SMS/800 RespOrgs
Responsible Organizations access the national SMS/800 database to reserve toll free numbers for their customer and to route the numbers on the appropriate long distance carriers.
Most RespOrgs are telephone carriers or companies. Other companies that apply for RespOrg status are enhanced voice mail providers, VoIP carriers, call tracking and marketing analytics firms, or vanity number firms. Keep in mind that any company or organization that can demonstrate the required skills and financial responsibility can apply to be a Resp Org.
There is a special classification of RespOrgs called Independent RespOrgs. These are firms that manage toll free numbers for a set of clients – some of these clients may themselves be RespOrgs, and and some may be companies in the telephony industry who are not RespOrg’s themselves.
Becoming a RespOrg is a relatively easy process. As it states on the SMS/800 website you must:
- Fill out and submit the Service Establishment Form.
- Send your deposit to the SMS/800 Help Desk.
- Pass the certification test.
We at csf Corporation have helped a number of companies through the process. The forms are trivial to fill out. The deposit is refunded by SMS/800 (with interest!) after one year. Many people are intimidated by the test, but we can help you prepare for the test. Most of our clients easily pass the test on the first try!
The best thing about becoming your own RespOrg is that you control your toll free numbers yourself. Your toll free numbers cannot accidentally be given away by a clerk at a carrier.
Some Independent RespOrgs claim that becoming a RespOrg is so difficult it isn’t worth pursuing. But how do you know if that Independent RespOrg will be in business tomorrow? What happens then when your critical numbers are on some other RespOrg code, and you cannot access them for days or weeks if they are tied up in some business or legal predicament?
Control of your own destiny (and toll free numbers) is the safest and easiest path.
