small business 0800 numbers?

manhattan

hi,
has anyone got any advice or links regarding purchasing an 0800 number?

i am looking into using a freephone number for my business,what are the pros and cons of using one of these numbers?

do they honestly help you attract more customers?

thanks in advance!

Savvy_Sue

There are mixed feelings about non-geographic numbers generally in other parts of the board, because with all the new ways to make phone calls it can be difficult to work out WHAT you are paying, and even though you want to set up a freephone number, some people will be charged to call it - for example, from any mobile phone except one on Orange contract (and it may not even be ALL Orange contracts, not sure about Orange PAYG).

Personally if two numbers are listed, I will always use the freephone, but I do like to see a local number listed as well so I know it's not some faceless national organisation.

But I can't say whether they attract business or not, I'm afraid.

burbs_2

i had a free phone number for my business when i first started (i had all these big ideas!!) it was the worst mistake of my career. my phone calls practically ended there and then, they at least halved, if not worse.

i dont really know why but i would strongly recommend that you think carefully as they are a weird area

manhattan

thanks for your input burbs and savvy-_sue,i think i may just settle with my landline and mobile numbers.

m.

roaming_rhino

Hi

We run a home based business which this year will turnover in excess of 4 million pounds

Can i just say that I get hundreds of calls extra per month due to having a freephone number

Telecom Plus are the cheapest I have found
£2 per month number rental then you pay an average 7p per call then after
never been able to see a better deal than this

Any successful business will have a freephone number -full stop

do it !!!!!!

**edited remarks by Boardguide**

burbs_2

telling me that i dont know how to run a successful business. i have managed fine for the last few years and i have no doubts that i make more profit in 6 months than you do in the whole year so dont tell me i dont know how to run a business.

any successful business will have a free phone number? false

I sell cars for a living and if one of my customers is not willing to spend 5 pence on a phone call then they are obviously not the type of customer who is going to spend £40,000 on 1 of my cars are they?

obviously the business determines whether a free phone number will work for you but as i said, i had 1, calls did not shoot up and it was a waste of my time so i scrapped it.

**edited remarks by Boardguide**

bridiej

Please keep the conversation on topic and do not post personal remarks.

Thanks

bridiej

For what it's worth, I run a successful small business from home (although nothing like the turnover Rhino's got unfortunately!) and I've done fine with my usual local number.

I'm in secretarial services and I think it helps get business because people realise I'm local and offer a personalised service, rather than ringing an 0800 which could be a huge faceless company.

I guess it does depend what field you're in though as you may want people to think you're a huge company!

Can you give us a wee bit more info about your business?

manhattan

it would be for a satellite/aerial installation and servicing business so i would be working in a local area probably a 40 mile radius.i will be a sole trader for the time being.

WHA

We have used an 0800 number in the past - no real effect one way or another. A few clients had a whinge when we stopped it and they had to pay a few pence for the call again, but they remained clients - and as burbs says, are such people really the customers we want anyway?

I've had a few clients who started with just a mobile number and noticed a real increase in calls when they started advertising a local landline number - I don't think people like calling mobile numbers unless there is a landline number as well - to add authenticity.

I suppose if your customer base is national, you have a potentially massive customer base, and an 0800 number may help give an impression of a large organisation and may attract the penny pinchers, but if you are a local service provider, I really can't see anyone would be put off by phoning a local landline. Of course, there is a deal of difference between the cost of a local call and a national call, so I imagine it is the national rate calls when an 0800 number may help.

From a personal point of view, I never phone the advertised 0800 numbers for plumbers, roofers, locksmiths, windscreen replacers, etc however reputable they sound as I would always think I was being dealt with by some call centre in Bangalore or wherever - I accept my view may be completely wrong but I never seem to have a problem in finding local reputable firms so I'll stick with my approach for now.

burbs_2

so there you go - all business must have a free phone number? you have 3 people on here running business stating that you dont

point made