How Free Conference Call Services Work

Posted on 18 February 2014
By Lana Bandoim
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All creative businesses can improve their communications with our guide on: How Free Conference Call Services Work.

Have you ever wondered how free conference call services work, and how they can provide you with the ability to connect with others without hidden fees?

By Lana Bandoim

Conference calls have become a vital part for many businesses, and workers have grown to depend on their ability to quickly reach clients or other employees. However, understanding how the services work and continue to survive while offering free calls is more complex.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is the key to understanding how free conference call services operate. The act gave small rural phone companies permission to charge bigger companies a termination fee for using their lines.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with free conference calls, but these fees are the reason you can connect with your clients and have a group meeting without spending a penny. The small phone companies have partnered with conference call businesses and are splitting the fees, so you can make a free call while they still bring in a profit.

Free conference call services have set up many of their offices in rural communities to take advantage of the fee splitting with the small phone companies. Both sides benefit because the phone company gets more traffic and calls while the conference call provider gets a portion of the fees. Every time you make a call using one of these services, the big phone companies have to pay a fee, but you are never billed.

If you use free conference calls frequently, you are probably aware of the multiple providers and the ability to get hours of free calls with few problems. The services are easy to set up and use without any concerns about a hidden fee showing up later.

Although free conference call services tend to have limits, small businesses are often able to adjust their usage to avoid them.

Despite the multiple benefits of free services, price should not be the only factor in your decision to select a provider. The lure of no fees and hours of usage may be tempting, but there are several aspects that need to be considered. Free conference call services are not created equally, and users sometimes complain about dropped calls, bad sound quality and poor customer service.

If you depend on conference calls, you cannot afford any of these problems because they can cost you clients and deals.

In addition, some free services do not have toll-free numbers, and a business client may be forced to pay long-distance to join your call. Paid conference call services like Conference Calls Unlimited are another option with fewer limits, better customer service, faster connections, better sound and more monitoring. Ultimately, you have to decide how much conference calls matter to your business.

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