0845 or local telephone

[MorrisChesterfield]

Hi,

This will properly have been covered but .....

I own a company which offers our services all over the UK, do i have a 0845 number or a local 01246 number and say its our head office?

Basically do you feel i would lose customers who want a local company rather than a national. ( i am just a small family run company btw who will travel anywhere for work )
Thanks

Ben

 

[killerdog]

I hate phoning 0845, 0870 and because I only have a mobile 0800 is included in the list.
when I see them numbers I think of long waiting time and costs

 

[ScotComp]

Stay clear of 0845 numbers, I don't phone any company with one unless I really need to because it costs me a fortune on my mobile.

 

[MorrisChesterfield]

True,

Do you think people know about the 03 numbers yet or will folk assume its premium line?

I would be happy to use my local number but i think it will put customers off calling. Im based in chesterfield and cover everywhere and get enquiries all over the UK currently using a 0800 number, its costing to much and i end up paying for cold calling from abroad!

Ben

 

[ScotComp]

I think the problem with 03 numbers is that not very many people know anything about them, I used to work for a mobile phone company and would be asked regularly if they cost extra.

I don't see any problem with using a local number across the UK, you could maybe consider using a number associated with a huge city such as 020, 0161 etc.

 

[MorrisChesterfield]

I never thought of using a city number.

0161 is manchester isnt it?

As always there plenty of options.

 

[ScotComp]

Yeah 0161 is Manchester.

 

[PDRD]

Personally I would rather ring a 'head office' on their local number than a faceless 0800 number.

 

[Lucky7CompSolutions]

For those who hate phoning 0845 and other expensive numbers, I use this site a lot, amazing
http://www.saynoto0870.com/

 

[killerdog]

cool, I use 0800buster.co.uk so now im sorted

edit
Dont like saynoto0870.com,
how do you use it

 

[Lucky7CompSolutions]

cool, I use 0800buster.co.uk so now im sorted

edit
Dont like saynoto0870.com,
how do you use it

If you go here http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php and enter the telephone number it will find the local number for you if it's in the database

 

[Talay]

If you are national, putting out a number from 300 miles away when you are supposed to be delivering a service is off putting but is matters not a jot if you are selling slippers. Thus, IMHO the type of business dictates whether you run a local or national number.

The issue of 0800 is well documented. I personally think it makes sense but with the mobile costs at present (when are they going ?) it makes greater sense to also put out a landline number, even if that is geographic.

03xx whatever is dead in the water, still born if you will.

I'm not national but I cross a number of geographical boundaries so I use an 0800 and a selection of geographical numbers. At present I am building up the data to provide more analysis, having moved across to VOIP on more lines recently.

 

[BusinessTeam]

Hi,

Many companies are moving away from the 0845 only option and providing options for both an 0845 and 01/02/03 number. We currently have only and 0845 number but we are soon to add an 01 number for contact also.

You can get either for about £2 per month from companies like www.voicehost.co.uk so it is well worth looking into something like this.

Best wishes

Richard

 

[MountainMan]

I use an 01 number mainly because people understand it to be cheap to call (even though some other numbers are too).

Also by calling an 01 number you expect to be talking to someone in the company office, not being redirected to a foreign call centre etc.

My number is actually just from Skype and so it redirects to my mobile, but the customer doesn't pay that and they get the confidence just the same

 

[roydmoorian]

03*** numbers are becoming better understood since the BBC and certain charities have started using them....

We have around 1000 incoming calls a month and only a couple of callers a month have a problem with them and once explained they realize that they are in fact a fair number to call, from landlines and mobiles alike.

Our first telephone number was "Town name" 63, it then became "Town name" 163, then 463 then " Bigger Town Name" ***763, then STD ***763. People will adapt !!!!

 

[StevensOnln1]

The hospitals near me all switched from 0845 to 0300 numbers a month or so ago. Moves like this all help to raise public awareness.

