Tollfreenumber.ORG Toll-Free Forum

[Walter]

I was reading about regional economics and the guess that housing is on the brink of a slow down. Since part of business (private or public) is having a big enough "now" to see trends, how will the 800 business be impacted if this occurs? I realize that you are not just doing a regional business, but I wonder how businesses that use 800 numbers would be impacted nationally if there is a slow down?

As for this housing stuff--and the data that in Southern California a median-priced home (about 350K) requires a 70K down payment and an annual household income of some 90K to qualify for a conventional loan--it all is a reminder that good business is knowing trends. While I'm convinced (and I wouldn't listen to just me) that we will see median-priced homes in So Cal in the million-dollar range in your lifetime (maybe mine), it still may take years. My home was not worth much more than I had in it for years--years! Now of course, it's a safe bet that I'll do fine. But I've had to be here for 24+ years and put out the money for upkeep in the meantime. Business is a trip, and really unavoidable. And since ways out and ways in both go together, I continue to encourage everyone to expand your knowledge and credibility in the things you like to do anyway.

[tollfreenumber]

If the economy slows, I’d estimate that toll-free phone service will be even more crucial for businesses to maintain contact with their customers. If consumers have less money to spend, they certainly wont want to spend it on long distance phone calls. Since toll free service is cheap for businesses to maintain it only makes since that getting and having an 800 phone number is a smart decision.

One of the largest industries that are using 800 numbers currently is real estate. Real estate agents and lenders are currently buying toll-free services more often than ever before. As the real estate market slows, and the saturation of real estate agents and lenders diminishes; there will be a considerable drop in new 800 numbers being assigned and large pools of disconnected 800 numbers being returned to the carriers (as agents change careers from real estate to other fields and give up their phone numbers.) I estimate that this will only lead the way for a new niche market to begin realizing the positive effects of having an 800 number.

The major upcoming events to effect the way toll-free phone services are used is:
1. The decrease in the cost of communications.
2. Businesses further broadening their service areas.

As communicating becomes cheaper (via phone, fax, email, VoIP, internet, etc) the need to get a toll free number lessens because customers can contact businesses for free other ways. I believe that the telephone will remain the primary contact method for years to come and even with ever-lowering long distance fees, an 800 number allows EVERYONE to call toll-free, not just the people that subscribe to cheap long distance.

Because communication is becoming easier and cheaper, businesses are expanding their borders evermore. They will continue to reach into markets they were never able to penetrate before. If they have a toll-free 800 number, it’ll reach their new markets even easier because their market will be able to reach them toll-free.

Toll-free phone service still has a long life ahead of itself. After all, the 888, 877 and 866 area codes are still only a few years old, yet more and more are being registered daily and we are still waiting to have 855, 844, 833, and 822 area codes to be released (beginning in 2010 according to sms/800.)