Smart entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to reach a nationwide audience know they need a toll free number and virtual phone system for their business, but many aren’t sure how to tell one service provider’s offering apart from another. Stacked up against FreedomVoice, it usually comes down to others charging for things you should be getting for free. In this no-punches-pulled post, I’m going to help you uncover how to get the most out of what you pay for by calling out red flags that tell you a service provider is trying to put you through the ringer.
1. You Can’t Try the Service for Free
This is just a no-brainer. Any toll free number service provider worth considering has nothing to fear when it comes to letting you take a free trial test drive. If their service delivers on everything it promises, they’ve earned your business as a customer. If the service isn’t all it’s cracked up to be… well… you have your answer. Check out our free trial to see how it’s done.
2. You Don’t Get Any Minutes Included
Some toll free number service providers don’t include any toll free minutes in their pricing packages. Instead, the difference from one package to the next is which standard features are being held back. To get an affordable toll free number, these providers want you to sacrifice both quality of service AND your monthly minutes. Your business deserves better, and you can certainly find affordable toll free number service with a lot of included features and enough monthly toll free minutes to cover what you need.
3. You’re Overbuying on Minutes
On the other end of the spectrum from getting no minutes included is getting too many minutes included, or even unlimited minutes per month for a high monthly fee. Why is this a bad thing? Because service providers know that very few people use enough minutes to make these plans worthwhile. For the rest of their customers, they get away with charging what amounts to a ridiculous per-minute rate. Look for a service provider with an honest range of toll free number calling plans, and pick the one that fits.
4. You Have to Pay for Tech Support
Believe it or not, some service providers charge you a hefty monthly fee to be able to call their toll free number for tech support. If the service provider you’re considering isn’t prepared or sufficiently staffed to help their customers, this is a tell-tale sign of bad service to come. Also beware providers that try to disguise this fee, or pretty it up by making it sound like an exclusive right or privilege. (e.g. “Platinum Level Technical Support – only $45 / month!”)
5. You Can’t Change Your Calling Plan
Flexibility is your best friend in uncertain times. No matter what toll free number service provider you choose and how good of a deal you’re getting right now, if you aren’t free to increase or decrease your service or add and remove features – it’s a trap. Beware rigid fine print and hidden fees that can have you paying through the nose. If your toll free number service can’t keep up with your changing business needs, they don’t deserve your business.
There you have it, and the proverbial jig is up. If you’re ready to see what one of the last honest toll free number service providers can do for your business, get started by picking your own toll free number today.
