Home » Archive by category 'Tips' (Page 2)

Global Call Forwarding Opens New Office in Brazil to Accelerate Product Innovation and Strengthen Regional Support

now in brazil

The new hub will focus on IT development, technical support, and customer success in response to growing demand from Brazil and South America. DELRAY BEACH, FL, June 2025 – Global …Read More »

Global Call Forwarding Inaugura Novo Escritório no Brasil para Impulsionar Inovação e Reforçar Suporte Regional

Brazil office PR

O novo hub será focado em TI, suporte técnico e sucesso do cliente, atendendo à crescente demanda no Brasil e em outros mercados sul-americanos. SÃO PAULO, BRASIL – 16 de …Read More »

02 Numbers – the Gold Standard for Bangkok Businesses

02 phone numbers for businesses in Bangkok

A few years ago, at iFX Expo Asia, I had several conversations with sales and support leaders from Hong Kong and Malaysia-based forex companies. They were curious about Bangkok 02 …Read More »

How to Add Global Coverage to Your Business Phone System

global coverage business phone system

Today’s most competitive businesses aren’t just thinking local — they’re building for global. From APAC to the Middle East and Africa, the opportunity to scale customer support and sales reach …Read More »

How to Manage Global Voice: 10 Tips

Tips for managing a global voice network

Expanding your business globally is exciting, but staying connected across borders is an entirely different challenge. Managing voice communication across time zones, underdeveloped in-country telecom infrastructures, and complicated regional regulations …Read More »

Skype is Shutting Down: Here’s How to Port Your Skype Number

skype shutting down

Note (May 1st): We are no longer accepting Skype port-ins. Due to the May 5th cutoff date, porting requests will be rejected. Instead, clients can purchase a new phone number …Read More »

How Do You Provide Excellent Customer Service?

Customer Service is Paramount

When your business provides excellent customer service, your customers will often become loyal for life. When your customers become loyal to your business they will talk about your business to their friends, family, and coworkers; perhaps anyone who will listen – and they will do all of this marketing for free. Businesses shouldn’t require money to provide excellent customer service in hopes of gaining a better reputation, they should genuinely be interested in making customers happy as part of their game plan. After all, customers are the lifeblood of your company and your livelihood.

It’s All About the Experience

There are several steps that you can take to create the best experience for customers, both existing and new. This is about more than just providing a great product or service; the customer needs to enjoy everything about your company, from your website, to your store, to how your team speaks with customers over the phone.

Customer Service Techniques

Check out these techniques for building excellent customer service for your business.

1. Know What You’re Selling
There is nothing more annoying than an employee who can’t answer a question about a product. You and your staff should be informed on how everything you sell works and why a customer would need it. You will make a lot more sales if your employees know the way to sell an item. Be sure that your staff is aware of common questions that may be asked.

2. Treat Everyone With Kindness
Every customer that walks into your store should be welcomed with a friendly greeting and a warm smile. If someone asks you for help, you should be genuinely interested in helping them out. When speaking over the phone, it helps to talk with a smile because it changes your tone of voice. People can easily detect over the phone if a person is happy or not.

3. Express Your Gratitude
Always tell your customers “thank you” whether they have purchased something or not. If someone walks in and browses through the store, let them know that you’re thankful that they stopped in. They may come back later with friends if they had a nice experience and simply weren’t interested in buying at the time. Never forget to thank the customers who do make a purchase, and you can send them off with a farewell greeting as well.

4. Provide Employee Training
Not only must employees be literate in what products and services the company is selling, it is also important that they understand how to handle issues if they come up. A properly trained employee will rarely need to refer to a manager.

what makes a good customer service agent?
Source: Stockphoto.com – O#:100036645213 ID#100186088462

5. Be Respectful
If a customer is unhappy with a product, try not to mirror their energy. Use a relaxing and kind tone of voice and remember to apologize even if you think you shouldn’t have to. Customers can get very emotional and it is important that you and your staff keep your cool in heightened situations. It can make the difference between getting a customer for life or losing one and risk them bad mouthing your company.

6. Listen Intently
Listening is an important part of communication, especially in the customer service sector. Customers will feel respected when they can tell that you have genuine interest in what they have to say. It will also help you to solve their problem faster and more effectively when you’ve really understood what they meant.

