• Targeting – This allows the client to direct calls to the 0845 numbers to a landline or mobile, and most service offer a control panel that allows for automatic switching based on time or day.

• Monitor – This is the ability for a third party to listen in silently. This is useful, for instance, for supervisors who need to monitor the performance of their service representatives.

• Tracking – This feature allows clients to associate phone calls with clients. This way, when Anne in London has a dispute, the company has convenient access to all phone conversation with her.

• Logging – Logging allows for date and timestamps as well as client notes. This information goes into a database, which then serves as a history that the business can run queries against.

As a company grows larger, they may have additional needs. Most providers of 0845 numbers offer optional functionality that allows the business to meet those needs more easily.

• Recording – This feature records entire phone conversations digitally, and stores them in the database so that they company can recall them later.

• Diversion Plans – A diversion plan prevents busy signals. Often, it is a part-time virtual receptionist or virtual call manager that only kicks in when the diversion plan is needed.

• Virtual Receptionist – A virtual receptionist is like having an actual receptionist except it is cheaper because he or she works for the provider and handles many different companies at a time.

• Virtual Call Manager – A call manager for 0845 numbers combines real or automated receptionist capabilities along with recording and other services like queuing and voicemail.

• Virtual Office Services – This allows a business to integrate fax, email and other IT features with their 0845 numbers without having to expand the network physically.

1. Cost to the Caller

With 0845 numbers, there are two potential costs to the caller. One of those costs is the fee that their provider charges them, which is something the business cannot control. The good news is that most home plans in the UK now include free access to 0845 numbers. The other cost, the one the business can control, is the fee associated directly with the number. Most 0845s are local, and business can even make them toll-free, if they’re willing to pay for it.

2. Set-up Fee

Set-up or configuration fees are a one-time cost that the owner of the 0845 numbers pays to the provider. The business generally pays this fee at the time they sign the contract. Usually, these fees are less than £10, and in most cases, provides will waive these fees.

3. Monthly Rate

The monthly rate is the amount that the business pays each month to support the line, and it is the bulk of the total cost of ownership. Businesses can reduce this amount, but it usually comes at the cost of increased rates for the caller.

4. Vanity Fee

Vanity 0845s are numbers that the caller can call easily based on a memorable letter combination. Usually, there is a one-time fee for being able to choose your own number. In unfavorable scenarios, the provider will require an additional monthly charge.

5. Optional Features

Businesses may add optional features to their 0845 numbers, such as recording capabilities, virtual receptionist, virtual call manager, diversion plans and so forth. Each of these features has a slight charge that the provider adds to the monthly rate.

1. 0845 numbers give the power to the business.

Once a business purchases an 0845 number, it’s theirs, and they can’t lose those rights unless they relinquish them. So make every decision regarding the 0845 with that truth in mind. Remember, if a provider treats the company unfairly, the business can always transfer that number to a provider that will treat them well.

2. Choose the provider carefully.

However, it’s best to avoid that hassle altogether by choosing the provider with care the first time. Many different companies provide 0845 numbers and related services, and one size doesn’t always fit all. Thoroughly assess the needs of the business, and then choose the provider that best fits those requirements.

3. Choose memorable 0845 numbers.

The real power of an 0845 number lies in your ability to market it. Paying the upfront vanity fee is worthwhile if you can own a number that will really stick with your client. A number such as 0845-BESTBUY is certainly much more memorable than a number like 0845-2378289 is.

4. Test the interface.

Most providers of 0845 numbers provide their clients with Web-based interfaces that they can access from computers and even smartphones. Before you sign the contract, take a hard look at this UI. Make sure that it is powerful and user-friendly. You’ll be using it for some time to come.

5. Know what the callers will pay.

Often, if you’re getting a rate on your 0845 that’s too good to be true, it’s because the caller is shouldering the load. That may be all right in certain scenarios, such as pay-per-call business models. However, if your client has to pay just to talk to customer service, then you’ll hurt your business in the long-term.

1. Shop Online

The competition between providers of 0845 numbers is fierce, and nowhere is this more obvious that the online arena. This is why the prices are at their lowest here. If you buy locally instead, you’ll pay more, and you’ll be paying for things that have nothing to do with you, such as the provider’s overhead.

2. Target waived set-up fees.

At the very least, set-up fees should be no more than £10, and most of the top providers online simply waive these fees in order to distinguish themselves from the competition. There is no good reason that your business should settle for anything less.

3. There is a great range in monthly fees.

Understand why monthly fees vary the way they do, and make sure you understand how this applies to the business. If you’re willing to allow callers to shoulder the costs, then you can get 0845 numbers with extremely low monthly rates. However, that doesn’t make much sense if you use the number to provide customer service.

