5 0800 Number Myths Busted

1.  You have to pay for another fixed telephone line to receive the call

No - you do not need another designated line to receive calls on your 0800 number. The number can be pointed to your existing mobile or landline number.

2. I will need to buy an additional mobile as I want to differentiate between business and personal calls

No - need to buy an additional mobile just add “call announcement” which lets you know “this is a business call”. See: http://bit.ly/1lzvMwV 

3. Companies get a rebate when an 0800 number is called

No - certain numbers do receive a rebate or make money, but not 0800s. 

4. An 0800 number cannot be called from outside the UK

No - you can call from abroad by just dropping the first 0 so the number becomes 800 xxx xxxx and putting the country code 44 in front of the number so it becomes 44 800 xxx xxxx. The call may be charged so it is always a good idea to check costing with your carrier.

5. 0800s are free to call from mobiles

No - but by July 2015 they will be! 

Why number portability and 30 day rolling contracts are important when choosing a non-geographical number supplier

When choosing a company to supply your non-geographical numbers the most important thing to look out for is whether or not you can change suppliers without a penalty or if indeed you can change at all. Not all companies have a porting agreement.

A porting agreement allows you flexibility to change suppliers if you are not satisfied with the level of support you receive or another company can offer you a better deal.

Once you have ascertained that you are able to port your number if you so wish you will also need a company that doesn’t tie you into a contract of say 12 or 18 months. Look for a supplier that offers a 30 day rolling contract.

Pricing for non-geographic numbers is very competitive therefore the cost is more likely to go down than up so portability and a short term contract are key to changing companies who offer cheaper rentals and call charges.

Companies that offer number portability and short term contracts are more likely to offer better customer service and support as they are aware that you can change if you are unhappy at any time.

 Number portability is easy and seamless. The number will never be inactive during the change over

process.

If you want to know if a number is portable just call Brayford Numbers on 0800 433 4838 // 0207 458 4456.

Franchising? Why owning your virtual local numbers from the offset counts

We have come across a few instances now where franchisors are getting stung by their franchisees leaving to set up shop elsewhere and taking their virtual local numbers with them.

As the franchisor, you should heavily consider purchasing the virtual local numbers and allocating them to your franchisees as they come on board. This way, if they leave or choose not to renew their agreement:

- they can't take a built up client base with them as easily

- there is no risk of your brand integrity being compromised

- you will not have the cost of changing the numbers on that franchisee's page

If you have any questions about number solutions for franchises please do not hesitate to give us a call: 0800 433 4838 or 0207 488 4456.

(Let us know if this has happened to you as a franchisor by leaving a comment below)

We believe in great customer service

Here at Brayford Numbers we believe in great customer service. 

As a customer you will have:

- a dedicated account manager - no call centres!

- the option to call us for free from a landline on our 0800 number

- a guaranteed same-day service on most number set-ups 

Need more? We are always open to suggestions on how we can serve you better. 

Toll free and freephone numbers

When the States releases a new toll free prefix the numbers quickly get snapped up. They just released 1-844 in December 2013 and these numbers probably won't be around for that long. 

The first release of toll free numbers in the United States saw the birth of 1-800. Since that time the fast growing need for consumers to call free has seen 5 more prefixes released.

The following US toll free prefixes are as follows:

1-888

1-877

1-866

1-855

1-844

We all know what happens in the US eventually crosses the water and happens in the UK.

Freephone numbers have proven to be successful for both US and UK businesses.The demand for 0800 freephone numbers in the UK is increasing all the time while at the same time the availability to be able to purchase a 0800 freephone number is diminishing. It is for that reason we encourage businesses to choose 0808 freephone numbers while the supply, selection and price couldn’t be better.

0808 numbers

0808 Numbers were introduced in 1997 to add additional selection of numbers to call free from landlines.

Are 0808 numbers free to call?

Yes, from most landlines. Although not as widely recognised as 0800 freephone they are becoming more popular as the choice of memorable 0800 numbers has been greatly depleted.

In July 2015 mobile phone companies will be required to make calls from mobiles free. This in turn will increase the demand for freephone numbers. The time to buy a Freephone number has never been greater and the time to buy a memorable 0808 number has never been cheaper. Next year the demand will increase dramatically which means so will the price.

Useful information on 0808 charges

Google Places don't like 08 numbers

To be towards the top of a Google search without paying for ads or paper click you need to sign up for Google Places. To do this you need a telephone number. Google does not like 08 numbers, i.e. 0800/0845/0844. If you already have one of these - why not purchase a virtual local number (01/02 numbers) to put there instead?

We found this today at Lucidica:

Tip 6 – Get a local number: Google Places doesn’t like non-geographical numbers if you have an 0844, 0845, 0870 or 0800 number you are going to be a step behind. If you’re based in London get an 020 number, Birmingham a 0121 number.