The chances are that if you own a business you may already have a designated marketing phone number that potential customers can use to contact you. But, unless you keep regular tabs upon the rapidly changing developments within the telecoms market place, you may be unaware as to why 0845 numbers are becoming more and more popular to businesses all over the United Kingdom.

Almost everybody who has used a phone is aware that 0800 numbers are free for potential customers to call. 0800 numbers therefore act as a good solution to the age old problem of persuading potential customers to get in touch with your business. An 0800 number is an established and effective way of increasing enquiries. Ask yourself the question - would you rather pay nothing or something to make a phone call?

However, statistics show that local rate 0845 numbers are now outselling 0800 numbers at a rate of around 3 to 1. Why would it be then that there is an upsurge in orders from businesses in the UK for 0845 numbers - particularly with the recent negative publicity surrounding ITV's use of non-geographic 0845 and 0844 numbers in the "Ant and Dec" scandal?

For some time many businesses were reluctant to adopt the use 0845 numbers because they mistakenly assumed that the numbers would be expensive for them to operate, or perhaps because they assumed customers would not ring these telephone numbers due to the extra premium rate costs they would incur. This is not the case. When an 0845 number is connected through a reputable telecoms reseller all a business will pay is:

• a one-off set up fee
• a set annual fee
• no call charges whatsoever

From the point of view of the customer when they ring an 0845 number all they pay the cost of a local phone call - just as if they were making a telephone call to someone in the same street or town. So, if you live in London and make an 0845 call to Liverpool you actually save money on the cost of a long distance phone call.

Many UK businesses have grasped the fact that when they buy an 0845 number for marketing purposes their costs are fixed no matter how many times the number is called whereas the owner of an 0800 number is billed for the actual minutes used. Fixed costs and the fact that bills cannot run away for business owners but remain constant is arguably the largest single reason for the rise in popularity of the 0845 number.

0800 and 0845 numbers are directed at either a landline or mobile phone number. When a company moves premises there is never the hassle of not being able to move the telephone number with them - all they have to do is redirect their 0845 or 0800 number to another destination number. This can be enormously beneficial if a company suffers from fire, flood or damage - all that needs to happen is for the destination number to be altered.

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