[daveappleby]

hi all..

was thinking of getting an 0845 number instead of putting my landline number on my van. anyone else use one? what do you think of it, good or bad?

[Scrimble]

bad

[nat]

get an 0800 number...good!!

[Paul Coleman]

hi all..

was thinking of getting an 0845 number instead of putting my landline number on my van. anyone else use one? what do you think of it, good or bad?

I have one.
I paid for mine as I wanted to choose an easy to remember number.  I may move in the next couple of years to another exchange area so wanted to have a number where I could just make the switch without informing hundreds of customers.  It does cost me a pound or two a month to receive calls so no hardsip there.
The only downside is that the number I chose bears a similarity to that of Devon and Cornwall police so I do get calls for them.  Unfortunately, occasionally they happen during the night.  The last one said they wanted to report a knife.  Couldn't have been an emergency as they would have rung 999.  I won't say what I replied having been awoken at 4 am but I will leave that to your imagination.

2 sides to the 0845 coin.
It may be perceived as being more professional.
It doesn't reveal the area code.  This could work either way as it can make someone think it's a bigger company or it can be offputting if someone is looking for someone who is definitely local.  In my area there is lots of terraced housing without rear access so it's a benefit for me to hide the area code.
0845 numbers are not usually included in calling plans so will cost money to phone (only about 3.5ppm at peak time).  If someone is bothered about spending a few pennies on the initial call, they may want to pennypinch on the price so it may filter them out.

[daveappleby]

yeah i see your points...

thing is i cover a number of different area codes so one number would be great.

also, been thinking of getting sign writing done on a magnet for van and its either one large number or squeeze land line and mobile number on magnet but then comes up smaller!!!

[Davie T]

On another forum i placed a similar topic.
I received a reply and used this link

http://www.0845freenumbers.co.uk/0845.html

I had no problems, very quick and most of all FREE !!!!
 

[mick hay]

I got an 0800, and to be honest, the cost to you is practically zero, as its about £5.95 a month and incudes 500 mins of calls to you!!!

best option in my mind!!

[daveappleby]

hi all..

was thinking of getting an 0845 number instead of putting my landline number on my van. anyone else use one? what do you think of it, good or bad?

I have one.
I paid for mine as I wanted to choose an easy to remember number.  I may move in the next couple of years to another exchange area so wanted to have a number where I could just make the switch without informing hundreds of customers.  It does cost me a pound or two a month to receive calls so no hardsip there.
The only downside is that the number I chose bears a similarity to that of Devon and Cornwall police so I do get calls for them.  Unfortunately, occasionally they happen during the night.  The last one said they wanted to report a knife.  Couldn't have been an emergency as they would have rung 999.  I won't say what I replied having been awoken at 4 am but I will leave that to your imagination.

2 sides to the 0845 coin.
It may be perceived as being more professional.
It doesn't reveal the area code.  This could work either way as it can make someone think it's a bigger company or it can be offputting if someone is looking for someone who is definitely local.  In my area there is lots of terraced housing without rear access so it's a benefit for me to hide the area code.
0845 numbers are not usually included in calling plans so will cost money to phone (only about 3.5ppm at peak time).  If someone is bothered about spending a few pennies on the initial call, they may want to pennypinch on the price so it may filter them out.

cool...and do you get much business from the number??

[Paul Coleman]

hi all..

was thinking of getting an 0845 number instead of putting my landline number on my van. anyone else use one? what do you think of it, good or bad?

I have one.
I paid for mine as I wanted to choose an easy to remember number.  I may move in the next couple of years to another exchange area so wanted to have a number where I could just make the switch without informing hundreds of customers.  It does cost me a pound or two a month to receive calls so no hardsip there.
The only downside is that the number I chose bears a similarity to that of Devon and Cornwall police so I do get calls for them.  Unfortunately, occasionally they happen during the night.  The last one said they wanted to report a knife.  Couldn't have been an emergency as they would have rung 999.  I won't say what I replied having been awoken at 4 am but I will leave that to your imagination.

2 sides to the 0845 coin.
It may be perceived as being more professional.
It doesn't reveal the area code.  This could work either way as it can make someone think it's a bigger company or it can be offputting if someone is looking for someone who is definitely local.  In my area there is lots of terraced housing without rear access so it's a benefit for me to hide the area code.
0845 numbers are not usually included in calling plans so will cost money to phone (only about 3.5ppm at peak time).  If someone is bothered about spending a few pennies on the initial call, they may want to pennypinch on the price so it may filter them out.

cool...and do you get much business from the number??

I have only been putting the number about during occasional leafletting buty people do phone me on it.  I never know if that number has been used for sure until I get the itemised bill though.  This is because the 0845 number maps seamlessly to my normal landline.  My normal landline is usually on divert to my mobile.  My mobile number is given out with the 0845 number.  This gives a choice to ring me directly on mobile to mobile thus giving a free call if someone is on a calling plan that gives this.  My current bill is about £1 a month for the incoming calls to 0845.  Allowing for the incorrect calls to the police, this represents about 30 minutes of received calls.  It's gradually increasing month on month.
So people do phone these numbers.  There is no way of knowing if I would receive more calls if I used my geographic numbers.  I'm not looking to build the business quickly anyway.  So long as the work trickles in at a faster rate than I lose it, then I'm OK with that.  Since the new year I've gained work worth about £1,500 a year and lost work worth about £400 a year.  That's fine for a winter quarter.