Hi,

I run a company & we advertise an 0870 number - why simply because at night we can divert that call to another number to continue to get calls.

We cannot do that we a standard 01x or 02x number.

Yes we also advertise an alternative number (as an overseas number - but which anyone can use) - but we certainly do not do it for the revenue.

In fact we have Orange customers saying thank you to us for not using an 0845 - as it is CHEAPER for them to call an 0870 than an 0845!!

Oh and our fax number is also an 0870 - so all these junk faxes are earning us a penny a mniute :)

Call me greedy if you like  - but a) we can offer a better service to our customers and b) we hardly make anything on the calls.

I think you'll find that you can divert that call to another number with an 0845 number also, at MUCHO less cost to us at the other end  >:(  Don't get me wrong. If you've been sold it with that purpose in mind, I think you need to talk to the salesman and kick him . . . . .  :-/
I commend you for providing a Geographic number also (for those of us overseas)  ::)  Have you provided an alternative for the fax also, or would you provide it if asked, for legitimate customers (not the SpamMan) ??
I know what you mean about hardly making anything on the calls. That only happens when you get over a certain call volume, and then it takes a while to cover the rental costs. On a fax line I doubt if it ever would, but the Anti Spam side is an advantage.
Just please try to cover all the bases for us poor souls at the other end of the line that HATE 0870 ;)

So you are offering a 'better service to your customers' - but at approximately 16 times the cost TO THEM. Hardly customer friendly ???

So would you prefer me to not answer customer calls at 11pm????

Yes - I do also have an 0845 - but I can't divert that number as easily as the 0870 number.

However it is clear for all callers the standard 01x number - it is just that after 5.30pm it will not get answered by a human.

If there was a system that allowed us to divert 01x numbers for free then we would grab it with open arms - but there isn't.

The problem is firestop - instead of criticising every company for offering a service to the clients - you need to come up with viable alternatives - so that we can offer the same service at a lower cost.

You could give out your geographic number as the 'main' number and put on your advert the 0870 as your 'Out of hours' number. That way, you don't force people to use it.

I don't believe you.

do what you like - but I NEVER deal with any company that makes me use an 0845 or 0870 number.  I have a free telephone package - why should I pay for calls to you, and people like you, when I have already paid my telco.

Quote:

I NEVER deal with any company that makes me use an 0845 or 0870 number. I have a free telephone package - why should I pay for calls to you

Well you're probably one in a minority and welcome to your opinion, and you know what they say about those -  we've all got one ! ;D
If you want the product and the AFTER HOURS service, you can pay more for it, pay extra for insurance, or pay for your call to be put through to an out of hours service provider. Oh, or you could do without !!

I'm in the service industry and from my previous poston this subject you can see my views.

The money to pay for it has to come from somewhere, either in higher product prices, higher service charges or you paying extra on the phone call for a service to redirect it to another number.
Stop belly-aching; make up your mind how YOU want to pay. Why should others pay for your service call  ???

This is why I have NO PROBLEM with my ISPs charging premium rates for calls to their support team.
I DON'T USE THEM so I don't have to pay them !  If I need it, then I have to bite the bullet or use email.

I would personally like to say that I have two 0800 numbers for customer service of my company who only charge £2 rental fee and 7.5p peak and 6.7p off peak.

Documented evidence shows that as much as 14% never make a call (even to geographic numbers) UNLESS a company has an 0800 number.

Can your company afford to to lose that many customers?

I also hate 0870 numbers. Oh yes btw they are connected to TWO different target numbers.

AND if you want to CHANGE the target number anytime you can do by just calling them during office hours.

My question would be are you willing to change YOUR ideas on this 0870 number issue due to the fact there is going to be a 150% increase in the charge to customers or stick your head in the sand.

No offence meant by that statement to you personally but can you see the name of the site you have put your post on????

If not LOOK ABOVE. Oh yea just one final thing the company who provide the 0800 number is TELECOM PLUS and you can reach them here:

TEL: 020 8955 5555
FAX: 020 8955 5500

Please notice they dont give out a 0870 number for their customer service. ;)

To have a non-geographic number which is connected to local rates is a good idea. However, 0845 seems to have been allowed (by Ofcom) to move away from this.

