Like in other areas, councils in Wiltshire will merge on 1 April 2009. Plans are afoot to use 0300 contact numbers.

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Unfortunately, they appear to be under the wrong impression of how much it costs to call. I don't know who's told them it costs 1p/min!

Source: Towards One Council Newsletter 23 - 15/08/08

http://extranet.wiltshire.gov.uk/newsletter-detail.htm?id=5466

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Source: Access to you briefings July 08 - Q & A's

http://extranet.wiltshire.gov.uk/access-to-you-briefings-july-08-qa

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Dave wrote on Aug 24^th, 2008 at 5:44pm:


They aren't merging any councils in Surrey on 1st April 2009.  The idea of four large unitary authorities or a single unitary county council (for which this would have been the change date) was considered a couple of years ago but firmly knocked on the head (think of all the redundancies for councillors and more importantly still highly paid district and borough council Chief Executives).  Surrey Police also managed to dodge being merged with Sussex or any other Police forces.

Meanwhile the County Council carries on with their 0845 number as the only publicised number for contacting them despite the protestations of Simon their Contact Centre Manager that he is working on bringing in an 03 number may be this year, next year, some time, never........  And that after four years of such promises by Surrey County Council.

Dave wrote on Sep 5^th, 2008 at 7:16pm:


Dave,

I agree with all of the strapline you have given the Council to describe calls to 03 numbers except for "The council takes no income from calls to 03 numbers."  That is assuming this final part was your idea and not theirs?

I would avoid the phrase "The council takes no income from calls to 03 numbers" purely because of the disgraceful way this phrase has been used to excuse their actions by all the councils and police forces who use 0845 numbers and who do in fact get a hidden benefit by the back door (lower phone system contract cost etc) from using 0845.

Of course with the passage of time and more 03 numbers being in use and people finding they are not charged at premium rate like 084 and 087 calls then the need to emphasise the positive status of 03 numbers for the calling public will begin to fall away.  But I agree that for now it is important that those organisations who have done the right thing stress the point to the public by making it clear that calls to 03 numbers are always covered by inclusive call plans on fixed lines and bundled minutes packages on mobiles.

Dave wrote on Sep 6^th, 2008 at 3:57pm:


And more importantly that this allows the telco to pass part of that increased termination charge back to their client as a benefit in kind  e.g. through lower phone equipment price, lower outgoing call cost, cheaper phone line rental etc, etc, etc.

I stick with the fact that the council should only say these 03 numbers cost the same as calls to numbers starting with 01 and 02 and are always also covered by inclusive phone bundled minutes or any free calls period to landline numbers on fixed line phones.  And that this is an obligatory requirement of the regulator Ofcom (to catch out shysters like Post Office Homephone and yourcalls.net who pretended they didn't know about the amended General Condition 14 for several months after it had been imposed and only changed after my formally registered complaints to them and Ofcom).

Dave wrote on Mar 1^st, 2009 at 2:35pm:


The retention of the underlined phrase about taking no income etc is unfortunate since that terminology is so frequently utilised by the leading 084/7 number abusers.