How to use a local number to receive international calls

If your small business receives calls from other countries, a local number can give those customers a familiar way to get in touch. Before connecting it to a voice agent, check the number’s coverage, requirements and costs, and decide which enquiries it will handle and when it will pass the call to a person.

In summary:

• A local number can make it easier for customers in another country to get in touch, but availability and calling terms depend on the country and type of number.
• Before getting one, check who can call, what requirements apply and what the call will cost the caller and your business.
• To prepare for handling calls, identify the countries and languages, decide what information the agent will collect and when it will pass the call to a person.
• Don’t assume UTIO Voice offers local numbers in every country: confirm availability, languages and terms for your markets.

See UTIO Voice and confirm whether it fits the countries your customers call from.

What is a local number for handling international calls?

A local number for handling international calls is a number associated with a country that your business offers as a way for customers in that market to contact you. It does not, by itself, guarantee that anyone can call the number or that the call will be charged at a local rate. That depends on the type of number, the country and the caller’s operator.

For your business, check two things separately: whether you can get the number and receive calls from your target markets, and what costs and requirements apply. Callers may be charged according to their plan or if they are roaming. Your business should confirm the number’s terms with the provider.

If you connect the number to a voice agent, check UTIO pricing for the service cost, and confirm the country’s numbering terms separately. These are different costs.

What should you check before choosing a local number?

Before choosing a local number, confirm that the provider can assign one to your business in the target country, that it accepts incoming calls from your customers’ countries, what the requirements are for signing up, what charges callers might face, and the total cost to your business.

Check these points before signing up:

• Countries and number types available to businesses.
• Which countries your customers can call that number from.
• What callers might be charged, including for international or roaming calls.
• What documents or other requirements the provider asks for.
• What costs your business will incur for the number and incoming calls.

Ask for the terms and conditions for each country and number type. Don’t assume that a local number can receive calls from every market or that calls will be free for your customers. If phone isn’t your only contact channel, you can also consider a WhatsApp agent to handle inquiries.

How do you prepare customer service with a voice agent?

Prepare customer service with a voice agent by identifying the countries callers are calling from and the languages they use, defining which inquiries the agent will handle and what information it needs, and agreeing when it should pass the call to a person. Then test the call flow with representative calls.

• List the countries callers are calling from and the languages customer service needs to cover.
• Group call reasons and decide which ones the agent can handle.
• Decide what information the agent needs to ask for to answer or prepare an inquiry.
• Set out when the agent should pass the call to a person, for example, if information is missing or the case requires human judgement.
• Test the call flow with calls from the relevant markets and check that the answers and handoff work as expected.

Write down the approved answers and the agent’s limits. This gives whoever configures the call flow the agreed criteria to work with; the implementation packages are one option for preparing the rollout.

What should the agent handle, and when should it transfer the call to a person?

The agent should answer only with approved information and follow defined steps. It should transfer the call to a person if it lacks reliable information, the query falls outside the expected process, or the customer asks to speak to someone. This prevents it from improvising when exceptions arise and keeps customer service within agreed limits.

• It can ask why the customer is calling and collect the information needed to identify the query.
• It can answer questions when the approved answer does not depend on an exception.
• It should transfer the case to a person if it requires judgment, a sales decision, or a review of a specific situation.

Before activating the agent, specify what information it should collect before the transfer and what it should tell the customer while connecting the call. If it cannot transfer the call in a particular situation, define an alternative and make sure it does not promise unconfirmed timeframes or outcomes. When creating the agent from your website, check that the approved answers are clear and up to date.

What should you confirm about UTIO Voice before using it in other countries?

Before using UTIO Voice to handle international calls, confirm with UTIO which local numbers it can assign in each country, whether they accept calls from your customers’ markets, which languages you can configure, how a call is transferred to a person, and what charges apply to your business and to callers.

Get confirmation for each market before advertising the number. Check these points:

• Number availability and any requirements for assigning it to your business.
• Whether it accepts incoming calls from your customers’ countries.
• Which languages you can configure for call handling.
• How a call is transferred to a person and under what conditions.
• The cost of the number and of receiving calls; also ask about any possible charges for callers.

When defining the script, specify which enquiries the agent will handle. UTIO’s verticals page can help you identify the process you want to cover; it does not replace confirmation of coverage, languages and conditions for each country. If any point has not been confirmed, do not present the number as available until you have an answer.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays for the call when a customer calls a local number from another country?

The caller’s cost depends on their carrier, plan, the country they are calling from and the type of number. If they call from abroad using a mobile phone, roaming charges may also apply. Your business may have its own costs for renting the number or receiving calls. Confirm both costs before publishing the number.

Can a local number receive calls from any country?

Not necessarily. A number being associated with a country does not guarantee that it can be called from every country. Coverage may depend on the type of number, the provider and the available call routes. Check which countries your customers call from and test the number before advertising it as a contact channel.

Can I keep my current number and add a local number for another market?

It depends on the provider’s terms and on how the numbers connect to your customer service system. Before signing up, ask whether you can keep your current number active and also receive calls on the new one. Confirm how calls to both numbers will be handled and what each number will cost your business.

Do I need a separate agent for each language?

Do not assume so. First, confirm which languages the agent supports and whether it can handle your customers’ common queries in each one. Define what it should answer and what information it should collect. If it cannot understand a query or answer it safely, decide how it should transfer the call to a person.

Find out about UTIO Voice and check whether it fits the countries your customers call from.

Sources

• Agente de voz de UTIO — utio.io