Using an 0800 number can bring many different benefits to a business.
One of the main benefits of an 0800 number is that it is free for your customers to call.
Under recent legislation 0800 number are now even free to call from mobile phones.
Another reason businesses tend to use 0800 number is because they are what is known as an NGN. An NGN, or Non-Geographical Number is a centralised number for a business that can be used not matter where their location is in the UK. This is valuable for a number of reasons, but the main benefit is that it saves having different numbers for different offices and it centralises all of a companies incoming calls.
Although there are costs that are associated with setting up an NGN this can actually save a company a lot of money long term. For a start your 0800 number will follow you around wherever your company ends up geographically, and you will also be able to add in directs to a number of different departments when your company grows.
Benefits of an 0800 number - they are free to call
Ofcom made reforms in July 2015 that means all 0800 numbers are now free to call from any mobile phone provider. This means that 0800 numbers are now free for customers to call from any device.
One of the main benefits for a company of having an 0800 number is that it encourages customers to call more than if the number was a local number that incurred a charge.
Think about it logically. If you are reading a business directory and there are two similar companies that charge similar prices, but one is an 0800 number and one is a number that charges, which one do you think customers will be more encouraged to call?
If your company is one that handles a lot of incoming calls on a regular basis then this will definitely be something that customers look into before they sign up to your service or buy your product. Having to spend a long time on the phone to your company will be something that people factor in and if you have a free to call 0800 number this is only going to encourage them to think of your company positively.
Benefits of an 0800 number - call re-direction
Using a centralised NGN number is a good way for businesses to streamline their customer experience. If a local number is used and the department the customer needs is somewhere else they may have to hold while they get transferred. When you set up an NGN you are able to set up a diversion to all of the different departments the customer may need.
One of the most amazing benefits of an 0800 number is that a company can use this as their customer facing number and then set up their NGN to re-direct the calls in any way they see fit.
Benefits of an 0800 number - company relocation
If you are a small company just starting out - there is a chance that you may relocate in the future. Whether it be locating to a new office in the same area or completely relocating to another town, an NGN number will remain the same no matter how many times you move.
Many businesses do not think ahead to possibilities like this and think they are cost-cutting by not using an NGN. In the long run this only negatively impacts.
If you are running a business that gets a high volume of customer calls then changing your number can be a cumbersome task. As well as needing to find a way to communicate the new number to customers businesses will also need to re-print business cards and flyers.
You can find out more about the difference between different number prefixes and more by contacting Number Supermarket today. By providing virtual telephone numbers to businesses of all shapes and sizes, they help keep business communications running efficiently. Call today on 0330 332 0400 to talk to a member of the Number Supermarket team.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article