Phone Support 2.0
By Jim on May 17, 2008 in Conversion, Featured, Web 2.0
Burgeoning Death of the 1-800 Number
Free offline support numbers in an online world.
So if you have been in marketing or support for a while you know the value of having your customers being able to reach you easily. Email is nice, Live Chat is better but, nothing beats a human voice assuring your prospects that they are making the right purchase decision. Traditionally this has been the role of 1-800 numbers but not any more.Now with the convergence of home PC based IP telephony and free online conference call software, paid 800 numbers are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. For example, anyone using Skype, Yahoo or any other IP telephone, can place a free call to a service like Basement Ventures which you could use to offer support to folks who call in. In a nutshell, you put the conference call number on your home page and update it and/or it’s conference line number as you need to. Now naturally this would necessitate a somewhat nimble and motivated office environment. Of coarse this is absolutely perfect for the budding entrepreneur. Are you wondering how a conference call would work out if more than one person calls in at the same time? Many of these services offer the ability to mute everyone except one person. neat eh! Other service are also available. Gizmo for example allows anyone on any type of phone to call you free for 5 minute, they only need to opt-in. You can even funnel your clients through Facebook profile in order to have a chat with you if want. Have a look at Google for a good listing of other free conference call companies.
Ok I know what some of you are thinking, I have to update my home page with a new phone number every day? All I can say to that is, you’re kidding right?
Tags: 1 800 numbers, Conversion, Featured, free 800 number, Google, live chat, Web 2.0
2 Comment(s)
By Bill Quimby on May 18, 2008 | Reply
This is one theory, but in reality the toll free number business hasn’t even dipped at all. It hasn’t been growing or shrinking really, for years. If what you’re saying was true and it was going to significantly impact it, you would at least have seen some evidence by now. I mean cell phones and flat rate calling plans aren’t new. If they were going to kill the need for toll free numbers wouldn’t it have done something by now???
By Jim on May 19, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the comment Bill. I remember back ‘in the day’ when an 800 number cost you a monthly fee and a per minute cost too. What now costs $9.99/month with NO minute fees back then could have run you easily thousands of dollars and more each and every month. Now I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what an enormous shift that represents in the toll free phone number market. I’m inclined to agree with you in the statement about there not being a burgeoning death, after all I wouldn’t presume to know more about 800 numbers than you however, I think do that what has not declined one iota is marketing:)