displayed on a caller’s ID so they will never know that you are working from your home and not an office. Also, you can create a professional voicemail message for when you are away from your connected devices. There are also many professional options that are available when you opt for a virtual phone system. These options include being able to transfer calls, put people on hold to music, and automatically forwarding calls over to other people within your field to take calls when you are away.

Your Virtual Phone System Is Prepared To Grow With Your Business

Extensions can be added all the time. It doesn’t matter how fast your business grows, a virtual phone system is ready to take on your needs, as needed.

There’s No Cost To Call Internationally

Virtual phone numbers get to bypass the heavy costs associated with long-distance calling. Simply purchase an area code in any country that you need and you can make as many calls as you need without incurring the charges. Plus, your customers will never have to pay outrageous international fees which will, in turn, build a customer’s trust in your company.

No Spam Callers

Your virtual phone system is equipped with PBX which can help you keep track of your phone calls. It also sorts out blacklisted callers so you won’t have to worry about spam making its way into your business.

You Can Switch Over To The Right Department

If you get a phone call that you are not prepared to deal with, you can easily transfer the call to the person who is equipped to deal with certain phone calls. For example, if you work in sales and the person who has reached you is trying to reach someone in customer service, it is very easy to transfer them to the correct place. At the same time, if you are dealing with an unruly customer, you can quickly transfer them to a member of your management team.

If you don’t already have a virtual phone system for your company, it may be time to try one out. It is an affordable and professional way to grow and manage your business from home.

You’ve heard the saying before, “don’t mix business with pleasure.” So why do so many people run their businesses from their personal smartphones? Working from one solo line may work for a small business that is just beginning to take off, but as soon as you start to get calls at all hours of the day it might be time to add a second line.

Today, smartphones are equipped with the ability to add a second line that you can use for business, personal calls, or while traveling abroad to avoid international charges. Having a second phone line can even help in sales prospecting! If you are wary of giving out your information and you are meeting a lot of people, adding a second phone line is a safe and effective way of communicating with people you do not know. To get a second phone line is as simple as downloading an app, or you can sign up for a free trial at Global Call Forwarding.

Getting a Second Phone Line

Global Call Forwarding forwards phone calls and text messages to any device of your choosing. You can use a second phone line on your smartphone or on your computer and tablet, too. It’s easy to sign up, too: you can do so online or by calling their toll free number at 1 (888) 908 6171. If you are running a large business, you can choose to get a toll free number, but most likely you will want to choose from their many local phone numbers if your business is smaller, or if you just want to add a second line while traveling abroad.

Global Call Forwarding serves over 160 countries, so if you are traveling abroad extensively, Global Call Forwarding offers local phone numbers, which can help you avoid those sky-high international rates. And since they have over 20 years of experience, the service that you will be receiving is high-quality, with a very low chance of missing or dropping a call.

Features for Your Second Number

Whether you choose a local number or toll-free number, you will still have access to many included features and some extras that are optional to add on. Many features offered with virtual numbers are designed to make a business run properly, no matter how small or large that business is. Even if you are just a busy nine-to-fiver with a lot of clients to juggle, their plethora of features can help keep you very well-organized. Here are some of the most beneficial features that can help you balance your workload:

• Sequential Forwarding: allows you to forward phone calls to different offices within your business.
• Voicemail to Email: forwards your voicemail to email that you can listen to at your leisure. You can keep business separate from your personal life easily with this feature.
• Time-Based Routing: this feature allows you to route phone calls to voicemail or a call center while you are out of the office. This feature makes it a lot easier to enjoy your personal time, without having to worry about work.
• SMS Forwarding: this feature creates a truly mobile experience.
• Text Messaging: this is the preferred choice of communication for many people. If you speak to or work with a lot of millennials, then this feature will be imperative in your business dealings.

There are many apps available for Android and iPhone users. Zoiper is one app that can run a variety of different platforms, which means you can get in contact with the people you need to while using a tablet or computer, too. As long as your cell phone runs on any browser, macOS, Linux, or Windows, you’re covered.

