Business phone number
Your business will be contacted many times each day via its published phone number. But how much thought has been given to the number itself, how easy it is for customers to remember, are there reasons for customers NOT to call. Is your business phone number helping or hindering your contact with customers?
In recent years there has been a shift towards non-geographical numbers for businesses. These were originally 0845 numbers, which were charged at local rate, but many are now using 0844 numbers, with a variety of different charging options, and 0870/0871 numbers which can be extremely expensive.
At the same time customers have moved away traditional landline suppliers and many are now using mobile phones to call. Most mobile users now realise that these calls are chargeable, regardless of their mobile contract, and can be exorbitantly expensive particularly if the call lasts several minutes. This also applies to freephone numbers (0800) which are not free from mobile phones!
One of the reasons to use a non-geographical number for business is the opportunity to earn an income from it. Some businesses are getting 1p per minute or more on each incoming call - reason enough to make the call as long as possible with long holds and endless menus before actually speaking to someone!
An alternative to these numbers is the 03 non-geographical number. This is charged at exactly the same rate as an 01 or 02 landline call to your customers. This means that it can be called from a mobile out of any inclusive minutes. Customers who are put off ringing 08 numbers from their mobiles can have no objections to ringing an 03 number - this makes them ideal for sales lines where you actively want to encourage more calls.
03 numbers can also be memorable. Rather than a random selection of numbers you can make your number "golden" making it easy for people to recall when they need to. It also makes a good impression with customers when they see it on your stationery, business cards etc.
03 numbers are fully manageable and portable. You can take them with you whenever you move, they are not restricted to any area. This means you can keep the number for life. You can also configure it so that it rings you wherever you are, be it on landline or mobile phone.
Best Business Phone Deals offer a variety of non-geographical telephone numbers to customers throughout the UK. We can advise you on the best rates and how to get the best results from your new number.
Posted in: Business Landlines , Business Phone Numbers , Business Phones