Setting Up a New Toll-Free Number for Texting

Guide to Texting Compliance in BellesLink

A Toll-Free Number is Required for Texting

Best practices for business texting now include the use of toll-free numbers. Whether for marketing or informational messages, carriers require businesses to use toll-free numbers when texting. So, to begin texting with your customers, you need to have a toll-free number in your account.

Using toll-free number for texting improves deliverability and compliance and it’s better for your customers, too. Whether they call you back or text you back, they have one number where they can reach your business.

Adding a Toll-Free Number

To add a toll-free number to your account, go to Setup > Numbers. Use the blue Add a Number button to start the process.

Choose a Toll-Free Number, Not a Local Number

Now you’ll get a choice to add a Local Number for phone calls or a Toll-Free number for phone calls and texting. Carrier rules require businesses to use toll-free numbers for texting, so use the Add button to choose a toll-free number.

Below the Add buttons you’ll see a count of how many active phone numbers you have. A Pro Plan subscription includes up to two numbers and a Business Plan includes up to five numbers. You can add more numbers to your account for an additional monthly charge.

Confirm The Number is for Text Messaging

You’ll see a dialog box asking you to confirm you’re setting this toll-free number to be used for text messaging. If this is true, leave the box checked.

Choosing Your Call Handling Option

For your toll-free texting number you have two call handling options.

Option one is to have calls answered by a greeting message before being transferred to you.

You can transfer the call to any outside number, such as you mobile phone.
You the chance to answer the call live, if you’re available.
If you don’t answer the transfer, the call goes to the custom voicemail message. Not your mobile phone voicemail.

Option two is to have calls go directly to voicemail.

On the Call Activity page, you can listen to the voicemails recorded on your numbers.

Custom Number Greetings and Voicemail Messages

For improved compliance and better contact rates, BellesLink requires that toll-free texting numbers have custom recorded messages for the number greeting and voicemail message. This greeting and message are what customers hear when they call your texting number.

Because you are using this number to contact customers, it’s essential your texts include the elements of a trustworthy text. One of those elements is a number greeting that identifies your business.

If customers have doubts about the legitimacy of a business contact via text, they will call the phone number the text was sent from. Having a custom recorded number greeting that identifies your business, assures customers that your business contacts are legitimate.

The same is true for the voicemail message and a custom recorded voicemail message is required for your toll-free texting number. A voicemail message that includes your name and restates your business name, assures customers your business contacts are legitimate.

A Custom Number Greeting and Voicemail Message is Required

BellesLink requires you to setup your texting number with a custom number greeting and voicemail message because it improves compliance with Federal regulations, aligns with best practices, and increases your contact rates.

Your customers are bombarded with robocalls and spam texts. Anything that looks suspicious is ignored. Setting up your texting number handle inbound phone calls makes you stand out from t

he crowd and makes you texting more effective.

Selecting Your Custom Messages

Select the custom message to use for the number greeting and voicemail message from the list of available messages in your account. You cannot use the default message.

If you don’t have any custom messages, you can record one.

Recording Your Custom Messages

When you record a custom message you have two options. You can create a voice recording using your computer or mobile device microphone, or you can use text to speech.

Creating a voice recording is easy and works the way you would expect. Choose “Record a message with your microphone” and follow the prompts.

You can also generate an audio recording from text, using our text to speech feature. Enter your message text, give your message a name, and the the Create Message button. The voice in the recording won’t sound like you, but it is a fast, accurate way to create a new custom message.

Once you have your custom message recordings made, assign them to the number greeting and voicemail message.

Finalizing Your Number Setup

With your custom messages assigned, you’re ready to finalize the setup of your new toll-free number for texting.

Name Your Number
First, give your number a name. This is an internal name that is only seen within your account.

Set Your Transfer Number
Next, enter your transfer number. This is the outside number you want any incoming calls to your texting number to be transferred to. This can be your mobile number or a landline.

With your number settings complete. Use the Save button to save your new toll-free number to your account. Once you’ve saved it, you’ll see your new number in your number list. Go to Setup > Numbers.

You new toll-free number for texting is immediately available for you to use anywhere you send texts in your BellesLink account.