Apps like Zoiper and the GCF Softphone come with a plethora of features to keep your calls safe and secure. One tool used by Zoiper is encryption. That means that no one can spy on your calls or texts messages, the only person that can communicate is you. Other features include audio, instant messaging, and number recognition.

If you’re looking for toll free numbers for your business, you’ll quickly notice that there are a number of available options. Deciding which one you want can be a little confusing, particularly if you’re not sure which type of toll free number is right for your company. To resolve any confusion, here is a rundown of the different types of toll free numbers, how they work, and where they work.

International Toll Free Numbers

When you subscribe to international toll free numbers, they will be allocated to the countries of your choosing. Your customers in those countries will be able to call you without any charge to them. Instead, your company pays for the cost of the call. This is a great way to expand your business throughout the world because it provides an inexpensive and efficient way to increase your communication and marketing. It also makes it much easier for clients to contact you.

So that your customers know that their calls will be free of charge, international toll free numbers are formatted with a different prefix than other numbers. The prefix will vary depending on the country the calls are being made from, but they are easily recognizable.

How Does International Toll Free Calling Work?

Let’s say that your company is located in the United States, but you have a significant customer base in the U.K. Those British customers may be reluctant to call you because they would have to pay costly long-distance calling charges. They would also have to mess around with tricky long-distance calling codes. Market research shows that these two factors will reduce communications with your customers, decrease your leads, and cut your revenue.

This is where international toll free numbers come in. In this case, you can avoid the problem by purchasing a U.K. toll free number, from a company such as Global Call Forwarding. That makes it free for all your British customers to call you, and all calls will be easily redirected to your mobile phone, office landline or customer service center in the U.S.

How Toll Free Numbers Can Improve your Metrics

The important thing to remember when you buy international toll free numbers is that you can make each one serve its own purpose. In this way, you can track the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. For example, let’s say you are advertising your product or service in several places simultaneously. These are:

• Your website
• Television
• Newspaper
• Email newsletter

You could use a different toll-free number for each of these mediums, that way you would be able to track each lead to its original source. Armed with this information, you can adjust your marketing strategies to be more effective where necessary. You will also need to find out any restrictions before you purchase a new number, such as whether the phone number will work with mobile phones or not.

Are There Any Universal Toll Free Numbers?

Many business owners want to know if they can purchase toll free numbers that are free to call from anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, global toll free numbers, in this sense, do not exist. However, there is something similar. This is called a universal international freephone number (UIFN).

Although UIFNs aren’t universal toll free numbers, they can be used to make toll free calls from several different countries. These numbers do come with some restrictions, including:

• Each UIFN must be registered in a minimum of two countries.
• Each UIFN must be in service for a minimum length of time, this being at least 180 days from the day you subscribed to it.

How UIFNs Work

UIFNs take a current toll free number and turn it into an international number by adding an extra digit. Now you have an 11-digit number that doesn’t alter the integrity of your existing toll free number. For example, if your original toll free number was 1-800-FLOWERS, it would then become +8000-FLOWERS. This method allows you to maintain your original vanity number while enabling your business to receive calls from other countries. By making just this slight variation, you have extended your global reach, while also boosting your brand awareness.

If you need a toll free number that can be used in several countries, a UIFN may be a good choice for your company. Make sure to check the restrictions, and shop around for set-up fees because they can be expensive.

Virtual International Phone Numbers

If you haven’t heard of virtual international numbers, you may have heard of DID (direct inward dialing) as they are sometimes referred to. This is a type of international toll free number that is not tethered to an actual phone line. Instead, calls made via a virtual phone number are rerouted by the service provider to your office phone, customer service team, or even your personal cell phone. This type of toll free number sometimes comes with a host of special features. For example, virtual phone number provider Global Call Forwarding also offers failover forwarding, blacklisting and whitelisting, SMS forwarding, voicemail to email, and time of day routing.

