With the availability of so many digital tools to interact with customers, such as social media and chatbots, it’s easy to assume that customer calls to small businesses would be dwindling, right? Wrong. According to our estimates, every day American small businesses receive 400 million calls from customers. Why? For many customers, calling their favorite neighborhood restaurant or their trusted local handyman is the easiest and most convenient way to get in touch.
The fact is that your business needs a phone number for customer communications (preferably one that’s separate from your personal line). But not all numbers are created equal. Here’s why we at CallJoy suggest using a phone number with a local area code rather than an out-of-state or toll-free 1-800 number:
Showcase your community ties with a local area code
It’s no secret that Americans love small businesses. In a recent report from SCORE, 90 percent of Americans shop, dine or visit a small business at least once a week. Most consumers understand that supporting small businesses helps their local economies, and many appreciate the convenience, unique product offerings and top-notch customer experience that neighborhood businesses can only offer.Having a business phone number with a local area code taps into customers’ pride for their community businesses. On the flip side, consumers often perceive 1-800 numbers as being affiliated with large corporations that aren’t local and that are often difficult to get in touch with. A local area code gives your customers confidence that they are getting in touch with a friendly, familiar business in their community.
Avoid playing phone tag with customers
How many times have you received calls personally from toll-free numbers connected to automated systems in the last month? Or how many times have you gotten calls from numbers with out-of-state area codes that you don’t recognize, only to answer and realize that they are spam? Probably too many to count, right? According to YouMail, 168.8 million robocalls are made to American consumers on a daily basis, which includes calls about scams, telemarketing, and alerts and reminders.Now imagine if your local business number is a toll-free or out-of-state number, and you need to contact a customer about their order or give them a status update about their service. They are going to be much less likely to pick up a call from a number that they don’t recognize than they would a number that includes a local area code.
Choose an area code that matches your business’ location
CallJoy makes it easy for businesses to set up phone numbers with area codes that their customers will recognize. During the initial CallJoy setup process you will be asked for your zip code, and then you will get to choose from a selection of available phone numbers with local area codes. As an added benefit, your new CallJoy number will immediately begin blocking unwanted spam calls so that your business only receives the calls that matter most to you – the ones from customers.Ready to pick a business phone number and area code that your customers will recognize? Sign up to get access to CallJoy here.