Why The 0845 Number Has So Many Benefits For Customers And Businesses

With so many different phone numbers to dial for so many different organisations, each starting with different codes, it's easy to lose track of which are premium numbers and which are free. Many people recognise the 0800 number as being free to call but wrongly assume any other combination of numbers will result in a costly call. However a 0845 number is fortunately not one of these. In fact, these numbers are incredibly beneficial to both business and consumers; with the most important being the low cost.

Dialling a 0845 number will in fact cost you as little as a local call because it is a non-geographic number. The 08 prefix can deter some customers from calling but rest assured, it is not a premium number. So if it costs the same as a local rate, why use them?

By using a 0845 number instead of a local area code, businesses can reduce their costs and provide much more efficient customer service. Previously, if a company wanted to effectively organise their call management, they would need to install specific hardware private branch exchange systems (PBX) which were well out of the price range of many smaller companies.

The emergence of the 0845 number however has revolutionised call management by allowing responses to take place at network level rather than via a company's own switchboard. What this means is that calls can be routed depending on the staff's availability, the time of day and location. If you move premises or go overseas for a period of time for example, calls can simply be re-directed to another destination without changing the number.

Another benefit is that the business who owns the 0845 number receives their calls for free. Free-phone numbers such as 0800 require businesses to pay per call received. With a 0845 number, there is no charge per call to the owner.

If you have a local phone number and move premises to a different location, informing all your customers of the new number can sometimes be problematic. Buying a 0845 number means you can keep your number no matter where you are. These numbers are not fastened to any specific region, so you can move all over the place and never have to change your phone number.

Another advantage is that you can choose how to receive your messages from customers. Rather than having to sift through a bunch of voicemails when you come in to the office each morning, out of hour's voice mail messages can be left on the network and delivered instantly to one or more recipients via email. This is great if you are not in the office but out on the road and want to keep track of all your messages.

Online inbound call statistics allow businesses to collect invaluable information for marketing and operational purposes. It's an effective method for analysing how effective a promotional campaign has been for example.

It's not just businesses who benefit from using 0845 numbers; customers do too. Improved customer service is perhaps one of the biggest advantages to consumers. First impressions are always important and if the first call you make to a company results in being mis-directed or unable to reach anyone who can help you, the chances are it will leave you with a negative impression.

The 0845 number means no more busy dial tones or waiting around for someone to pick up the phone. Calls may be re-directed to multiple destinations, including mobile phones, anywhere in the world so that somebody is always available to take the call. Callers will pay a local rate for the country they call from, even if the call centre is overseas.

None of us like to call premium numbers however similarly calling a free-phone number that mis-directs us or keeps us waiting in a queue for minutes at a time in not preferential either. Calling an 0845 number offers the ideal alternative for cheap, hassle-free dialling.

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Comments

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 at 1:16 PM, by Planet Numbers
03 numbers are cheaper to recieve as 0800 numbers, they could become the UK´s most popular numbers.

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 at 7:27 PM, by Intelesis
Yes, 03 Numbers are the way forward, why do companies keep writing about 08 in the press, it just serves to give them greater profile.

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