Virtual toll free numbers can route calls originating from several sources such as:

• Mobile phones
• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
• Public switched telephone network (PSTN)

This means you can receive calls from all over the world from practically any platform to any platform.

When you begin your search for an international toll free number, the main thing to be aware of is that there are many competing companies in the market, each offering different packages and different services for differing fees. A certain number of different factors will influence your final choice, such as the size of your company, your budget, how much global exposure you have or want, etc. The best virtual international phone number providers do not charge activation or set-up fees, in most cases, and the virtual numbers should be available within just a few minutes. Furthermore, you should not be required to make a long-term commitment, and you should be able to cancel at any time without incurring a penalty.

Global Call Forwarding (GCF) provides our clients with toll free numbers in over 160 countries. GCF forwards calls and maintains the lines for local access for business discussions and customer service requests. The process works as follows:

• Your existing or potential customers dial a toll free local number in their country.
• GFC’s forwarding service sends the calls to designated call centers or central offices.
• Your enterprise answers the call.

This toll free forwarding service assures easy-to-dial, high-quality communications in countries around the world, including those areas with poor telecommunication infrastructure.

Features Available with the International Call Forwarding Service

Global Call Forwarding provides an advanced suite of free and optional features for toll free numbers and international call forwarding services. Brief descriptions of the free features follow.

Customized Greeting – Tailor a customized greeting to give callers a great first impression. Many companies use the greeting to direct callers to the appropriate departments.

Select Country Forwarding – This feature is available with the Advanced IVR (interactive voice response) feature. This feature forwards calls based on the country of origin. For example, a call from France could reach a call center with someone who is a French speaker.

Time of Day Routing – This feature routes calls based on the time of day or the day of the week.

Sequential Forwarding – Sequential forwarding delivers calls down a list of predetermined numbers. This feature minimizes unanswered calls. The sequence can have four additional numbers.

Local Ringback Tones – This is the tone that callers hear while waiting for a connection. Forty unique ringtones from around the world are available.

Simultaneous Ringing – With simultaneous ringing, two or more phones ring simultaneously. The call connects to the first responder. This feature is highly useful for call centers.

Call Transfer – This feature places the incoming call on hold while the attendant dials a preprogrammed sequence to transfer the call anywhere around the world. The attendant can either brief the other department or transfer the call immediately.

Voicemail – Voice permits customers to reach your number 24/7. There is also a Voicemail to Email feature that sends an MP3 file of the voicemail to your email. Users can customize the Voicemail to Email feature with the Control Panel and send voicemails to two different email addresses.

Failover Forwarding – The failover forwarding feature allows businesses to program multiple numbers, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) accounts, and Tier 1 carriers. If an incoming call is busy or does not connect, the feature forwards the call to the next number.

Forward Fax – This feature receives and forwards faxes to email as image files.

Customizable Application Programming Interface (API) – The Global Call Forwarding API has features to integrate GFC’s services with an enterprise’s business systems.

Advanced IVR/PBX –  The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) feature provides a computer greeting to direct calls. Callers can use voice or telephone keypad responses. The feature also has a free Private Branch Exchange (PBX) service, a private telephone network that connects calls to individual extensions.

Account Management – This feature has a Customer Control Panel to manage the account and to change feature settings. Account Management is computer accessible, and it permits users to view invoices and call details.

Black and White Lists – This feature filters calls. It can accept or reject calls based on specific telephone numbers or area codes.

Optional Features – Three optional features are available: SMS Forwarding, Call Recording, and Rollover Minutes.

• • • SMS Forwarding sends incoming text messages to an email account. As of February 2018, there are 17 countries that are SMS capable.

• • Call Recording automatically records incoming calls. This feature is useful for customer service, quality control, or liability concerns.
  • Rollover Minutes – With rollover minutes, unused plan minutes roll over to the next month.

For more information on the rates and features of international call forwarding, please read the article, “Get International Call Forwarding at Global Call Forwarding”.