Sent from my GT-P1000 using UK Business Forums

 

[killerdog]

Does anybody think this 0300 is gonna take off. I thinking of both sides of the coin, nobody knows it so wont use it, but if somehow it becomes common knowledge it takes off.

I dont know but what is happening with 0800 being free on a mobile? If that does happen it will kill 0300.

 

[Talay]

03*** numbers are becoming better understood since the BBC and certain charities have started using them....

We have around 1000 incoming calls a month and only a couple of callers a month have a problem with them and once explained they realize that they are in fact a fair number to call, from landlines and mobiles alike.

Our first telephone number was "Town name" 63, it then became "Town name" 163, then 463 then " Bigger Town Name" ***763, then STD ***763. People will adapt !!!!

And herein lies the problem. You have no knowledge as to the number of people who simply don't phone you because you have a telephone number they are not comfortable with.

Additionally, the very fact that your market research comes solely from people who have already expressed a willingness to dial 03xx means you are being lulled into a false sense of security.

Only a targeted analysis of potential customers currently unknown to you would give you the raw data you need to analyse the impact of the decision to move to 03xx.

The credibility of the BBC as a reference has hardly been lower than of late !

 

[fisicx]

Put everything on your site. Don't rely on people understanding different numbers. Explain things:

Call our main office on: 01234 56789
Or call our national number on 03 1234567 (free from mobiles)
Or call the engineer on his mobile: 07123 45678

A report I read a while back said 65% of all calls were made using mobile. some studies show people avoid calling 08 anything on a mobile because of the high costs.

 

[cjd]

Have you read this?

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=46850

 

[MorrisChesterfield]

Only problem I now is ( if it is a problem ) I don't have a fixed office now, so it's on a virtual line with chess telecom.

I have my iPad for the Internet, so don't need broad band.

Do I have any other options and have a few numbers like fisicx explained.

Ben

 

[cjd]

Do I have any other options and have a few numbers like fisicx explained.

You can have as many numbers as you like - you could have one for every town and city in the UK and have them all point to one telephone if you liked.

I can't really see how your business woks though, you say you will travel anywhere but it can't really be very economical to do that can it? If i was looking for a house clearance company I would look locally for one, not nationally.

If you really ARE properly national, I'd have two numbers, one for your nearest big city so that you get local work and the other an 03 number.

How do people find your services?

 

[MorrisChesterfield]

Hi,

Basically I put a price in and if they accept I travel and do the job, sometimes I ask the same question but my customers seem to like the way I work, 9/10 times customers don't know where I am from, until I arrive then they have my office detail and licenses etc. I do pass work on to my sub-contractors/friends in London, Cornwall and Scotland but I cover the rest of the uk.

I get all my customers via our websites, which I am currently having re-designed and updated for 2013 so I am trying to sort my phone lines out while I am at it.

I think I spoke to you in the past, I was very interested in VoIP but our landline area was terrible for broad band, does your service work virtual as well so no need for a connection my end?

Thanks

Ben

 

[fisicx]

It's all about perception and trust. A local number with an address suggests a office and a 'proper' business. An anonymous 03/08 number when it's just you and your van can put people off.

I used a bloke who advertised locally. He only had a mobile number because (as he said in the advert) he was out and about moving stuff. But he did have a business address.

Use the number that best meets the needs of your customers not what is best for you.

 

[cjd]

I think I spoke to you in the past, I was very interested in VoIP but our landline area was terrible for broad band, does your service work virtual as well so no need for a connection my end?

Yes, you can forward the calls to any number - landline or mobile, so that you don't need broadband except to set up the original service. See:

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/Call_Forwarding_And_Divert.php

The downside is that you'll be paying to receive the calls - 1p per minute to a landline, 10p to a mobile.

Have you actually tried using VoIP just to see if it works? VoIP doesn't need very much bandwidth.

 

[MorrisChesterfield]

Who actually owns the telephone numbers?

As I said i Currently use chess telecom with the 01246 268777 number and talk talk with the 0800 number,

Could I move both numbers to your VoIP service cjd?

