A few weeks ago, I sent the following email to the NRM:

I was going to ring you today to request some information but didn't as you are using an 0844 premium rate telephone number.

Are you aware that use of such a telephone number is against government guidelines for public bodies such as the NRM?

As someone who refuses  to use premium rate numbers to call ordinary land lines just to profit telephone companies, I do hope that the NRM will reconsider the use of premium rate telephone numbers, and begin using a normal 01, 02 or 03 number.

Are you aware that the NRM has been added to the Hall of Shame list of public bodies using these numbers on the Say No to 0870 website?  Use of the 0844 number is bringing the NRM into disprepute.

Today I received the following reply:

I’d like to reassure you that your comments are taken seriously and are still being investigated. I’m sorry that I am unable to give you a full answer at this stage but have requested the relevant information from colleagues in order to give you a full reply.



Until I have received this information it is not possible for me to comment further but I will respond fully in the hopefully not too distant future



Sincerely



 



Jim Lowe
Visitor Experience Operations Manager
National Railway Museum
Leeman Road
York
YO26 4XJ

I'll keep you all posted when I get another reply.

It's now August, and I've still not had a reply from the National Railway Museum. I've today sent off a reminder email to see if we can get some action....but don't hold your breath!

I have today received the following reply from the NRM, which clearly shows that this organisation has no idea whatsoever what they are talking about when it comes to 08 telephone numbers. Any suggestions on the direction I should now point them in?  The later reference to the increasing use of non-geographic numbers in the future is rather ominous.




Dear ....

Our understanding of current Ofcom advice is that the use of 084x numbers is permissible, but not 087x. We do not operate a 087x number.

Where it is possible to do so, for example we advertise a direct line to a 01904 number charged at normal rates. Our website currently advertises 01904 numbers for:

Research Enquiries
Group Bookings
School Bookings and information
Enquiries re Car Parking and access
Retail Enquires
Learning Activities


The National Railway Museum is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry, a not for profit organisation. Any income generated is therefore used entirely towards our ongoing operating costs and our stewardship of the National Collection of Rail Vehicles.



We are reviewing our use of current telephone contact points and would anticipate that we will in the future be increasing our use of non-geographic numbers. As this review is ongoing I cannot give any definitive dates at this time.



Sincerely    

     



Jim Lowe
Visitor Experience Operations Manager
National Railway Museum
Leeman Road
York
YO26 4XJ

As well as the useful document published by the Contact Council, referred to previously, Mr Lowe may be interested to refresh his understanding of Ofcom advice by referring to the following:

Number Translation Services (NTS) including 0870: FAQs - notably question 6 (some of this is now out of date).
Ofcom introduces UK-wide 03 numbers - a full description of the 03 range, from when it was launched.
The 03 alternative - addressing the change that organisations now need to make.

All of these documents may be recommended as valuable reading for any public sector body using revenue sharing numbers.

It could be worthwhile to challenge the need for non-geographic numbers, to confirm that it is not simply to gain the subsidy provided by the revenue share.

The difference in cost between a 0844 and 03 number is the amount of subsidy that callers are providing. (Notwithstanding profiteering by telephone service providers.)

Obviously they are museums of old phone numbers

It's only taken eight and a half years to get this far.

Perhaps they think it appropriate to keep their phone numbers "in the steam age!!!"