Why Companies Are Eliminating Main Phone Numbers
In recent years, an increasing number of companies - particularly IT firms and startups - are operating without a main phone number. It has become common for corporate websites to list no phone number, consolidating all inquiries through email forms or chat. This trend accelerated dramatically with the shift to remote work during the 2020 pandemic, and "phone-free" work styles with no office landlines are becoming established.
According to MIC's Communications Usage Trend Survey (2025), approximately 18% of companies with fewer than 100 employees reported "not having a main phone number." The same survey five years earlier showed approximately 7%, meaning the proportion of companies without phone numbers has more than doubled. The information and communications industry is particularly notable, with approximately 35% of companies having eliminated their main phone line.
The True Cost of Phone Support
Cost Per Interaction
The cost of phone support is higher than many companies realize. Call center industry research puts the cost per phone interaction at 800 to 1,500 yen. This includes operator labor, telecommunications, equipment, and management costs. By comparison, chat support costs 200 to 500 yen per interaction, and email support 300 to 600 yen. Phone support requires real-time 1-to-1 interaction, unlike chat where a single operator can handle multiple customers simultaneously.
Hidden Costs
Beyond direct support costs, phone calls carry "hidden costs." First, the cost of work interruption from call transfers. When an employee focused on a task answers a phone call, the workflow is broken, and it takes an average of 23 minutes to return to the original task (research by Professor Gloria Mark, UC Irvine). An employee receiving 10 calls per day loses approximately 4 hours of productivity beyond the call time itself.
Next, the cost of maintaining phone numbers. Adding up landline monthly fees (1,870-2,750 yen), caller ID (440 yen), and call forwarding (550 yen), fixed costs per line reach 3,000 to 4,000 yen monthly. For companies maintaining multiple lines, this amounts to hundreds of thousands of yen annually. Reviewing how to choose a business phone number may help optimize these costs.
The Shift to Chat Support
Benefits of Chat Support
Migrating from phone to chat support offers multiple benefits beyond cost reduction. First, interaction history is automatically recorded as text, eliminating "he said, she said" disputes. Phone calls require separate call recording setup, but chat automatically logs all interactions.
Second, customer convenience. Phone support requires real-time interaction during business hours, but chat allows asynchronous communication. Customers can send messages at their convenience and wait for responses. Younger demographics particularly prefer text-based communication, with approximately 70% of people in their 20s stating they "prefer chat or email for business inquiries."
Third, integration with FAQs and chatbots. Building a system where chatbots automatically answer common questions and only escalate complex inquiries to human operators dramatically improves efficiency. In some cases, this achieves 24/7 coverage at lower cost than using a phone answering service.
Limitations of Chat Support
However, chat support is not a universal solution. Urgent inquiries (service outages, security incidents) demand real-time voice communication. For elderly customers or those with low digital literacy, chat may be difficult to use. Emotional complaint handling also risks escalation through text, where subtle nuances are harder to convey.
Credibility Risks of Not Having a Phone Number
Operating without a main phone number carries business credibility risks. In B2B transactions particularly, the presence or absence of a phone number can affect partner credit assessments.
Partner Trust
Credit research agencies like Teikoku Databank and Tokyo Shoko Research collect phone numbers as basic corporate information. Companies without registered phone numbers may be flagged as having insufficient information in credit reports. Cases have been reported where the absence of a phone number became a negative factor in bank loan assessments or when initiating new business with major corporations.
Legal Requirements
Some industries have legal requirements to display phone numbers. The Specified Commercial Transactions Act requires mail-order businesses to display their phone number in advertisements. The Real Estate Brokerage Act requires each office to maintain a landline number. In these industries, eliminating the main phone number could constitute a legal violation. Using a virtual phone number can satisfy legal requirements without physically placing a phone in the office.
Customer Psychological Reassurance
From a consumer perspective, companies without listed phone numbers feel unreliable. The anxiety of "not being able to call if something goes wrong" reduces purchase intent, especially for expensive products and service contracts. An A/B test on an e-commerce site showed that the version displaying a phone number on product pages had approximately 8% higher conversion rates than the version without.
Decision Criteria by Industry
Whether to eliminate the main phone number depends on industry and customer demographics. Here are recommended approaches by industry.
- IT / SaaS companies: Elimination possible. Customers are digital natives who naturally accept chat and email support. However, enterprise services may require phone support as a contract condition
- Professional services (lawyers, accountants, judicial scriveners): Elimination not recommended. Clients often make urgent consultations by phone, and lacking a number significantly undermines credibility
- E-commerce: Conditionally possible. The Specified Commercial Transactions Act display requirement must be met, so a minimum phone number should be maintained. However, the primary inquiry channel can shift to chat
- Real estate: Elimination not possible. The Real Estate Brokerage Act mandates phone number installation
- Restaurants, salons: Elimination not recommended. Reservation calls are a primary customer touchpoint, and lacking a number directly causes missed business opportunities
- Manufacturing: Elimination not recommended. Phone is essential for urgent partner communications (quality issues, delivery changes, etc.)
After understanding the differences between toll-free and Navi Dial numbers, select the optimal number range if you choose to maintain a phone number.
Migration Steps When Eliminating a Phone Number
If you decide to eliminate your main phone number, a phased migration is critical. Suddenly removing the number will confuse existing customers and partners.
- Prepare alternative channels: Establish chat support, email forms, and FAQ pages to ensure inquiry options beyond phone
- Set a notice period: At least 3 months in advance, announce the "phone line closure date" and "alternative contact methods" on your website and invoices
- Maintain a forwarding period: Rather than immediately canceling the number, maintain an automated message for 6 months to 1 year directing callers to "please contact us via our website"
- Update all registrations: Remove or update the phone number from Google Business Profile, credit agencies, industry associations, and partner records
Referring to cloud PBX implementation guides, consider streamlining workplace phone handling rather than complete elimination as another option.