800 #s a thing of the past?

[jackfaire]

I have noticed that most people I interact with primarily use cell phones which most cell phone plans include long distance rather than making it something extra.

Toll free numbers seem rather unnecessary if most people aren't paying for long distance calls anyway. I think that soon they will start fading as companies choose not to use them to save money.

Opinions?

[HYHYBT]

I can see a few reasons to keep them: sure, most people have cell phones where the price is the same regardless of distance, but quite a lot of them have landlines as well; they do have their advantages. And if you have both, you can get a cell without many minutes on it; why waste them? Also, businesses still generally use landlines. And the 800, 888, 877, etc area code has an advertising benefit, too; it shows immediately that it's the public number of a "real" business.

And even if they were to stop distributing new toll-free numbers today, companies that already have them wouldn't stand for having theirs changed. An established phone number is simply too valuable. For instance, you may never want to do business with them, but I bet you know the number for Empire carpets, or at least would recognize it if it were sung at you.

[telecom_goddess]

Sounds logical but being in the telephone business I can tell you toll free number usage is still alive and well. While most people do have cell phones there are still a few that don't want them for whatever reason, and they still need toll free usage.

[joe hx]

Toll free numbers are usually easier to remember, too, especially if it uses letters. 1-800-CALL-ME.

[smileyeagle1021]

Something that hasn't been mentioned is that 800-numbers don't tie you down to one location. I know there is nothing to stop someone from getting a 775 area code number then just have a center there that splits the call flow to centers over the country, but typically 800 numbers are seen as more flexible.
Along those lines, many companies don't wish for the location of their call centers to be public knowledge, which 800 numbers do allow.

[draggar]

I read a report earlier that only 23% of US phone customers dropped their landline phones. While it is significant, it is still a small minority.

But - even many home phone plans are coming with free long distance.

Sure, 800#'s (and other toll free #'s) may not be as needed now, but as HYHYBT put it, the 800# will still tell people it is a real business and they might have a long history with that number.