Local phone numbers

A local phone number is a traditional ten-digit number whose three-digit prefix or area code implies that it originates from a specific geographic region or city. Individuals residing and businesses operating in that area utilize local phone numbers.

These days, it’s simple to get a local phone number even if you’re nowhere near the vicinity. With the advent of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), your business phone number no longer has to be tied to a physical landline. You can make and receive local calls from anywhere in the world.

Read on to learn more about local phone numbers, what benefits they offer to your business, and find answers to some frequently asked questions.

• What are the benefits of local numbers?
• How to get a local phone number for your business
• Why use Zendesk for local numbers
• Local phone number FAQs
• Build trust with your customers—wherever they are

If there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? No, not text or Tweet or email. That’s right—pick up the phone and call. Despite the public assuming that millennials have killed the traditional phone call, many customers still prefer to reach customer service over the phone, particularly for high-stakes issues. In fact, 27 percent of customers report using contact centers more frequently during the pandemic.

When a client has a ghost haunting their refrigerator, chances are they want to connect with their local chapter of Ghostbusters, not a national Ghostbusters fan club line. And whether you’re supplying proton packs or SaaS packages, providing a number with a local area code is a subtle way to boost customer confidence.

There are always benefits to being local. It’s how folks get insider knowledge on the best falafel restaurants and secret parking spots in your neighborhood. Similarly, having a local phone number can provide unexpected benefits to your business.

Even if you’re not in a physical location, a local number shows your customers you care enough to establish a local presence for your business. Demonstrating local authenticity increases positive customer perception and fosters a sense of community.

Want to keep your costs down for your customers and for your business? Forget those international numbers. Not only do customers appreciate recognizing their local area code, they’re also four times more likely to answer a local call than a toll-free or a blocked number. Plus, if they need to reach out to you, they’ll avoid international calls and expensive rates in favor of dialing a local number.

If you don’t want to tangle with the local phone company to buy a local number for your business, the solution is to sign up with a VoIP or virtual number provider. Zendesk offers numbers for more than 40 countries, whether you’re looking for toll-free, local, or national numbers.

Zendesk provides convenient cloud-based call center software built right into its support platform. Your team can offer phone support in addition to managing other support channels like Zendesk live chat and SMS. Zendesk simplifies the way you connect with customers anywhere in the world—inbound or outbound—with affordable local numbers and per-minute pricing.

Ease of use

Zendesk just makes sense. Our easy-to-use virtual call center software helps facilitate inbound and outbound calling with powerful integrations. Plus, it’s simple, beautiful, and intuitive. With a few clicks, you can set up phone numbers, voicemail, and text messaging.

Feature-rich

Zendesk does more than provide phone numbers—it provides savvy computer-telephony integration (CTI) solutions, meaning it enables your computers to work with and as phones themselves. Some of these CTI features include interactive voice response (IVR) to help route incoming calls, call distribution, and advanced phone controls so callers always reach the right agent at the right time. You can also set your maximum queue size and wait time, and allow callers to request a callback instead of holding.

Plus, Zendesk provides a treasure trove of tools for knowledge management to keep your messaging and information aligned.

Scalable

Why limit yourself to one local number? Zendesk enables multiple numbers, so you can provide contact support to customers in different locations or for different types of service issues. When your business is ready to grow, Zendesk gives you the room to add new lines, both inbound and outbound.

Flexible

With Zendesk, you have options. In addition to securing a local phone number, you can choose to port an existing number and forward incoming calls. You can set up a toll-free number—or several. There’s no cap on your service features.

Mobile

Whether your team is part of an inbound call center or an outbound call center, some of your members are bound to be working remotely. According to Upwork, nearly a quarter of the workforce will work remotely by 2025. Zendesk lets you forward calls to any phone, so no matter where your workforce is based, they’ll still be ready to provide great customer support.

Seamless integrations and customization

In addition to providing local phone numbers, Zendesk offers seamless integration with the entire Zendesk Suite. Agents can handle calls, voicemails, and texts in the same space where they manage emails, chat, and social messaging and see all customer information across these channels right away. And with a comprehensive tech stack, your service and sales teams will always be fully aligned, making for easy collaboration and flawless customer experiences.

Zendeks also enables you to extend voice capabilities with additional tools and services, such as advanced call transcription, redaction, and quality assurance capabilities.

Monitoring and reporting

Measure and improve your phone support operations with real-time analytics. Cross-channel reporting lets you compare performance to messaging, email, chat, and other conversational experiences. Monitor and record calls to ensure quality conversations while protecting customer privacy.