7. Respond in a Timely Manner
Customers do not like to wait. Whether that means offering to call them back so they don’t have to wait for an available agent or responding to an email, it means a lot when you can say you’ve received their request and are working on the solution. Just because you cannot solve their problem right way doesn’t mean they should be ignored. Communicate to all of your customers that you have heard them and will begin working on helping them with their issue right away. In a busy store setting, you might be helping out one customer and see another hover around waiting their turn with their question. Just by simply acknowledging their presence, you will be able to watch their demeanor change to a more relaxed state as they wait patiently while you finish up with your first customer.

8. Request Feedback
A successful business is always eager to learn ways to improve their products and customer service. You can gain feedback in several different ways. Questionnaires and customer surveys are popular techniques businesses use to get information from their customers. You can send these via email, by calling a phone number they provided, or some businesses will provide a website to visit printed at the bottom of a store receipt. As a customer completes an order in store, you can also ask them personally what they thought of the experience, or after completing a purchase online you can add a pop-up that will bring them to a page for feedback.

9. Meet the Customer’s Needs
Once you have received feedback on your products, services, and practices, you can incorporate what you’ve learned to improve your business. Perhaps people don’t like the way your website is setup, or the dreary colors on the walls in your store; take their input into consideration and keep on improving.

If you follow all of these techniques you can build customer confidence and your business will be on the fast-track to greater success.

What is an LLC?

Corporation, sole proprietor, and partnership are terms that you’ve most likely heard before and understand the concept behind. But what is an LLC?

LLC stands for “limited liability company” and it combines aspects of corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships. It has become a very popular business model for small, new businesses. The LLC model works because it is similar to the way a corporation operates, yet the model is more straightforward and adjustable.

An LLC combines the limited liability of a corporation with the pass-through taxation of a sole proprietorship, which is very appealing to many small business owners. This combination means that the business is its own legal entity and separates debts, yet you can still tie them to your own personal taxes. You can either be the sole member of an LLC or you can have multiple members, like with a partnership.

If it sounds too good to be true, it might be. Though the LLC is a coveted business structure, there are certain businesses that are more well-suited to its model than others. Read on to learn about some pros and cons of the LLC.

LLC PROS:

  • No ownership regulations: If you’re starting a business from overseas, there are no restrictions to citizenship or residency. Also, if you want to have corporate entities as a part of your LLC as members, you can. However, if the corporation is the only member of the LLC, the LLC will be treated as a partnership for tax purposes.
  • Liability Protection: The members of an LLC are separate from the LLC entity itself, so any debts that the LLC incurs, the members will not be liable for. The only personal assets that are at risk with an LLC are those invested in the company by the personal members of the LLC.
  • Adjustable Profit Distribution: In a corporation, the percentage amount that is invested is the percentage amount in profit that is returned to each individual shareholder. In an LLC, the members choose how the profits of the LLC are distributed to each member. This can be differentiated by ownership percentage instead of an exact percentage share.
  • Pass Through Taxation: An LLC will not usually pay its own taxes, instead, the income would be passed through the personal income of each member of the LLC and would be taxed as personal income. In this way, the LLC is very similar to a sole proprietorship or partnership.
  • Adaptable Tax Status: An LLC is usually treated as a partnership or sole proprietorship during tax season, but the members of the LLC always have the option to treat the LLC as a C- or S-corporation for taxes.
  • Few Compliance Requirements: While a corporation is required to keep up a strict schedule of shareholder meetings, bylaws, and corporate resolutions, the LLC does not have to do any of that. Instead, the members of the LLC adhere to an “operating agreement.” Members can still call meetings whenever they want and can document meetings and resolutions, but they are not required by law to do so.

LLC CONS

  • Personal VS Public: As the owner or member of an LLC, you need to be able to separate your business and personal finances. This will require you to open separate bank accounts and keep track of different cards and spending. There are other things to think about as well, such as cashing checks in the name of the LLC and the fees that come along with the business accounts.
  • A Member’s Departure: If a member of your LLC departs the business, then your LLC immediately ceases to exist. Unlike a corporation where shareholders can come and go, the LLC members must be in for a permanent partnership.
  • Taxes: Pass through taxation can be a benefit or it can be a hindrance. Sometimes the personal income of the LLC member will have higher taxes than a company, and you will still be paying for personal tax items such as Medicare and Social Security.