The State of the Customer Service Experience as of 2016

The Northridge Group, a management consulting firm, surveyed more than 1,000 United States consumers about customer service issues. A PDF document titled, “State of Customer Service Experience 2016” gives the survey results. The online survey took place in April 2016. The survey report considered differences in generation. The generations, as defined by The Pew Research Center were as follows:

• Millennials (ages 18 through 34)
• Gen-Xers (ages 35 through 50)
• Baby Boomers (ages 51 through 69)
• Silent Generation (ages 70 and above)

Consumers want greater connectivity to their brands, and they are willing to use several communications channels. However, the companies who respond inconsistently put their reputations and customers at risk. The following paragraphs outline the key highlights from the study.

Customer Effort: Less is More

Less customer effort results in increased customer loyalty. Forty-four percent of consumers reported that companies made it hard for them to get customer service. The phone (56%) was the easiest way to resolve issues while letters (30%) were the hardest.

Not ‘One and Done’

Fifty-five percent of consumers needed two or more communications channels to resolve issues. However, the phone was the most efficient method to resolve an issue. 60% of the time, the phone resolved issues with a single contact, 54% for online chat, 47% for web self-service, 43% for mobile app, 38% for letters, 36% for social media, 35% for text message, and 34% for emails.

Speed Wins

Consumers want fast resolution of issues, and the younger they are, the less time they spend using a given communication method. Within 60 minutes, 40% of millennials switch communications channels, 31% of gen-x-ers, 19% of boomers, and 20% of the silent generation.

Hold the Phone

Telephone customer service meets expectations for 60% of consumers and exceeds expectations for 29% of consumers. When using the phone, 87% of contacts resulted in a response and an eventual resolution of issues. Ten percent of the time, the phone resulted in a response but no resolution, and 3% of the time, there was no response to the phone call.

Shall We Chat?

Online chat is gaining in popularity, especially for millennials, as 27% of them favor online chat for fast issue resolution. Eighteen percent of the consumers in the survey consider online chat as a viable alternative to the phone.

Socially Challenged

Social media is growing as a communication channel with 77% of consumers using it more than in 2015. However, 21% of those surveyed did not receive a response from their brand using social media or text.

Consumers Want to Connect with Companies

Eighty-one percent of consumers in the survey contacted customer service within the past year, and 58% went out of their way to purchase from companies with excellent customer service. In addition, 60% tell their friends and associates when they receive bad service.

Conclusions

1. Telephone contact is the most effective method of providing customer service.
2. The worldwide use of toll free numbers enables customers to reach your business quickly and easily.
3. The features associated with toll free numbers and call forwarding help your customers have an excellent customer service experience.
4. Grow your business using international toll free numbers for customer service.

Global Call Forwarding makes it easy and cost-effective to buy phone numbers in multiple countries. We also provide international toll free phone numbers in over 160 countries. The “View Rates” page our website, simplifies the process of shopping for and buying phone numbers in multiple countries. Global Call Forwarding even offers a free trial for their numbers.

There are several types of international toll free numbers sold by Global Call Forwarding:

• Toll Free
• Toll Free Mobile Accessible
• Toll Free Mobile Accessible (SMS Optional)
• Nationa
• Mobile (SMS Optional)
• Geographic
• Geographic (SMS Optional)

The types of numbers available, rates and monthly minutes, and additional information and restrictions depend upon the telecommunications systems and regulations of the country with the toll free number. Generally, the National, Mobile, and Geographic rates are lower than the toll free rates. However, like Toll Free numbers, National, Mobile, and Geographic rates are toll free to callers.

World’s 10 Most Populous Nations

The US Census Bureau’s 2018 estimate of the world’s population was 7,452,667,034, and the combined number of people in the 10 most populous nations equal 58% of the world’s population. Therefore, it is instructive to look at these large countries to learn about Global Call Forwarding’s toll free numbers in those countries. The following table shows the world’s 10 most populous countries and their respective populations.

