Is a 1300 service still a smart choice for business?

From getting groceries to medical advise, almost every aspect of our daily lives can now take place online. With this shift in consumer behavior, entrepreneurs like you are likely to rethink the value of established technologies such as your 1300 service.

As a widely recognised professional number, 1300 numbers are common among Australian businesses. But in a highly digital world that’s always looking for new ways to connect with customers, is a 1300 number service still a smart choice for your business?

The convenience of simplicity

Big businesses have the resources to utilise new technologies like chat bots, outsourced call centres, and virtual teams for support and sales enquiries. But despite modernising these tasks, why do big brands still struggle with slow and low quality service?

Let’s say a customer has questions for your business. If chat support is not online or if they choose to send an email, they’ll receive an automated response and a follow-up in a few hours or the next business day. During this time, your lead can call your competitor, get all the information they need, and become their customer.

A virtual business number provides a channel where customers can always expect an immediate response from a real person. Flexible routing options make it easy for you to take calls in your office or home phone, mobile, VoIP phone, or direct calls to a live answering service.

Not only is it convenient for you, a 1300 number also delivers time savings for your customers. Enquiries that takes 10-20 minutes to type online can easily be resolved in a 5 minute call. That’s the kind of first impression you want to leave your customers.

Attracting good paying customers

While online channels are typically free, they’re also vulnerable to abuse from bogus queries. A shared cost number like 1300 numbers deters unwanted callers, and attracts customers that are willing to pay to do business with you. Calls to 1300 numbers cost as little as a local call, so it remains affordable for your market.

For additional time and cost savings, you can take advantage of call barring features that block calls dialed from outside your areas of operation. This guarantees that your efforts are focused on serviceable customers and your time is never wasted.

A 1300 service that’s more than just a phone number

Unlike a regular landline service, a 1300 number does so much more than receive your calls. Premium numbers with repeating digits or 1300 phone words can be a powerful marketing tool for your business. Aside from the obvious benefits of having a highly memorable number, a smart way to establish better brand recall and consistency is to get a website domain that spells out your phone word.

Your service also comes with free built-in reports that allow you to track the success of your marketing campaigns by compiling your call data and demographics. Do some A/B testing by using a different 1300 number for each campaign and funnel your resources to efforts that are proven effective.

Achieving a healthy work-life balance

The rise of instant communications means that we’re never really disconnected from work— even after clocking out at the end of a work day. For startups and small businesses, the line between professional and private life is easily blurred. However, letting your stress mount and giving in to the pressures doing everything yourself is neither good for you nor your business.

Your 1300 number routing configuration allows you to use your existing phone services through one virtual business number, without risking you or your family’s privacy. By redirecting calls to your staff or an after-hours answering service, you can maximise your downtime, allowing you to fully recharge for the next work day.

Is a 1300 number still a smart choice?

As a virtual inbound number service, your service can be customised as your business grows and your needs change. As you compare 1300 number plans, keep in mind that apart from low monthly charges, you should also look competitive call rates for the type of calls you expect to receive.

In terms for relevance, rest assured that your 1300 service is far from becoming obsolete. While consumer behavior may change, human nature remains the same—we want prompt and personalised service delivered by real people.

So does this mean that you shouldn’t innovate and try new means of connecting with customers? Not really. It just means that the smart choice is to combine these new methods with tried and tested technologies like a 1300 number service.

For more information on getting a 1300 number for your business, give our solutions specialists a call at 1300 50 10 50 or visit our website at www.1300numbersaustralia.com.au.