Thanks

Ben

 

[cjd]

Who actually owns the telephone numbers?

Looks like that number is owned by BT, in which case, it's portable, but I need to check that with my porting people. I'll let you know.

In the meantime, here's information on porting:

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/PB_Porting_Numbers.php

 

[cjd]

Who actually owns the telephone numbers?

As I said i Currently use chess telecom with the 01246 268777 number and talk talk with the 0800 number,

Could I move both numbers to your VoIP service cjd?

Yes, we can port the 01246 number and we can also port Talk Talk numbers.

 

[MorrisChesterfield]

Hi,

Thanks for checking, when I get back to work next week I will ring you if that's ok?

I will have to check how much the cancellation feeds with chess.

Ben

 

[cjd]

Hi,

Thanks for checking, when I get back to work next week I will ring you if that's ok?

I will have to check how much the cancellation feeds with chess.

Ben

Sure, just call 020 7043 5555 9-5, M-F.

(But do check that your broadband is up to it before doing anything - you can have a month's free trial if you ask.)

 

[Talay]

Put everything on your site. Don't rely on people understanding different numbers. Explain things:

Call our main office on: 01234 56789
Or call our national number on 03 1234567 (free from mobiles)
Or call the engineer on his mobile: 07123 45678

A report I read a while back said 65% of all calls were made using mobile. some studies show people avoid calling 08 anything on a mobile because of the high costs.

As we provide ongoing services, once we quote for a service, the prospective customer has direct numbers and mobile ones for managers to reinforce the personal service.

 

[Nomis Connections]

Hi Ben,

The number(s) you use should be considered in your marketing strategy. As a rule if you want to appear as a local business then you'd normally use local geographic numbers (beginning in 01 and 02). If you want a nationwide presence you'd usually go for a non-geographic number (0800, 0844, etc.)

Something else to consider is if your business is B2B or B2C: B2B may use non-geo numbers more because employees aren't going to mind which number they call, whereas consumers may prefer to ring 0800 numbers from a landline, or a local number from their mobile.

If you want to go down the local number route you can use 'UK Virtual Numbers'. These let you choose the local areas you want to have a presence in and get a corresponding 01/02 number. You can have a range of virtual numbers to cover you across the UK, all pointing to your head office. This is a great way for businesses to appear local, even if they don't have an office in the area.

Hope this has helped; if you need any more info please feel free to ask.

 

[UnleashedIT]

You could also try porting your local number onto a Internet platform such as Voip.co.uk or Gamma. Then you can add as many local geographical numbers as you wish and they will all come into your head office. It gives you the appearance of a much larger company and local.

 

[Jet Virtual]

The issue with Voip is that sometimes the quality is poor and you can lose connection.

 

[UnleashedIT]

Sometimes you can get poor quality with VoIP but if you have enough bandwidth - you need 100K of upload bandwidth per call and you set Quality of Service for Voice on your router then you will get good quality. I use a hosted VoIP phone from home and have no problems.

 

[Nomis Connections]

I agree with UnleashedIT - poor quality VoIP is mostly attributable to insufficient bandwidth; this can be solved by having your VoIP service on a dedicated broadband line and/or implementing QoS.

The other reason for poor quality VoIP can be the provider you go with, or network they use. As with all things, you tend to get what you pay for.

 

[Ian Spielman]

Id sooner ring a local number then 0845. In my eyes it gives the company a more personal touch, I associate 0845 with big faceless corporations who couldn't give a monkeys. Oh and btw; they cost u money to accept if I remember correctly.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using UK Business Forums

 

[MorrisChesterfield]

I would rather ring a local number aswell but as I've wrote, we cover all over the UK so my worry is, if your based in Devon and need a clearance, you won't ring a 01246 number. I'm based in chesterfield.

So basically I am try to be a friendly local family run company, but a national service.

Ben

 

[Ian Spielman]

In that case I would do as one of the others suggested, install a voip system and get local numbers for each area.....

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