China

There are 206.64 million fixed-line telephone subscriptions in China, 1,364.934 million cellular phones, and 730,723,960 internet users. In China, Global Call Forwarding offers Toll Free, National, and Geographic numbers that people can buy. Callers may use landlines and fax transmissions when they call the Toll Free number. However, with the National, Mobile (SMS Optional), and Geographic numbers, callers may use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, and they can call from other countries.

India

India has 24.404 million fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 1,127.809 million cellular phones, and 374,328,160 internet users. Global Call Forwarding only offers toll free numbers for India. To make calls, callers may use landlines, pay phones or fax transmissions. They may not use mobile phones or dial the number from another country. In addition, international direct dial (IDD) capability in the caller’s phone is required.

United States

The United States has 121.53 million fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 416.684 million mobile cellular phones, and 246,809,221 internet users. In the United States, Global Call Forwarding offers US toll free and Geographic (SMS Optional) numbers. With Toll Free numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, or fax transmissions. However, they cannot dial from another country. In addition, calls from USA pay phones using toll free numbers are subject to a mandatory FCC access fee of $0.69 per call. To use the Geographic (SMS Optional) numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, and they can call from other countries.

Indonesia

Indonesia has 10,372,912 fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 385,573,398 mobile cellular phones, and 65,525,226 internet users. In Indonesia, Global Call Forwarding offers Toll Free, Toll Free (mobile accessible), and Geographic numbers. With Toll Free numbers, callers can only use landlines and fax transmissions, and international direct dial (IDD) capability in the caller’s phone is required. With Toll Free (mobile accessible) numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, and fax transmissions. With Indonesia phone numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, and they can call the number from other countries.

Brazil

Brazil has 41,846,846 fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 244,066,759 mobile cellular phones, and 122,841,218 internet users. In Brazil, Global Call Forwarding offers Toll Free, Toll Free (mobile accessible), Mobile (SMS Optional), and Geographic numbers. With Toll Free numbers, callers can only use landlines and fax transmissions. With Toll Free (mobile accessible) numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, and fax transmissions. With Mobile (SMS Optional) and Geographic numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, and they can call the number from other countries.

Pakistan

Pakistan has 3,067,911 fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 136,489,014 mobile cellular phones, and 31,338,715 internet users. Global Call Forwarding offers Pakistan virtual phone numbers, which allow callers to use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, and they can call the number from other countries. However, the numbers are restricted to Pakistani nationals, and a copy of the Pakistani National ID card is required.

Nigeria

Nigeria has 154,513 fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 154,342,168 mobile cellular phones, and 47,759,904 internet users. In Nigeria, Global Call Forwarding offers Toll Free (mobile accessible) and Geographic numbers. With the Toll Free (mobile accessible) numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, and fax transmissions. With the Geographic numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, and they can call the number from other countries.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is in southern Asia, and it shares a 4,142 km border with India, a 271 km border with Burma, and a 508 km seafront on the Bay of Bengal. It is slightly larger than the US state of Pennsylvania. Bangladesh has 772,369 fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 126,391,269 mobile cellular phones, and 28,499,324 internet users. Unfortunately, Global Call Forwarding does not sell any numbers in Bangladesh. However, if one desires to establish a local presence in Bangladesh, an Indian number is a reasonable alternative.

Russia

Russia has 32,276,615 fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 231,393,994 mobile cellular phones, and 108,772,470 internet users. In Russia, Global Call Forwarding offers Toll Free (mobile accessible) and Geographic numbers. With the Toll Free (mobile accessible) numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, but they cannot call the number from other countries. With the Geographic numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, and they can call the number from other countries. Global Call Forwarding is the best place to get a Russian phone number.

Japan

Japan has 64,024,938 fixed-line telephone subscriptions, 164,265,142 mobile cellular phones, and 116,565,962 internet users. In Japan, Global Call Forwarding offers Toll Free, Toll Free (mobile accessible), and Geographic numbers. With the Toll Free numbers, callers can only use landlines and fax transmissions. With the Japan toll free numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, and fax transmissions. With the Geographic numbers, callers can use landlines, mobile phones, pay phones, and fax transmissions, and they can call the number from other countries.