Partner Article

Getting ready for Ofcom number change

Less than a week to go before the new Ofcom regulation about 0845,0870 numbers come into play. From June 2014 It will be illegal to use these number for customer complaints.

According to the EU directive

“Member States shall ensure that where the trader operates a telephone line for the purpose of contacting him by telephone in relation to the contract concluded, the consumer, when contacting the trader is not bound to pay more than the basic rate.”

Currently 0845,0870 numbers are charged at different rates by Telecom providers. The new regulation states a customer should not have to pay extra to complain about the service they received.

Companies using these numbers can either switch to a geographic 01/02 number or to the non-geographic 03 number. Both of these numbers are charged as national rate. They are also free to dial from mobile phones when used as part of inclusive minutes. Outside inclusive minutes they are charged at the same rate as 01/02 numbers.

If a company has created a national presence then it would be better to switch to non-geographic 03 numbers. If you current number is 0845 or 0870 then you can easily switch to 0345 or 0370 number. It would be beneficial to do this as you are only changing a single digit. Customer are more likely to remember a single digit change then the whole number.

03 numbers come in different format.0330 number can be used by anybody.0345 and 0370 as discussed earlier can be used as switch over from 0845/0870 numbers. 0300 Numbers are reserved for charities and government organisation.

Unlike 0845/0870 numbers revenue sharing is banned on 03 numbers. Companies that have enjoyed a healthy revenue share must now pay for each minute of the call they receive. Depending on which providers you choose expect to pay between 0p to 2.5p per minute .Some Providers also charge a monthly charge.

In the end it is all about customer satisfaction. Non-geographic or geographic number will definitely help with customer retention and acquiring new business.

If you require further informaton about 03 numbers please contact 03numbersforfree on 0330 606 0023 or email us on support@03numbersforfree.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by 03numbersforfree .