If you are interested in flexible business management and taxes, then an LLC might be the best choice for your business. Even those with partnerships, sole proprietorship, or corporations may benefit from a change to an LLC. However, it is important to plan over any change with a corporate financial advisor to examine the personal pros and cons. Also, it is important to note that some companies cannot file as LLCs. These companies include insurance agencies and banks. For those wishing to establish an LLC in their state, all they have to do is research. For example, if you live in California and are seeking the best LLC service in CA, LLC services can provide expert guidance and legal support to make the LLC formation process smooth and easy.

Different Personality Types in the Workplace

When you go out into the world you meet all kinds of people with different motivations and personalities. Outside of the office, you can choose who you want to interact with, but in the office, it’s often a situation of “you get what you get.” Pinpointing your own personality type can help you steer your career trajectory in the direction you would like it to be going, as well. Along these lines, it’s important to understand how to work with different personality types as this can also help you to succeed in your career.

Some personality types will get along wonderfully and others may come into conflict more often than not. If your conflicts aren’t able to be addressed properly, you could end up becoming miserable at work or worse. Some of your coworkers may have outgoing personalities and want to talk and socialize with you at work, while others will find this behavior rude and distracting.

When conflicting personalities escalate to a problem among colleagues the issues will begin to throw off the office productivity. All problematic situations need to be managed directly in order to keep your office from becoming disjointed. The first step in keeping your office in harmonious working condition is to identify the 5 different personality types that you might find in a typical workplace environment and proceed accordingly.

1. The Solo Player

These people are multi-taskers that like to handle jobs alone. They prefer to not work with a team, but will if they are assigned to one. However, don’t expect them to grab drinks with the team after work or to volunteer to be the leader. These introverts are usually highly skilled and fast workers. In order to manage a Solo Player, try to give them as many individual work assignments as you can and keep team projects to a minimum. Also, don’t try to force the Solo Player into socializing with others; it will come naturally or it won’t, and its nothing to bother yourself about. Be sure to recognize their achievements and to give them extra time to process feedback and negative performance reviews.

2. The Slacker

Whenever work comes up, the Slacker has a reason to miss out on it. If they’re not needed, they won’t be there; and if they are needed, they’ll probably show up late. They have a list of excuses a mile long and won’t hesitate to give you any of them. How many “grandmas who got sick” does the Slacker have, anyway? Working with the Slacker means you need to be very direct in your delivery if you need something done. If they try to bring up more excuses, let them know you’re aware of the number of excuses they’ve previously given and let them know the consequences if they continue this slacker behavior. This person might need to be micromanaged because their productivity requires plenty of check-ins to get any progress.

3. Your Best Friend

Not just Your Best Friend, he or she is everyone’s best friend. This employee is constantly gossiping by the water cooler, cracking jokes in the break room, and can be found at other people’s desks more often than their own. This person is extremely extroverted and has probably gotten to know everyone in the building; let alone just your office. The problem with the Best Friend is that he might not be spending enough time on his work as he is focused on talking to everybody. To manage this person, use their skills to your advantage and get them to build company culture and organize after-work events. This person will need regular check-ups on progress – a lot like our other buddy, the Slacker.

4. The Angry Guy

Or girl, this person is a ticking time bomb ready to go off on a moment’s notice. You have already pinpointed this person because you’ve previously seen him/her get angry a few times since you started working together. These people can be very bad for company morale and they need to be dealt with immediately. The Angry Guy might be affecting your brand if they interact with customers or clients, and they can do a lot of irreparable damage. Try to find out what is making the Angry Guy so angry. Once those emotions are released, a healing process can occur.

5. Debbie Downer

Nothing can go right in Debbie Downer’s life. Whether it’s their awful in-laws, a mean landlord, or a “lazy” coworker, Debbie just can’t catch a break. The one thing you know about Debbie Downer is that none of this is his/ her fault and everything just seems to happen to his/ her. To manage the Debbie Downer in the office, you need to be objective when they lament about how hard their life is. Try offering constructive feedback instead of pity.

