By Curtis Stevens

Whether you are a home-based business or a large fortune 500 company, anyone can get a toll free number and utilize a pbx phone system. If your company has less than 16 phone lines, then an excellent product to check out is called Talkswitch.com. It is a very affordable pbx hardware system and is what Gotmerchant.com uses as well. It is fully loaded with features such as auto greetings, multiple extensions, on-hold music, different modes (closed & open), etc.

Number Search � ATT�s web site has a useful tool for searching toll free numbers on any available prefix (800, 888, 877 & 866). Take your time and find a good vanity number that is relevant to your line of business. Avoid using words that are hard to understand vocally, such as �swipe.� Asking a few friends or family members to repeat the number will be a good test.

Service Providers � doing a search on Google for �toll free number� or �800 number�, will come up with a number of service providers. Be careful when choosing one as you may run into a few flakey companies. Major carriers such as, ATT, SBC, Sprint and Verizon offer the service, but are normally higher for low usage clients. Other carriers that specialize in this line of product, such as Telcan, also provide a reliable service at an affordable price.

Tracking System � most providers offer an online management system that logs your call data in real-time among other features. One common feature is the ability for the provider to place a 1 or 0 in front of the caller�s phone number. You can use the call data to improve employee productivity and per call profitability.

Personalized Auto Greetings � for a personalized auto greeting, look into the pbx phone system previously mentioned. An example of a such greeting would be, �Thank you for calling Gotmerchant.com, for sales press 1, billing press 2 and so on.�

Live Rep � the toll free number can also be setup to go directly to your phone without any greetings. Having your customers bypass a list full of menu options before speaking to someone may have a positive affect.

Voice Mail � You can retrieve your messages by calling your toll free number or use an online account management system if one is available. The voice mail service provided by your local telephone company may also be used.

Number Portability � a portable toll free number belongs to you and not the carrier. You will have the ability to switch providers at anytime.

Incremental Billing � the long distance is billed in blocks of time and typically come in 6, 30 or 60-second billing increments. A shorter interval will result in lower fees and can be significant on a larger monthly volume. 6 second billing is the most popular choice.

Call to Ring Number � toll free numbers are pointed to any phone number of your choosing. One helpful feature among providers is the ability to instantly change this number.

Setup Charges � there is normally no setup fees associated with a new toll free number unless you are using a vanity number. Even then, there are some carriers that do not charge a fee for setting one up.

Interstate & State to State � when researching providers, make sure the rates you are quoted is for interstate (within your state) and state to state calls.

Residential or Business Line � not all carriers are able to provide service to a business using a residential line.

Shared-Use Numbers � some providers offer what they call a shared-use line and allows more than one person to use the same number by utilizing a pin number.

Curtis Stevens is the VP of sales at Got Merchant Accounts, an online provider of credit card processing services. They can provide you with the ability to accept credit/debit cards, gift cards, check guarantee, etc.

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