The benefits of having a geographical telephone number

Deciding what type of phone number your organisation needs can be a tricky decision. There are plenty of options out there, so it’s important that you find the right one for your needs and contacts.

Non-geographical numbers have been top of the tables for a while (that’s your 0800’s or your 0845 numbers), but it isn’t necessarily the best option for everyone. Whilst non-geographical have many benefits, geographical numbers are a great option for those where being ‘local’ is key.

A geographical number is one which is specific to a town or city. An example of this in action would be if you had an office based in Exeter, but have staff on the road in Plymouth. In this case someone could call your sales person on a Plymouth number, and be seamlessly transferred to the Exeter office. Callers use a local number and they still get a great service from the main office if the salesperson is unavailable. A geographical number can also be a useful approach before a new office is opened in another area.

So what are the benefits of having a geographical number?

1.Appear Local
We all know that people love to shop local and this is never truer than in the South West of England. By having a geographical number, you can appear local to your customers; you’re that business just up the road rather than that big corporation in the city.

The person calling the Plymouth number assumes they are talking to someone in the Plymouth area code which is appealing because it is local and it’s that perception that’s vital.

Many people don’t like talking to call centres or large corporations; a geographical number will show them that you have staff in their area that can assist on a local level. It can make you more approachable and ready to listen to them.

2.Cost effective
The automatic redirection means that you can save money. There’s no new line rental contracts or satellite offices, so you can avoid the costs and infrastructure of setting them up until you need the physical presence.

If you already have, or decide to go for, a non-geographical number it could also end up costing the caller. Depending on what the number is, callers may be faced with associated charges, which is never great for customer service. Talk to us and we can advise.

3.Customer concern
Some people have concerns about 08 numbers. They don’t know if they’re going to be charged for calling, or if a scammer is trying to call them. Some may even be concerned that they’re having to call a foreign-based call centre. By using a geographical number, the fear of 08 is eliminated. Customers will trust the locality of the number and be more receptive.

If a customer calls a geographic number from their mobile phone, it will also use their contracted minutes rather than adding charges to their bill. A lot of people aren’t completely clear on which non-geographic numbers are free (for example would you know the charges for an 0844 or 0845 number if you were ringing one?), and this could potentially prevent them from calling – losing you business.

Whether you choose to have a geographic or non-geographic number, our experts can help. We will guide you through all the options and advise you on which suits your business best.

If you’d like to find out more about how geographical numbers could help your business, or to discuss your requirements give a member of our team a call on 0808 2020 411.

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