6. The Narcissist

The Narcissist loves to take credit and blame others. The Narcissist does not have loyalty to any coworkers, just himself/ herself. To manage the Narcissist, you need to work closely with them and point out where they could be doing a better job. Watch and see if their team interactions and work are tolerable; if not it might be easier to cut your losses and let him/ her go if they really are too much of a liability.

There are a lot more personalities than 6 in the workplace, but these might be the hardest to work with and will need the most managing. At the end of the day, it is up to you to build your team and figure out who can be let go, wherever necessary. As long as all the roads lead to a happy, productive, collaborative workplace, you’re doing the right thing.

Challenges of Doing International Business

If you’re ready to take your business to the international level, there a few challenges that you might happen upon during your journey. The reasons behind these challenges are numerous. The recent Brexit from the European Union, political differences, and economic differences between international governments are just the beginning. To become a successful business leader in this global industry, there are practices in business that you should not observe carelessly. It will be an uphill battle but expanding and reaching new clients means a big boost to your profits. Despite these challenges, there are a few general rules that you can take into consideration before jumping into the international business world.

Businessmen standing in front of an earth map
Source: Stockphoto.com O#22773 – ID#100007500644

Do Your Research

Learning all you can about a foreign market is the first step to heading towards international business. You want to understand the market trends, how the economy flows, and the behaviors of consumers. If you find several issues that won’t allow you to enter the market or realize that your product or service is not necessarily beneficial to that foreign market, you will be happy that you did your research beforehand. It is better to find out it won’t work early on and work on choosing a different foreign market in the early stages. A normal American logo can look like an inappropriate symbol in a foreign market and vice versa. You do not want to offend your customers with your product. Try to speak to local distributors for some insights. Local distributors know how their customers behave and can point out issues with your product that may work in America, but not overseas.

Learn the Etiquette

Respect the culture, language, and simple etiquette of your new consumers and clients to get ahead. Human behavior varies greatly between countries. For example, blowing your nose in a meeting with Japanese businessmen will get you turned away. It is considered very crude, even if you can’t help that you have a cold. It is best to walk out of the room before taking care of a runny nose. Fortunately, you can learn about these many different cultural differences by doing a quick web search.

Decide Where You Will Run Your Business

Will you run your business from one place or have several shops around the world? If you choose to run your business from one place, consider getting an international virtual phone number so that you can keep in touch with clients and consumers. They will be more trusting of a local number than a foreign number and it will make them believe that you have a shop in their city. If you do expand your business with different stores or teams, you will need to coordinate between different time zones how you will all work together.

International Taxes and Accounting

After you have researched the area and decided on where you will run your business, you will need to look into that country’s tax information. You want to stay on the side of legality, therefore, understanding trading laws is key to gaining success and keeping it. Employment and labor requirements are different in other countries, too. For example, in Europe, employees receive 25-33 days of vacation time and you must also provide a minimum 14-weeks of maternity leave for expectant mothers.

Pricing Correctly To Break Into New Markets

Many businesses trying to break into the Chinese market realized right away that if their prices did not match the Chinese population’s expectations, they would not be able to compete in the market. The Chinese believe that the product should match the quality. That means that you might have to price down or price up your products depending on their view. For example, Apple products are priced higher in China than in America, because they are a symbol of status. If you can afford an expensive Apple product in China then you clearly have some degree of prestige.

Find Acceptable Payment Methods

There are a wide variety of payment methods that can be accepted internationally through e-commerce websites. It is important that you choose the right one for your business. PayPal, wire transfers, and Bitcoin are all possible payment methods. You can also go through well-respected global payment companies like Worldpay or through local payment methods in the country that you choose to do business in.

Despite these challenges, this is an exciting new chapter for your business! Since you are better prepared to face these challenges head-on, you and your business are sure to become stronger and more profitable because of it.

Tone Of Voice Matters on Phone Calls

The tone of voice that you use over the phone may be making or breaking your business.

If you’re in a business that deals with customers over the phone, you are going to need to learn an entirely new set of etiquette rules that don’t apply when you’re face-to-face or communicating through email. From the moment that you answer the phone, personal interaction is changed. There are no body language cues, so the only thing you can lean on when speaking with customers on the phone is how to control your tone of voice and your choice of words.

