Report: Demand For Toll Free Services Rising

The growth of online services and e-commerce is actually increasing demand for 800 or toll free services, says a new research study released by the Insight Research Corporation.

Insight projects that total toll-free services revenue will grow from $10.9 billion in 2004 to almost $14.5 billion in 2009.

Call centers, the specialized organizations within an enterprise that have traditionally been big buyers of to toll free to provide customer service, are adapting to online growth by providing Web-based customer services. Though migrating customer service from a voice-oriented toll-free service to Web-enabled customer service costs the enterprise less per transaction, online shopping and customer service continues to drive demand for voice-based customer service.

"As consumers shift from brick and mortar shopping to shopping on-line the need for service doesn't go away," says Insight's president Robert Rosenberg. "When shoppers migrate away from brick and mortar stores to make an online purchase, they know they cannot go back to a store clerk to resolve a problem. In this context, the toll-free call that the customer can make to register a complaint or resolve an issue takes on an even more strategic role that the 800 call did when first used to build recognition in the late 1980s" Rosenberg concluded.