If Asda, like many organisations wants to resource its telephone response to customers centrally, then that is a matter between it and its customers. We no longer have local rates, so I would suggest that finding local alternatives (which staff may not have the time to answer) is not the issue, so far as our campaign is concerned.

The focus should be on persuading Asda that a 03xx number is what is needed for a central customer contact point, not a number that is subsidised by callers and causes some, notably mobile users, to incur quote excessive premium charges.

Sorry, Barbara, I agree with you totally.

My point was in relation to the issue of whether the staff to handle such calls are deployed at the local store or at a one or more central call centres. If the latter, then a non-geographic number may be preferred.

In my view, local staff are essential for face to face contact. If telephone enquiries can be handled more effectively through a call centre, then fair enough. Often this is not the case, but that is not inevitable. I say that focus should be on the quality of service not the place from where it is delivered.

We agree totally on this inappropriate use of a revenue sharing telephone number.

I feel that the only way to deal with companies who use 0844, 0871 and the likes is to inform them that you are about to do business with them, but unfortunately you are unable, as your phone system can’t use premium and semi-premium revenue sharing numbers that the company uses.  And that you would be able to place business with them if they used telephone numbers starting 01, 02 or the new non-geographical numbers starting with 03.  I usually send this statement to the sales department by email.  If the sales department receive sufficient emails, they sometimes change telephone numbers.  I now find that this tack is simpler that sending companies long missives about call charges with the resultant obfuscatory replies.

Asda has now replaced a number of 0844 numbers with 0800 ones:

Asda Direct 0844 824 3000 is now 0800 952 3003
Asda Home Shopping 0844 873 3333 is now 0800 952 6060
Asda Stores 0844 894 1234 was a central number for all stores and now redirects callers to Asda's website for the telephone number of their local branch.

The main free number has also changed from 0500 100055 to 0800 952 0101.

All these have recorded messages on redirecting to the new numbers.

This shows that companies can change away from 084 numbers.