You’ve had the same voice for your entire life and you’ll most likely keep it, but is it causing you to lose customers? If you have noticed that there are many angry customers contacting your business, it’s probably not you, it’s your tone. We can’t change our voices, however, luckily we can change the tone of our voices to represent exactly what we need to portray at that moment. Do you want to convey joy, friendliness, authority, or confidence? Learning to control your tone of voice is a highly useful verbal communication skill that can take you very far in business. Check out some of these voice changing tips to guide you further along in your business endeavors.

Improve Your Tone

Have you ever sat down and really thought about what your tone sounds like to other people? Do you sound confident to others? Do you sound timid? Perhaps you sound like you’re constantly bored or maybe your tone sounds a bit immature? Your homework is to ask a good friend or coworker what they honestly think of your tone of voice.

What does your tone portray to them? Your tone probably changes based on each person that you’re talking to and that’s normal. You wouldn’t use the same voice on your kids that you use on your boss. That is why it is important to choose someone who you are close to that has heard your different inflections. Ask them for their opinion and for some constructive criticism. It will be immensely helpful on your journey to improving your tone of voice.

Work On Your Energy

Energy can be hard to define because it’s something that you feel. Have you ever heard of someone talk about the “energy of the room?” Energy is the vibe you give off. Do you drain people when you speak to them or do you pump them up? When you practice working on your energy, it helps to think about something that makes you happy.

Having a positive mindset will automatically make your voice sound more enthusiastic and cheerful. Try not to speak too quickly though, remember to breathe and articulate exactly what you need to say.

Practice Inflection

Speaking of articulation, don’t forget about inflection. Make sure to emphasize the correct words in your speech. Incorrect inflection can completely change the meaning of a sentence. It can also make something seem more or less exciting. Be sure to enunciate and pronounce your words correctly, too.

Form Your Sound

Listen back to your outgoing voicemail, or record yourself on a voice recorder. What do you hear when you listen back to your voice? Is it someone who is confident or shy? Are you loud? Too loud? Do you sound overbearing or bored? Repeat and re-record as necessary.

Repeat The Delivery

Practicing what you are going to say before an important phone call, speech, or product demo is necessary for an amazing delivery. Convince people that you are smart and capable by convincing yourself with plenty of practice.

If you think that your voice might need some work, set aside some time to practice and really become aware of the way you speak on a daily basis. If you believe that your voice is a huge hindrance to your rate of success, there are ways to remedy that. Hiring a voice coach or trainer is not uncommon for people in business and may just be the thing you need to send you straight to the top. It’s not difficult to understand: a firm and friendly tone can be the key to happy customers and more sales.

Related: 23 Incredible Customer Service Tips for 2020

How To Get A Second Number for your Cell Phone

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 150 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.

How to get a second line for your cell phone.
Source: Stockphoto.com O#22222 – ID#100107177312

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.

5 Reliable Ways to Impress Your Customers

Not every business is a success overnight, although it may seem that way. Behind these “overnight sensations” is most likely a hard-working entrepreneur or team that has taken an idea and created something that they are passionate about and proud to sell. To find someone to sell a product or service to is not as easy as one may think. After all the work that goes into developing a product, even more work goes into finding a customer to buy that product. Once a customer is found to purchase that product, wouldn’t you want to extend that passion to the customer? Many businesses would agree.

That is why so many businesses push the envelope when it comes to pleasing their customers. They worked so hard to get them there, now they are working hard to get them to stay. Each and every one of us has a story or a memory of when a business did a little something extra to make us feel special. Whether that was offering us a special discount because they remembered it was our birthday or offered to issue a return on an item that was on clearance.

Check out this list for 5 little ways that you can impress your customers and keep them coming back for more!

5 reliable ways to impress your customers
Source: Stockphoto.com O#22222 – ID#100022922088

Always Go Out of Your Way for a Loyal Customer

It is much more expensive for a company to gain a new customer than to keep one. Regulars are the backbone of every bar and restaurant, and this is true of any other business, as well. If a loyal customer is not satisfied with what they have been given, make sure that you go out of your way to ensure that your customer is happy. If a customer orders almond milk at your restaurant and you don’t carry it, if you’re friendly with the bakery next door, walk over and ask them for a cup of almond milk. It will mean the world to your loyal customer that their needs meant that much to you.

