With the advancement of technology in the modern age, the way people interact with businesses has naturally changed. With the progression of social media, it has never been easier to communicate with brands or companies, with many businesses giving consumers a direct channel into their direct messages.
Even with all this change, people still prefer the tried and tested ways of communication, the phone call. According to Loyalty360, 62% of people still say that a phone call with a business representative is their preferred way of communication.
In this article, we will dive into the reasons why people still prefer the telephone and the benefits for both the caller and the business.
Benefits of telephone
The telephone is here to stay, but what makes it such a good communication tool? Read just some of the benefits of the telephone, with business in mind.
More personal
When contacting a business through email or instant messaging, the personality of the brand can be easily lost when interacting with customers. Especially in text, tone of voice can be incredibly difficult to read, which can put both the customer and the business representative in a difficult position.
Things such as compassion and empathy can be lost when typing out an email to a customer, but having a conversation over the telephone can alleviate stress, de-escalate customer complaints and improve overall customer happiness.
Time saving
When customers or clients complain to a business through email, the back and forth of messages can take days for their issues to be resolved. Urging clients to call a business instead can limit wait times for responses and improve customer satisfaction by talking to knowledgeable representatives.
Tone of voice
As we have touched upon above, one great benefit of the telephone being your main source of communication is that you can create your business's own tone of voice. When conversing with a customer through direct message or email, tone of voice can be hard to communicate and set - which can leave customers feeling confused.
This is where phone calls and tone of voice can be a large benefit to a business. When speaking to a customer, the importance of the subject matter cannot be lost, so cultivating a friendly, but understanding tone of voice is incredibly important.
Simple
Another large benefit of using a telephone within your business is the simplicity of using it. Some customers out there may not have the skills of sending their queries online and would just prefer to email the business itself.
Cheaper
Landlines for businesses used to come with costly installation fees and lengthy contracts that would eat up a large chunk of a businesses' communication budget, but now with the world of VoIP, (Voice over Internet Protocol) times are changing.
VoIP are virtual phone numbers that operate as landlines at a fraction of the price. Using an internet connection, the VoIP can make and receive calls and is ideal for customer service and sales departments.
Email vs Phone call
Whilst there are pros and cons of both email and phone calls, an individual can very easily overlook and email whilst scrolling through their inbox in the morning or late at night. The instantaneousness of receiving a phone call is evident and can spring people into action. This can benefit everyone involved in the long run, by removing the lengthy email chain and time-consuming back and forths.
More about VoIP
VoIP is a type of phone system that connects phone connections using an internet connection. VoIP systems can be used whilst out and about, can be even used on a mobile phone with a 4G/5G connection. To learn more about it, be sure to read our blog “What is VoIP?”
Picking a virtual number
When picking a virtual number, you can pick from a large list of numbers, with many differentiating traits. Phone numbers can be incredibly important when looking to improve or freshen up your businesses' brand. If you are wanting to look like a national company, obtaining a national number could be a great way to start, or what if most of your customers are from a single area? Would picking up a local phone number help convert sales? All of these questions need to be answered before deciding on a virtual number.
Local numbers
The first being local numbers. Local numbers, also known as geographic numbers, are phone numbers that are associated with an area of the United Kingdom. These numbers can be incredibly handy for small businesses that want to appear local to their customers.
A great example of this would be a business that seemingly has numerous clients from a specific area, such as Manchester. If that business then acquired a local Manchester number, it could add an additional trust signal to their business.
National numbers
A national number is a non-geographic phone number that can be used like any other phone number. Being a standard landline number, a national number comes with the added perk of making your business give out the impression that you are operating on a national level. Many businesses around the UK are now adopting the famous 0330 national number.
Freephone numbers
Freephone numbers, also known as 0800 numbers, are phone numbers that are free to call. Rather than billing the caller, the charge will befall on the owner of the phone number, typically being the business owner. These numbers can be great for small businesses that are just starting out, as an incentive for new customers to reach out, but you will typically see these numbers being used by larger businesses' customer care numbers, so people who need assistance will not be charged whilst on the phone with the business.
Memorable numbers
Memorable numbers, also known as golden numbers, are phone numbers that are regarded as vanity numbers. These numbers are easier to remember and often contain things such as repeating digits, mirrored numbers and palindromes.
Some examples of memorable number types to choose are:
- Repeated numbers – 0800 22 22 22
- Repeated numbers – 01202 555555
- Mirrored numbers – 0330 247 247
- Sequential numbers - 01892 345678
- Repeated prefix numbers – 01458 458458
- Palindrome numbers – 01202 123321
Transitioning from a single business phone number to a fully integrated phone system was a significant step, and Virtual Landline made the process seamless. Their platform offers a robust set of features—call routing, voicemail-to-email, multi-user support, and more—that were clearly explained and easy to implement. The onboarding process was smooth, and within just a few days, we began seeing improved efficiency and communication across the team. For any business seeking a scalable, cloud-based phone solution, Virtual Landline is a solid choice.
Kieran handled our recent transition to the new Virtual Landline call management system. The migration process of our business VoIP was smooth, and the onboarding video call to explain the system’s features and benefits was clear and informative. For anyone considering Virtual Landline as their VOIP service provider, rest assured—you’re making a reliable choice.
Virtual Landline made the setup process refreshingly simple. Their range of plans offers excellent flexibility and affordability, making it easy to find the right fit for your needs. What really stands out is the scalability of the service—it's reassuring to know that as my business grows, Virtual Landline has the features and support in place to grow alongside it. A smart choice for any business looking for reliable VOIP solutions.
Great to speak to a UK based call centre on the phone, Dan couldn't have been more helpful and friendly! Everything was explained clearly, and the switch over to Virtual Landline from my old copper landline went really smoothly. It did exactly what it promised. Really happy with how easy it all was.