subject: Do Customers Really Understand The Different Charges For Calling 08 Numbers? [print this page] Non geographic number ranges help organisations bring in more business and also improve operational efficiencies in terms of handling incoming calls effectively. There are many non geographic number choices that are available to organisations depending on their specific needs. If the primary purpose of the business is to generate more customer enquiries, an 0800 freephone number may be ideal. For customer care and technical support lines, some sort of revenue sharing would be better than bearing the entire cost of the call. There are also number ranges that charge the caller for services received through the telephone.
From a customer point of view, it is very important to understand all the associated call charges. A basic overview and an approximation of call charges for a few number ranges as charged by telecom service providers in UK are as follows (charges from mobile networks will vary considerably and are often much higher):
0844 numbers:When customers call this number, they pay approximately 1-5p minute inclusive of VAT. As of now, Ofcom does not have any plans to interfere in the operations of the 0844 number range. 0844 numbers form the ideal non-geographic replacement for an 0870 number. It offers stability as well as low cost both to the business and the caller.
0845 numbers: Here, the customer pays between 1p to 5p, the tariff is usually structured differently for day, evening and weekend usage. Just as the 0844 numbers, Ofcom does not intend to restructure this number range in the short term. Many Internet Service Providers rely on this number range to provide low cost dial up internet access. There is a possibility that Ofcom may look into the number range in the near future, and this gives sufficient reason to be careful when it comes to getting a new number for the business. If the new phone number is crucial to your business in the long term, think carefully before taking it up as an 0845 number. If the 0845 call charges are lowered in future, then you will possibly have to pay a top up fee.
0871 numbers: Customers pay anywhere between 6p 10p per minute for this number. 0871 is also under the control of PhonepayPlus, the regulatory body for overseeing premium rate numbers. They have a strict Code of Practice to protect customer interests to ensure pricing transparency.
There are many telecommunication companies such as Numbertalk that offer great plans on 0871 numbers and other non geographic number ranges such as 0800 Numbers, 0844 Numbers, 0845 Numbers, 03 numbers, premium rate numbers, freephone numbers etc. To know more, visit the Numbertalk website.