Be Available

Communication is key in every relationship, and that goes for customer-business relations, too. Provide customer service and make sure that the service is easily reachable. It’s all too easy to head to social media and rant about a company’s issues these days. You do not want to be on the other end of a bad mouthing from a customer with a loyal following. Not all press is good press. And if the customer decides to head straight to their twitter account to attack your company instead of dealing with the problem directly with your available customer service line, be ready. Responding to irate customers on social media can bring down any issues very quickly if you respond fast enough.

Treat Your Customers to Something Special

This is another aspect of going out of your way for your customers. Treating them to special discounts or other exclusive promotions is a great way to let them know that you appreciate them. It also encourages them to shop more from your business. Some businesses mail handwritten letters to their loyal customers on their birthdays; some may even send along a canvas tote bag or a sweet treat as a kind gesture. Get creative with kindness and your customers will be impressed.

Be Kind & Polite

Always treat your customers with respect and kindness. Be patient with irate customers and never lose sight that these people that you are interacting with are, in reality, giving you your paycheck. If this is the person in charge of your bank account, treat them with respect. Being kind also builds trust, which in turn, builds loyalty. This also means that you should deliver on your promises. Always make sure that your business is fulfilling its duties to the best of its ability. One reminder: do not lie, ever, to make a sale. That is certainly not how you build a strong following.

Listen

Really listen to your customers when they give you feedback, whether with praise or with criticism. Then take action! If you notice a trend that your customers are looking for something slightly different, make it work for them. Customers know when they are being listened to and will often praise businesses publicly when they recognize that their voices are heard, and there is no better marketing tool than word of mouth.

Are 1800 Numbers Free?

There is sometimes a fear surrounding 1800 numbers that you may be charged a fee for calling their number and using their services. If you purchase an item or use a certain service from a 1800 number you may have to pay for this item or service. However, simply dialing the phone number will not incur charges. Toll free numbers are telephone numbers that utilize original three-digit codes that can be dialed from any landline and most cell phone service providers, without a fee being charged to the person making the call. 1800 numbers are used by businesses as a means for their customers to get in touch with them all over the world and not incur a long-distance fee for the phone call.

Is a 1800 Number Free to Call?

Yes, 1800 numbers or 800 numbers are business toll free numbers and, therefore, are 100% free for callers in the country of origination. Customarily, a 1800 number is used as a customer service tool to let customers call a business for free. The toll free phone number usually provides returning customers and potential customers with a means to ask the business questions they might have about their product or services or get assistance.

Cell phone callers may find that their phone call was charged because they do not use an unlimited calling plan. However, most plans include unlimited calling and therefore 1800 numbers should be covered by their cell phone provider. Additionally, if a business has enabled SMS messaging for their services, then it would also be possible for the business to receive a text message from the customer.

Related: The Absolute Guide to 1800 Numbers for Businesses

A photo of a lady dialing a 1-800 number for free.
Source: Stockphoto.com O#20443 – ID#171762674

Are There Different 800 Numbers?

While 1800 numbers using the prefix ‘800’ are the most common type of toll free number, there are type prefixes being used as well. Other toll free codes include 888, 877, 866, 855, and 844. These toll free codes were created due to a shortage in availability of traditional 800 numbers. Note that none of these different codes are interchangeable, and dialing a business that has advertised 1-888-DINE-NOW would not be the same as dialing 1-800-DINE-NOW. Each toll free number is routed to a different local telephone number.

How do 800 Numbers Work?

There are many people who are confused by how toll free numbers work. Although many businesses use these numbers, some customers believe that they will be charged a fee if they call the number. However, businesses often ensure that the customers located outside of their physical location (region, city, state, or country) are able to contact them for free. This is where toll free numbers come in.

These businesses are able to provide this service by using different country-specific virtual phone numbers. Each country will have its own number that has its own separate coverage and accessibility. If you live in Ireland, your toll free number will begin as 1800 followed by six numbers as local Ireland toll free numbers are formatted. Similarly, the U.K. has a different freephone number format of 0800 or 0808 followed by six digits and so on.

