Toll-free Numbers on the Internet: FORTUNE 500SM Companies
Executive Summary
Introduction
The use of direct response in advertising continues to grow, with direct
response advertisements comprising over half of total U.S. advertising
expenditures1. Direct response is used for three specific purposes:
to solicit a direct order, to generate a lead, or to drive store or web
site traffic.
One of the most popular direct response mechanisms is the toll-free number.
Consumers have incorporated toll-free numbers into their daily lives and
prefer to do business with companies who have one. A toll-free number
offers four main advantages to a company:
- Confirms customer service orientation
- Reduces customer service costs
- Increases customer information
- Overcomes area code confusion
Findings
Eighty-six percent of the companies on the FORTUNE 500SM list
use a toll-free number, with 80% of them using a number with the 800 prefix.
Fifty percent of these FORTUNE 500SM companies have a vanity
number.
Conclusions
The high use of direct response by FORTUNE 500SM companies,
especially consumer-oriented companies, sets an example in customer service
and satisfaction, leading other companies to follow.
Published July 31, 2001
Copyright © 2001, 800 Response. All rights reserved.
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