Hello, I'm James. There many situations where these numbers are good business and consumers.
I've put this site together to explain the benefits for all including 0845 numbers and 0800 number even the new 0844 numbers.
So What are the Benefits: No Geographical discrimination - Your customers are charged at the same rate , irrespective of their city or county. Your company has a national presence. Your number stays with you - In case of office relocation from one city to another the phone number remains same meaning that no previous customers are lost due to lack of information.
Confidence - Customers have shown more confidence in 0870 phone numbers and they do not hesitate calling a 0870 number because it gives them reassurance. Most call centres like HMRC and NHS use these numbers Easy to remember numbers - You can buy specific numbers that relate to your business so called golden numbers that can spell out your company name or have a memorable combination. 0870 numbers - means more customers
The Basics: Telephone numbers beginning with 0870 are non-geographical. They are not land-line specific, therefore when calls are made to them the caller is usually charged at a rate per minute. Most telephone providers do not include plans allowing calls to 0870 numbers, thus high charges are incurred when calls are made.
The first few digits of a telephone number can help determine how long we spend on a phone call or if the call should actually be made. In this economic climate, telephone providers are very competitive with their deals which often involve free land-line calls and network to network calls. Moreover, regardless of the deal from your telephone provider, all phone calls to 0800 prefixes are free. Understandably, placing a call without incurring a charge appeals to human nature, thus it is more likely to happen.
As a customer, calling lines prefixed with 0870 usually involves spending a long time listening to an automated system playing repeated songs and phrases while waiting to be connected to speak to the right person. Fully aware that you are charged when you first hear the automated system and knowing that your phone bill will be significantly higher, customers are often deterred from making calls to these prefixes as a result.
Reduced customer contact should have a negative impact on business, yet companies continue to use them as they have something to gain. Revenue sharing occurs; the recipient of the call earns some money from the rates charged. Even with a reduced volume of callers, businesses still benefit from using 0870numbers.
Their use is especially beneficial when employed for competition hot-lines. Interactive competitions and talent television shows are increasingly popular, where consumers are more likely to justify making the phone call, thus ensuring money is gained from each call..
As customers are aware that they have to pay when a call is made, it is more likely that companies will only receive calls from customers that are genuinely interested in the services the company can offer. Less company time is wasted dealing with cold calling which usually bombards daytime telephone lines. The 0870 expense deterrent is therefore beneficial to companies.
From a business perspective, notably for charities, there are certain advantages when using 0870numbers. For consumers on the other hand, before the phone call is made, it is important to consider the necessity of the call. It is also worth considering how beneficial making the phone call will be to you as the consumer and to the company or organisation gaining from phone charges..
There was some controversy around 0870 numbers as they weren’t included in domestic call plans, and so by nature were more expensive than normal geographic numbers. However as of September 2009, Ofcom rulled that they should be included in calling plans, and the costs to consumers is reducing. For businesses they offer flexibility, trust and in large volumes can help pay for call centre costs.
Get REAL ROI: Do you have a website or online presence? Are you tracking your inbound phone calls and measuring how effective you web advertising is? So many companies have this same dilemma - they already measure ROI effectively using Google adwords, Yahoo or Bing search marketing by setting up a distinct page called a landing page which is linked to each type of advert they have running, so when you have a lead generated from the landing page – you know exactly which advert is working for you.
So many companies have this same dilemma - they already measure ROI effectively using Google adwords, Yahoo or Bing search marketing by setting up a distinct page called a landing page which is linked to each type of advert they have running, so when you have a lead generated from the landing page – you know exactly which advert is working for you.
The same can be done with phone numbers. You setup several 0845 numbers, 0800 numbers or infact any 087 or any 084 number which ever works for you, and then put a distinct number on each page. Then you when you review you monthly stats – it will be clear which pages are working for you..
0870numbers allow a business or an organization to have one number, instead of having different ones for different cities. If the business later changes location they still could have the same contact details, therefore it's an advantage for the business as their customers will not need to be informed of any changes.
They cost more than geographical prefixes such as 01, 02 or 03, (which are charged at the national rate), costing more like premium rates charging 10p/min. Some phone companies include 0870 & 0845 numbers in certain packages to be charged at a geographic rate.
When calling a 0870 prefix, the recipient (i.e. Business or organization) is paid part of the cost of the call, known as revenue sharing, where as they have to pay for free numbers such as 0800. This is a great advantage for many businesses such as call centres in particular; the longer the queue the more the business is generating revenue.
From a consumers' point of view, they can call one number and receive the information they require instead of calling different details to find the correct department. They can always get in touch with the business, even if they have changed location. However, the downside is the cost. If a consumer is calling to receive a service or information or even to complain, they are paying for it.
For people calling from mobile phones, 0870 numbers are not included in the price plans, which mean that extra costs on top of usual monthly payments are added. However, there is a way that having to use then can be avoided by simply doing some online research.