Unused 1-800 Numbers Must Be Released To Ease Demand

When an 800 number is disconnected, it goes into what is referred to as the aging process. At some point it becomes available on the 800 Service Management System (SMS/800) database. Then the race is on to obtain it.

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855 Numbers Yet To Be Released

To overcome shortages of 1-800 numbers in the past, 888 and 877 were introduced in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Then, in 2000 the 866 numbers debuted. But toll free numbers have become such a valuable commodity that the stock is once again depleted. With an estimated five year wait before another new pre-fix is added, experts advise that obtaining a number immediately is essential.

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NYS Addresses Affordable Housing With New Toll Free Program

New York State has launched a toll free number to help address its affordable housing crisis. Through a web site and toll free number, people in need of housing can be matched with landlords. This is a brand new initiative from the New York State Department of Health and the New York Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. The toll-free number to the bilingual call center is 1-877-428-8844, staffed weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

1-800 Number Supply Reaches An All-Time Low

According to the FCC, toll free numbers “have proven successful for businesses and are increasingly popular for personal use.” Toll free phone numbers give companies an edge over the competition by allowing customers to call for information on a product or service without being charged. This type of personal service is key to a successful business. The ability to speak to a company representative about the product, shipping options and availability of the item provides a sense of security in the product and lends legitimacy to the business.

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1800MATTRESS.com Founder Found Dead

BY CARL MACGOWAN | carl.macgowan@newsday.com
10:43 PM EDT, May 13, 2009

Kay Barrigan was found dead at her Searingtown home, police said. (Handout)

Kay Barragan was a stylish woman who liked pretty clothes and perfume, said her daughter, Kay Otilia Massell, of Santa Rosa, Calif.

But beneath the fashionable exterior was a woman of strong faith who raised a disabled daughter and helped her husband start a multimillion-dollar bedding company, Massell said.

And in recent years, she cared for a son afflicted with schizophrenia – the same son accused Wednesday of killing Barragan in their Searingtown home. “I feel very sad,” Massell, 42, said Wednesday.

“My mother loved her children very much, and she sacrificed for us and she loved her grandchildren. She had 12 grandchildren, and she was a doting grandmother who never missed a birthday or an Easter or a Christmas, and called every day to make sure that everyone had eaten and they were doing well in school.”

Barragan loaned her husband Napoleon $2,000 to start Dial-A-Mattress in 1976. Joe Vicens, the company’s chief operating officer of national sales, called Barragan “a dedicated and committed member of our founding team.”

Kay Barragan’s death and her son’s arrest is the latest family tragedy. Massell’s sister, Beatrice, known as Bibi, had a heart problem since birth and died in 2003 at 27. Their brother, Luis, 34, died in 2006 in a swimming accident.

Massell said her faith carried her through the family’s tragedies.

Eduardo Barragan, 38, who was charged in the death of his mother, is godfather to two of Massell’s children. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia 19 years ago, Massell said.

“Eddie is a wonderful brother,” she said.

Virtual Office Systems Growing In Popularity

When starting a new company, there are many decisions to be made on communications, advertising, marketing, and customer service. Toll free phone service combined with virtual office systems streamlines management needs and reduces communications costs. With a toll free phone system that mimics corporate phone set-ups, any small business can have comprehensive telephone connections without having to install any new equipment or purchase new set-ups. We are finding that virtual office systems are becoming more and more popular, especially as companies attempt to keep their staff costs down.

Free Phone Service For The Needy

Free cell phones are now being provided to needy residents of the U.S. The program is called SafeLink and is intended for low-income families and anyone receiving Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income and other government assistance programs. Safelink is being hailed as a safety program for those who cannot afford phones to stay in touch with children and family or who may need to contact police and medical personnel.
For more information on the free cell phone program go to SafeLink.com or call 1-800-977-3768.

New IRS Toll Free Numbers

Tax day has come and gone for 2009, but for some people, dealings with taxes may not be done. Toll free numbers have been established by the IRS for people who didn’t file by April 15, want to check the status of your refund, or who are unhappy with the amount of the refund.
The IRS has set up 1-800-829-1954 for taxpayers to seek assistance for refund information: 1-800-TAX-FORM to alter information on your submitted tax form: and 1-877-777-4778 for general assistance.

Toll Free Service via Fiber-Optic

Fiber optics used for telecommunications is considered far more reliable than VoIP, particularly for long distance calls, because it allows for longer intervals of signal transmission without interruptions. Fiber optics provides a quality connection that ensures clarity in every call. With this technology, optical fibers are used instead of metal, reducing lost connections from electromagnetic interference.

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How does toll free telephone service work?

A toll free number forward to, or rings, at any local number and on any phone. It does not require a special set-up of installation of any kind. There are four toll free pre-fixes, 800, 888, 877, and 866, and they all work the same way. Calls to these numbers are charged to the subscriber, not to the caller. Vanity numbers spell a word or phrase that relates to the business.

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