Then, locals in that country can call the 800 toll free number for free while calls that come in are forwarded to the business’ location in another country or region through international call forwarding. The majority of toll free numbers only work within their own country. This means that if your customer is physically out of the country, they will either be charged an international fee or be unable to reach the business. But if they call from within the country, their call is free.

Why Use Toll Free 1800 Numbers?

800 toll free numbers are integral in many business communication strategies. They allow the customer to call from anywhere in the world, and not charged a fee. This allows businesses to expand their markets beyond their physical location and still connect with their customers. Having the ability to make the connection with customers results in an overall more positive image of the company.

Get 1800 Numbers for Your Business Today

There is no such thing as a global toll free number, unfortunately. However, most businesses will accommodate their clients in other countries by using virtual phone numbers that have local area codes. If you are running a business and you would like to encourage contact with international companies, it is highly recommended that you check out Global Call Forwarding and have a look at their many offerings for virtual international numbers.

Essential Strategies for Maximizing Your Workspace

Whether you work from home or at an office, it is essential to have a physical space that gives you the best tools in order to get your work done. Let’s be honest, your workspace is the probably where you spend the majority of your time, so it is important that everything inside and around you is comfortable, creativity-inducing, and productive. Your workspace is your exclusive place to set tasks, goals, and finish assignments. And since you’re probably working for a paycheck that you want and need, it is important that that workspace has all the bells and whistles inside to ensure you do a wonderful job.

Have All Of Your Necessities Within Reach

Take a second to sit down and think about all the things that you may need while you’re at work. Write them down. Now, look at your workspace. Do you have all the items you need? If not, get them! If you’re constantly asking every other person to borrow their stapler, maybe it’s time you rise to the occasion and splurge on one for yourself? If you can’t concentrate without a morning cup of coffee, keep a coffee maker within reach. In addition to necessary supplies, inspirational items are important, too. Whatever inspires you to do the work that you do – keep that close. It could be a photo of your daughter, a playlist of your favorite songs, or an inspirational book or sign.

Keep It Clean

Some people do thrive in chaos, but if you’re not one of those lucky people, then try to keep your space organized. A little dust on the top of your computer that you get to once a month is fine, but make sure that important paperwork and necessary supplies are easy to find. It is easy to get distracted by a cluttered workspace. A lot of time is wasted when you spend several minutes looking for something that should be right in your desk drawer. You’ll feel better about yourself, your work, and your workspace if its clean. So tidy up the place once in a while.

workspace desk computer
Source: Stockphoto.com O#22222 – ID# 100059303329

Silence Is Deadly

Working in an eerily quiet or overly noisy office or home space can be distracting. Like the co-worker who can’t stop clearing their throat every five minutes? Drown out the background noise with a playlist of your favorite inspirational songs. This playlist probably isn’t the same one you’ll use to pump you up at the gym, or maybe it is? Classical music is always a great choice for studying, but maybe your work isn’t all that academic. Some people derive great amounts of creativity from the songs that they listen to while working. It is very dependent on the individual when considering which music will be helpful and not distracting while working. If you would describe yourself as more high-energy then you’ll probably opt for hip-hop, rock, or even some heavy metal. Introverts or more mainstream types may get more work done with some nice background ambiance, like the tunes found on ambient-mixer.com. They will also be the ones mellowing out to soundscapes like thunderstorms, and instrumental music without lyrics.

If you are looking to find music that you can listen to while still being able to get the most work done in the shortest amount of time, you should consider opting for mellow music like instrumental, classical, and chill-hop. It is much less disruptive than scream core. However, if you want to amp yourself up before you work, then something with a faster beat and loud lyrics can certainly do that.

Everyone is different and not every job is the same. A disheveled office is not going to be the best workspace for a Type A business person. A writer may want to enjoy the sounds of a rainforest and have a stash of healthy snacks next to him/ her while penning the next great American novel. Meanwhile, an artist may only be able to create their masterpieces while listening to punk rock and surrounded by empty boxes of Chinese takeout. Once you’ve created the perfect workspace in your mind, take it to the next level and build your workspace into the perfect physical space conducive to productivity and you will soon be getting the most out of your work.