An exploratory study of consumer usage and satisfaction with 800 and 900 numbers

Building customer relationships has become a focus for companies in the 1990s. One of the ways companies are doing this is by providing 800 numbers so customers can have easy access for conducting business or to register problems or complaints. Companies are examining the acceptance of 900 numbers by consumers for similar activities. The following are the results of an exploratory study of consumer usage and satisfaction with 800/900 numbers. The results indicate that although usage is high for 800 numbers, it varies across demographic variables and usage: 900 number usage lags far behind. The results also demonstrate that, in general, consumers have been satisfied with the service they get from 800 numbers as opposed to 900 numbers.