How to create a toll-free number

Securing a toll-free number for your business is a simple and straight-forward process. First, you will need to find a company that can obtain and maintain the number for you – a responsible organization or RespOrg.
Once you find a company or RespOrg that can perform this service then it is time to find a number. You might want a specific number or a vanity number like 855-PLUMBER. Your RespOrg would then need to contact the Service Management System (SMS 800), the entity that manages the toll-free database, and check on the availability of the requested 800 number.
Once you have selected an 800 number, paperwork will need to be filled out. A RespOrg form, or letter of authorization, will need to be completed by your company authorizing the RespOrg to assume responsibility for the number. If your number is a new 800 number, SMS 800 will need to establish a new customer record or CR, this process usually takes about a day. However, if you are switching carriers this process can take as little as 3 days or longer depending on the other party.

800 numbers – Who owns your toll free number?

Do you know the answer to this question? Seems like such a simple one, right? When toll free numbers are set up, the owner should be given that information, correct? Sadly, all too often, that is not the case and companies that think they own their toll free numbers, in actuality do not.

All too frequently, fly-by-night companies will get their customers to ‘RespOrg’ their toll free numbers with them. RespOrg is short for Responsible Organization. Newton’s Telecom Dictionary defines RespOrgs as – “telecommunications providers that have responsibility for obtaining 800 numbers from the Service Management System and building and maintaining customer records.” Once a customer has taken this step the phone company will in essence hold toll free numbers hostage and not let the customer leave and go to another provider.

800 Service Scams and Techniques to Watch For

Smaller companies play a number of tricks that you will want to be on the lookout for. Some will claim that they don’t charge to release numbers and that they aren’t holding 800 numbers hostage. Instead, the company simply gets around this claim by owning all customer toll free numbers. They own the toll free number, not you and they don’t plan on selling it or transferring it away.

Another trick of the trade is utilizing the ‘lookup’ tool on their site to mine for 800 numbers customers might be interested in. It works like this – you go to phone company A’s website and use the search tool on their site to ‘lookup’ an 800 number to see if it is available. As soon as you do, company A puts a hold on any available toll free number in order to force you to use a more expensive service.

Sometimes, companies will even try to yank away numbers that customers have purchased through them without notifying the customer or by using shady methods such as transferring a customer’s 800 numbers to an employee of their company.

What can you do to make sure your 800 number is really yours?

When you really begin to investigate the situations and the toll free number scams that are going on, it can get discouraging. However, you can purchase a toll-free number and be sure that it is yours.

Most importantly, make sure you are dealing with a reputable company. A smaller provider that has tons of fine print in their 800 numbers purchase agreements is to be approached with caution. Do your research on the RespOrgs out there and find a responsible, respectable one.

Don’t be afraid to ask your RespOrg for verification that you own your number. The more you know about who’s managing your toll free service the more control you have should you ever need to make a change.

Toll-Free Service Timeline

NASC process for changing RespOrg

Sometimes it becomes necessary to utilize the Number Administration Service Center (NASC) to port, or move, your RespOrg to a new provider. This can be caused when a previous RespOrg will not transfer a toll-free number to a new carrier. Often, a current RespOrg can reject the transfer through the SMS800 process for legitimate reasons (such as billing issues) or simply to stall the process.

However, if the business that uses the number is in jeopardy of losing its 800 number or sales because of the number potentially being disconnected, NASCing is a way of forcing the process through. The new carrier submits paperwork to SMS and, for a fee, the number is moved without the cooperation of the current carrier. This can be a very effective means of changing RespOrg carriers. Unfortunately, there are some potential pitfalls. First, the company must weigh the costs behind this process because there is a per-number fee. This could be very costly if you are looking to port a large quantity of numbers. Second, there is nothing to stop the current carrier from NASCing the number(s) back.  While this is rarely done, it can happen.

NASCing usually takes 24 hours for numbers that are blocked or non-operational and seven to ten days for numbers that are in service.

Managing your 800 number

Whether your company is managing a single 800 number or several hundred toll-free numbers, you need to make sure that your number is ringing when and where it needs to so that the right person is answering and the right services are being provided in a timely manner. The process of managing and routing toll free calls is critically important and your RespOrg can be very instrumental in helping with this. That is why it is important to know about your RespOrg and what it can do for you.

What do you know about your RespOrg?

Quite often the RespOrg is simply the same company that provides toll-free phone service. However, by going with an independent RespOrg you could potentially experience big savings.

Here are some questions you might want to consider:

If you have a RespOrg currently, can you name the company?

Do you know what services the company provides you?

Do you know what potential services the RespOrg could provide should your needs change?

Did you know you can choose your RespOrg or change your RespOrg if you need to?

There are hundreds of companies to choose from, find a RespOrg that fits you.

What is RespOrg?

Simply put, RespOrg is a contraction for Responsible Organization. But responsible for what? A RespOrg is responsible for controlling and maintaining toll-free numbers for businesses. A RespOrg is also an entity that has gone through a certification process to gain access to the Service Management System or SMS 800, the 800 number database. RespOrgs can check availability, reserve numbers for customers and make changes to a customer’s account. Therefore, if your business has a toll free number, you have a RespOrg too.

How does RespOrg work?

Let’s say you own a business and you decide it would be a good idea to have a toll-free number for your customers to call. The first thing you would need to do is find a company that provides toll-free numbers. Finding a company and having a number assigned to your business can be a fairly simple and quick process. However, it helps to know some of the details of what is happening behind the scenes – primarily the RespOrg process.

The company you approach could be a big corporate entity or a smaller independent provider of toll-free numbers. According to SMS800, there are approximately 400 RespOrg providers. Since portability commenced in the early 1990’s, the market for RespOrg has grown exponentially. Unfortunately, the rise of the internet has increased this growth yet again and given birth to many fly-by-night RespOrgs that can look very slick online but have very little substance when it comes to delivering service.

RespOrg Process

Once your business contacts the RespOrg, that company in turn has to approach SMS800 to obtain permission to RespOrg the number or transfer control of the number to your business. The process goes something like this: A RespOrg form containing the customer’s details, the RespOrg ID numbers (every RespOrg is assigned an ID number by SMS800), and a signed authorization to set up or move the number is needed to begin the process. If this is a new number, the process can be very quick and might take only a few hours. However, if ownership is being transferred from one carrier to another, it could take three to seven days.

A brief timeline of Toll-free service

1967  AT&T introduces first 800 toll-free service

1985 – NXX Plan is set in place. Under provisions of this plan companies may change 800 providers. However, in order to change carriers, the company must also change 800 numbers

1989 – FCC proposes the establishment of a national database for 800 access. This would enable 800 portability and facilitate competition, since a single customer could change carriers without changing numbers.

1993 – The national 800 Service Management System (SMS/800) database takes over management and assignment of 800 numbers

1995 – Industry Numbering Committee (INC) designates 888 Numbering Plan Area (NPA) code as the next code for use in providing toll-free service. INC also reserves the remaining 8XX (877, 866…. 822)

1998 – With 888 numbering resource nearly reaching exhaustion, 877 code opens on April 5, 1998

2000 – July 29 the 866 code is opened

2010 – October 1^st the 855 is opened