What's the point in a national rate number even if it is aligned with the cost of a call to a national number? If I'm calling a company which is local to me I expect to pay a local call rate, not a national one, even if the company operates nationally (eg Direct Line)!

SavingDosh

Good for you !  Now answer these questions truthfully:-
- Where is the money coming from to pay for those calls to your company ?
- Is it Customer Service or Product Support that you are providing ?
- Are they answered out of business hours by a someone able to do anything other than take details ?

In a service based industry, SUPPORT (Not Customer Service) calls have to be paid for by someone. When Customer Services deluged with Support calls, the service suffers as everyone tries to get it for free. SUPPORT costs money !

wrote on Jun 19^th, 2004 at 9:33am:

- instead of criticising every company for offering a service to the clients - you need to come up with viable alternatives - so that we can offer the same service at a lower cost.

BTW, there is NOT going to be a 150% increase as everyone seems to be throwing about. The cost of National AND 0870 calls is reducing leaving a 150% disparity between them.    :-X

Hello DaveM. Thanks for your reply. I think I need to re clarify things a little here. When I said my company, I didnt mean a large company that I work for. I meant MY company.

Its quite small business with me being a sole trader. The freephone number I have is for the benefit of my customers. One is linked to my house and the other is to be linked to an external mailbox for something else Im setting up.

I took the service from Telecom Plus as it was very reasonable, with no setup fee and the numbers didnt cost anything unless I specifically wanted a memorable number.

When I want to change the destination number for either of these numbers, all it takes is a phone call which in fact costs nothing to change which was a factor in my taking up the service.

You said: Where is the money coming from to pay for those calls to your company ?

I pay for these calls  :)

You said: Is it Customer Service or Product Support that you are providing.

Its Both  :)

You said: Are they answered out of business hours by a someone able to do anything other than take details?

They are answered by me. PERSONALLY :)

When I got these numbers it was for the purpose of providing a service that was unlike any other company like mine.

No-one in my area who are in the same trade as me provides a freephone service for their customers. I find it is BETTER for business when you do this as you are still able put the whole bill through your books as a tax deductable expense.

Hope this answers your question

Congrats; same business, just a couple more in mine (not ONLYME as my friend called his).  :)

I had the same problem years ago when people started taking liberties with my spare time (& expected not to pay for it). What little spare time you get in this business with accounts, VAT and other admin ! Not to mention Tech work  :-X  

While I agree that custards are our biggest asset, they can also be our biggest problem. Companies with more than a few people are not as able as ourselves to absorb those costs, especially if it starts to be intrusive.
If people pay for 4 hour or 8 hour cover you expect it, but if you're like me, they're normally Next Day cover. You paying for the phone & doing the out of hours support is for ONLY YOU (just like I do). Bigger companies have to pay the bills & others to do the work, and that money has to come from somewhere.   :-/

I doubt having a freephone number is of benefit in your case, even though it's lower cost than any other I've seen. (I must look at TC+ again - my mate is an associate member)
I think that just NOT being an 0845 or 0870 service is enough these days to keep custards happy.

The 0800 option you detailed above may be a viable alternative in Mikes case; it would be nice to hear his opinion on it.

01 numbers can be diverted.

Simply purchase a number from a telco for this use and in some cases the divert option is covered by a yearly setup fee of £30 + vat.

they are handy as firms do need to divert them - to other addresses.

0800 numbers can do the same too.

However - using an 0800 number correctly should increase the number of calls by upto 300% - if you use the correct marketing.

I Know as I used to work for a firm selling these numbers.

Typically it was poor business ppl who avoided using 0800 as they thought it was going to cost them money - but it will increase business if used right.

from the many customers we had the ones with the customer care attitude did very well and the neg heads with 0870 were usually in trouble as they needed the revenue to keep alive.

customers have the choice and as this publicity grows they will avoid idiot firms.


