Do you use a Freephone 0800 (Or toll free -800 in the U.S) number for your business?, do they work?, Are you considering one?

I had one for a while then the kids grew up and worked out that thier mates could ring up and dad would pay for it. Stop it now.
Didn't really notice any difference either with or wothout it. As long as you are available to answer your calls that is more important to the punter they like to sit down and book the disco and get it all done in one 'sitting' They do not like answering machines or I'll get back to you, close the sale as soon as you can.

Hmm there wasnt a voting option for "havent used one personally, but used to sell them for a living (amongst other phone/data services)"...

I cant think how you'd miss out such an obvious option Chris !!


OK, obviously freefone numbers are not FREE totally. There are lots of providers of freefone numbers but, for ease of example lets say you got one from BT.

Heres how its supposed to work.

Mrs Jones calls you from their BT line to your 0800 number. The call costs them nothing, and they book a disco with you - Terrific. At the end of the billing period, your bill comes in and that 5 minute call to you cost you 5 x 10p...still terrific - you got a £200~£300 booking, and it only cost you 50p in "freefone" telephone charges.


However...

Lets try that again with a little (synical) reality applied ..(even though I cant spell Synical )

Mrs Jones calls your freefone number from her mobile. WHAMMO ... fell at the first... with one or two exceptions, a call from a NON-BT telephone to a BT landline is chargable to the caller (Mrs Jones). And wouldnt you just know it...her monthly cellular bill will be read by her, the morning of the booking... Her telephone company will say that the charge is legitimate as their equipment/network was successfully used for X minutes to converse with the dialled number. And guess what...BT will still bill you for the same X minutes because the freefone service which you rented was ALSO successfull at handling/routing the call to your normal number... OK, you're no worse off than in the above example, but Mrs Jones is. Also as her cellular package has "free" minutes built-in, but only for geographic located numbers eg: 01256 but not non-geographic numbers like 0845, 07xxx oh and of course 0800, she would actually have been able to call you FREE from her mobile to Congleton...

Also, in reality, Mr Jones could well be calling you 3 or 4 times (from her mobile of course) in that time between the first "availability" call, and the actual function...reading out her music lists, the address and contact details for the venue, how nice her daughters outfit is...thats a couple of pounds added to your freefone usage, just on fashion tips.

But of course, business is business...Mrs Jones may well have run up £3~£4 on your freefone usage, as well as her mobile to call your "free" number, but hey, you're getting £250+++ from it, and its tax-deductable so, heck, what the hey, you're spending a little, to earn alot...good business that.

But of course, you've been advertising the freephone number all over the place. And some people know that you're also a DJ equipment Supplier. "What are the Constella 5G's like?", "Have you got Snow Fluid?", "What bulb do I need for my moonflower...I aint got the model number, urm its black, metal and rectangular". They might have called from their landline, they might have called from their mobiles (£!) but a pound to a penny (good sale price that), if they knew your freefone number, they used it to call you up, without a £250+++ booking at the end of it.

Of course to you, the normal desk phone rung, and you picked it up. You wouldnt have known whether you've been talking ohms law with a customer (or chatting up that nice girl in the Gemini outbound sales team) at their expence, or yours. The only "new" angle on this is SOME service providers of Freefone numbers can make your phone ring differently if the call is routed via the freefone number, that way, you know to get them off the line quick, as its your freefone charges that are clocking up...

Hmmm, i might give you a call tomorrow to discuss the weather... eg: Weather or not you're still thinking about a Freefone number...

People selling advertising space soon find, and use your 0800 number

I used to pay £5 per month and get 6000 minutes free , worth £3 or in theory it was only costing a couple of quid a month, if you have a business line I would think of putting in on there but not the home number.The other advantage I could advertise in Mikeee's area and quote Mikeee's prices and travel up from Torquay to fdo the gig as it is non-geographical. The main reason I got one was I had three businesses and I was thinking of moving and couldn't take my 01626 number with me because I was moving into another area code, 01803 so I would have to 'lose' the telephone number whereas 0800 moved with me. The businesses are booming now so have decided that if people want to book me they can afford to pay the 1p per minute for a local call. Maybe a little obnoixoius (sp) but if they don't like it tuff !!

PS If you are just starting out in business DO NOT take this attitude please.

Anyone know if you can get 0800/0845 numbers diverted to your mobile yet....and the costs.

We use an 0845 number generally because it's local rate, the customer only pays the same rate as calling their local doctors' surgery.

We use an 0800 number for special offer adverts and big promotions. It works well but to be honest we tend to get more time waister calls via the 0800 number.

I think you can, it depends on the telco that supply the 800 / 845 number.

I have an 845 number, haven't noticed any difference. If you go in the LoCall direct advertise your normal number along side it - why, because it's charge at local rate, and if you have a telco that gives FREE day / Evening / W/end calls, you don't want to pay do you.

So having a 845 number could lose you work, Um.

Yeah you can get your 0800 and your 0845 number to your mob.
With most 0845 numbers you get a persentage of the money taken from the call, thats why we use an 0845 number + it does not cost use anything, it was only £20 to set up too. woo :S its not a fancy number though like 0845 80 80 80