What Is A Virtual Quantity And Why Should You Utilize It?

By Author: Jen Silva
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How many occasions have you needed to give someone a call, but didn't want to provide them with your private number? You can still block your phone number from being displayed, but that doesn't provide a personal experience. Most people do not even answer calls with blocked or private numbers. This is where a virtual phone number comes in. There are two main purposes for a virtual phone number: privacy and image. Anyone can get a virtual number, but they are great options for small businesses.

Give Your Customers Options

As a small business, you want to make sure that you provide a personal experience without giving away all your personal details. In the age of the Internet, businesses tend not to use phone numbers any longer and just go with email or live chat options. This is not the best way for businesses to be run as they lose the personal experience that customers still look for and enjoy. Any business, whether it be small or large, needs to provide a phone number for customers in case of questions or comments. There are many customers that refuse to email or use live chat when they have an issue/question.

The ...
... cost of a dedicated phone line and number can easily keep many small businesses from getting one. Most small businesses start out using a cell phone or home phone. While this may be a great option at the beginning, you must remember that everyone will know you personal number. Customers can end up calling at all times, which can put a bad taste in your mouth. Once your phone number is online, anyone can contact you. The best way to get around this is with a virtual phone number. These services have been around for some time and allow you to have a dedicated "virtual" number attached to any of your established phone lines.

What is a Virtual Number?

Virtual phone number services allow you to pick the area code and where you want your number to be forwarded to. Many services also give you a virtual voicemail, where callers are directed if you don't answer your phone. A virtual number gives you the ultimate control over how you want to handle callers without providing them with all of your personal phone numbers. Most services charger per month, but compared to paying for a dedicated phone line, it is relatively cheap. Service usually starts at $9.99 per month and provide a certain amount of minutes for incoming and outgoing calls. It is similar to a celllar phone service.

Maintaining Your Image

It can take a business years to create an image. Keeping the image is a full time job. If you cannot provide customers with a simple way to contact you, then your image can suffer. There are simple things that can be done in order to maintain your image and providing a real, identifiable phone number is one of them. You can provide customers with a toll-free virtual phone number that will show them your business is legitimate and real. Customers tend to shy away from companies that only provide an email address, but what if you can provide a toll-free phone number as well? Customers tend to identify with businesses more when they can speak to them on the phone.

If you want to retain your privacy and keep your business image, then a virtual number could be a great option. With one small monthly fee, you can handle how all of your calls are handled at any part of the day. Calls can be routed to different phone numbers at different times of the day or days of the week. Customers can be directly sent to the virtual voice mail or get a personal greeting depending on different factors. Virtual number services usually provide more options than a typical land line service. Keep your business going and your privacy intact with a virtual number.
About Author:
The author is a creator and specialist of small business programs and products on topics such as virtual phone number services. Please visit http://www.pbxcompare.com/virtual-phone-numbers for more info on 800 numbers.