G

If you make 'hardly anything' on these calls, then you surely won't object if I campaign to make it illegal for companies to make any money at all on their non-geographical numbers. You can continue to offer your service, and your customers can continue to use it if they choose. Meanwhile, we can all be that much more certain that we're not having our time and money wasted by companies using 0870 numbers to benefit themselves more than their customers.

I love people / companies that say "I can't do it because......." It always seems strange, my company operates 01XXX numbers, and funny enough if I wanted to divert my calls, I can by just taping in a few number on the phones keypad, yes it would cost me, but you can't put a price on customer service.

I have only 1 0870 number, I don't advertise it, its a Demon D-fax to e-mail number, ideal if im not near a landline fax, I can get faxes to  my e-mail, useful for when I need those urgent documents.

There is no such thing as I can't do this, you might have to change providers, or pay for some part of your customers calls etc..., I did use an 0800 number a few years ago, I did'nt really find it much use as most of my customer are within the old local rate area and they prefered to call my 01XXX number.

The only reason companies really use 087X numbers is...... TO MAKE CASH (or they have been had over and the telco are making more cash!!)

Good effort on persuading the general puplic on the reasoning behind these numbers.  Sadly I believe it has fallen on deaf ears.  

There is one simple reason for this...

Why should a company's customers pay more money for the required service than they do already?  Why does it cost a company money to recieve a phone call?  All types of service industries charge it's customers for the service they provide and yet they make a further charge for requesting that service through these phone numbers.  Quite cheeky if you ask me.

For example I pay my car insurance company a sum of money each year.  However to make use of that service I need to call a number that costs me more still.  Even worse is that invariably you are left listening to dodgy music for 10 minutes while either someone becomes available or they have made their required cash for that particular call!  It would not surprise me in the slightest if certain companies consider keeping a caller waiting simply to make a bit more regardless of their availablility.   Perhaps the default is 5 minutes?

Another example...

I call my local cimema to book tickets.  I am paying for those tickets and indeed a booking charge is made for the priviledge of booking those tickets.  I then have to foot the bill for the call too.  

Sorry for the rant but is my point of view so far off the mark?

skynet wrote on Sep 2^nd, 2006 at 3:51pm:

Good effort on persuading the general puplic on the reasoning behind these numbers.  Sadly I believe it has fallen on deaf ears.   There is one simple reason for this... Why should a company's customers pay more money for the required service than they do already?  Why does it cost a company money to recieve a phone call?  All types of service industries charge it's customers for the service they provide and yet they make a further charge for requesting that service through these phone numbers.  Quite cheeky if you ask me. For example I pay my car insurance company a sum of money each year.  However to make use of that service I need to call a number that costs me more still.  Even worse is that invariably you are left listening to dodgy music for 10 minutes while either someone becomes available or they have made their required cash for that particular call!  It would not surprise me in the slightest if certain companies consider keeping a caller waiting simply to make a bit more regardless of their availablility.   Perhaps the default is 5 minutes? Another example... I call my local cimema to book tickets.  I am paying for those tickets and indeed a booking charge is made for the priviledge of booking those tickets.  I then have to foot the bill for the call too.   Sorry for the rant but is my point of view so far off the mark?

No, your point of view is echoed with most members of the forum.

However, when you say you have to pay for the call, then of course, calling an 0870 number is unacceptable, but I don't have a problem calling a geographic number.

Some people have inclusive minutes on mobiles, or free calls on landlines, and others pay a small fee per call, so the main objection to calling 0870 numbers is of course, not being able to take advantage of the free calls, that you've paid a monthly or yearly fee to make.

mike wrote on Jun 18^th, 2004 at 5:37pm:

I run a company & we advertise an 0870 number... but we certainly do not do it for the revenue.

mike wrote on Jun 18^th, 2004 at 5:37pm:

our fax number is also an 0870 - so all these junk faxes are earning us a penny a mniute :) Call me greedy if you like...

...just noticed this thread started in Jun 2004 not 2006  :o