What is an 0800 number? A guide to having an International Toll Free Number
A toll-free telephone number is a telephone number that is billed for all arriving calls instead of incurring charges to the originating telephone subscriber. For the calling party, a call to a toll-free number from a landline is free of charge.
An International Toll Free Service (ITFS) number allows you (as an Arrow customer located in Australia) to have a toll-free number in an overseas country on which calls will be answered in Australia. All call charges are billed to you.
The toll-free number dialled in the overseas country is in the toll-free format of that country. For example, a number dialled in New Zealand is in the format 0800 XXX XXX, while in Sweden, the number format is 020 XX XXXX. As the toll-free number is allocated by different overseas carriers, you will have a different toll-free number for each country from which you receive ITFS calls.
Benefits of obtaining an ITFS number
Customers are generally more comfortable calling ITFS numbers because customers recognise them as free. Your business is able to receive calls from fixed line and mobile networks that originate from international networks, based upon the country in which the ITFS is situated.
Calls to the ITFS number are routed to your Australian Answer Point, which may be a standard telephone service, mobile or cloud-based telephony solutions (hosted PBX).
An ITFS number answers on your existing phone service, meaning there are no hardware or equipment requirements. ITFS numbers also give your business a professional image.
ITFS numbers offer the following features:
• web-based reporting
• customised call barring of mobiles, selected callers or calling areas
• flexible call distribution, including call splaying, call overflow, time of day routing, day of week routing and day of year routing
The fundamental benefit of acquiring an international toll free number for your business is that calls are free for customers, therefore making them more likely to pick up the phone and call you. Ultimately, this influx of calls presents more opportunities for sales.
ITFS numbers are also great because they allow businesses to operate globally without the need for a physical relocation of the company and its operations. With the call forwarding feature, all overseas customers can easily reach you in Australia while comfortably dialling an in-country number. ITFS numbers let you broaden your reach internationally and compete more aggressively with companies already located in countries saturated with your target market. The numbers are also easy to set up.
An ITFS number is an important tool for businesses looking to go international or provide convenience to customers around the globe.
