In the last few weeks I have been dealing with Focus DIY and the Focus DIY website (www.focusdiy.co.uk) in an elusive hunt to obtain 19 of the same kitchen knob.

On my previous visits to their website I found only 0844 numbers listed and the saynoto0870.com website did not list an alternative to 0844 for my nearest local store.

But blow me down with a feather if on visiting the Focus DIY website today I don't find that the whole thing has reverted to using geographic 01/02 phone numbers .

So it seems Focus DIY have got the message and realised this was a major own goal to receiving customer calls.  Also they do at least handle the calls in the stores and not in some remote faceless national call centre.

Well done to Focus DIY on getting rid of 0844 numbers and going back to 01/02  [smiley=thumbsup.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=dankk2.gif]

Yep,  [smiley=dankk2.gif]

I think sometimes that companies are missold these numbers as only costing local/national (sometimes its even worded from anywhere in the UK) and at the same time they most likely receive revenue.

For smaller companies that don't have dedicated communication (most likely incorporated in their IT dept) department then I do think it's easy to be taken in by the constant misleading descriptions.

However for companies that have dedicated communications dept (ie call centres, etc) then I think they must, in their profession, be aware of the common lies these CPs come out with but because the general public still believe these lies and they're not aware that revenue sharing takes place then company exploit their customers further.

Well done to Focus - we can only hope that other companies hear of this and follow in their footsteps.

Not sure about this; don't raise your glasses too soon!  :-/

They seem to have gone back to 0844 on both the Focus website and BT Directory Enquiries.

Dave wrote on Jul 17^th, 2007 at 12:33am:

Not sure about this; don't raise your glasses too soon!  :-/ They seem to have gone back to 0844 on both the Focus website and BT Directory Enquiries.

What I was talking about was the phone number for each store listed by typing in your postcode or home town after clicking Store Locator in the top left of the home page of their website (www.focusdiy.co.uk).  That still shows a geographic number only for the Rustington store and for the Hove, Burgess Hill, Petersfield and all other surrounding stores.  Those listings used to be all 0844 numbers two months ago  and this site did not have the 01 alternative number listed for Rustington, even though it did have it for several other stores.

If you click Contact Us at the bottom of their home page then it is true this brings up a listing of 0845 600 4244 for their website order line.  I would suggest that this is because there either is no 01/02 alternative due to how it is set up (i.e. voip only) or some other related reason.  Having said the internet ordering is all handled from only one place so there ought to be an 01/02 alternative.

But note that on the same page they recommend that for general customer queries and complaints and advice about DIY that you call 0800 436 436 and for their registered office in Crewe they list 01270 501555. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

It would therefore seem that a final call to the 0800 number or an email to their directors reminding them about the outstanding anomaly on their website line (which note is an 0845 and not an 0844 number so almost certainly involves a different telecoms supplier or deal) may be all that is required to ensure the final total abolition of all remaining 084/7 numbers at Focus.  A note of congratulation to the directors on also getting rid of all the other 0844 store numbers would clearly not go amiss.