4. Read the fine print.

The top providers of 0845 numbers have relatively simple contracts with easy language. Read you contract before you sign, and make sure you understand it. If you don’t, there’s the possibility of hidden fees and a host of other gotchas, so buyer beware.

5. Take it for a test-drive.

You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it, right? Test the provider’s services. It is particularly important that use the interface associated with your 0845 numbers. It should be feature-rich but relatively simple to use. Mobile access is a great benefit.
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Used with purpose, 0845 numbers and other NGNs are a powerful business tool that can make a company far more accessible to clients, vendors and associates. They’re also extremely cost-effective, and they become even better values the longer a company owns the number and the more it invests in it. But not all providers of 0845 numbers are equal, so when you set out to buy yours, here are some tried and true strategies:

1. Shop Online

The competition between providers of 0845 numbers is fierce, and nowhere is this more obvious that the online arena. This is why the prices are at their lowest here. If you buy locally instead, you’ll pay more, and you’ll be paying for things that have nothing to do with you, such as the provider’s overhead.

2. Target waived set-up fees.

At the very least, set-up fees should be no more than £10, and most of the top providers online simply waive these fees in order to distinguish themselves from the competition. There is no good reason that your business should settle for anything less.

3. There is a great range in monthly fees.

Understand why monthly fees vary the way they do, and make sure you understand how this applies to the business. If you’re willing to allow callers to shoulder the costs, then you can get 0845 numbers with extremely low monthly rates. However, that doesn’t make much sense if you use the number to provide customer service.

4. Read the fine print.

The top providers of 0845 numbers have relatively simple contracts with easy language. Read you contract before you sign, and make sure you understand it. If you don’t, there’s the possibility of hidden fees and a host of other gotchas, so buyer beware.

5. Take it for a test-drive.

You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it, right? Test the provider’s services. It is particularly important that use the interface associated with your 0845 numbers. It should be feature-rich but relatively simple to use. Mobile access is a great benefit.

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title: Choosing Your 0845 Numbers

article: Used with purpose, 0845 numbers and other NGNs are a powerful business tool that can make a company far more accessible to clients, vendors and associates. They’re also extremely cost-effective, and they become even better values the longer a company owns the number and the more it invests in it. But not all providers of 0845 numbers are equal, so when you set out to buy yours, here are some tried and true strategies:

1. Shop Online

The competition between providers of 0845 numbers is fierce, and nowhere is this more obvious that the online arena. This is why the prices are at their lowest here. If you buy locally instead, you’ll pay more, and you’ll be paying for things that have nothing to do with you, such as the provider’s overhead.

2. Target waived set-up fees.

At the very least, set-up fees should be no more than £10, and most of the top providers online simply waive these fees in order to distinguish themselves from the competition. There is no good reason that your business should settle for anything less.

3. There is a great range in monthly fees.

Understand why monthly fees vary the way they do, and make sure you understand how this applies to the business. If you’re willing to allow callers to shoulder the costs, then you can get 0845 numbers with extremely low monthly rates. However, that doesn’t make much sense if you use the number to provide customer service.

4. Read the fine print.

The top providers of 0845 numbers have relatively simple contracts with easy language. Read you contract before you sign, and make sure you understand it. If you don’t, there’s the possibility of hidden fees and a host of other gotchas, so buyer beware.

5. Take it for a test-drive.

You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it, right? Test the provider’s services. It is particularly important that use the interface associated with your 0845 numbers. It should be feature-rich but relatively simple to use. Mobile access is a great benefit.

Across the board many of our (already competitive!) prices are even cheaper than before. This, coupled with our updated system and NEW access numbers, allows us to offer the best service we have ever had.

Why would you still use BT?

We offer a high quality call service for substantially less money than BT charge, so there’s no logical reason that we can think of, as to why you would carry on using them. You could save over 90% off of your international calls; starting right now!

Just how much cheaper are we?

Here are a few examples:

Argentina: 1p a minute (BT charge 97p)
Australia: 1p a minute (BT charge 28.8p)
Canada: 1p a minute (BT charge 19.4p)
Germany: 1p a minute (BT charge 22p)
India: 1p a minute (BT charge 29.9p)
USA: 1p a minute (BT charge 18.3p)
View the full range of destinations over at our Cheap International Calls Page.

Who can use our service?

Whether you’re using a landline phone or a mobile phone, our cheap international calls service is available to you, as you’re calling from the UK.

No matter how you wish to use our service, there’s plenty of opportunities for you to save; perhaps there are friends and relatives abroad you want to make contact with.

Maybe you’re a business owner with points of contact abroad and you want to reduce your monthly calling costs. Planet Numbers is your gateway into the world of cheaper International calling.

So how does your service work? Where do I sign up?

One of the best things is that you are not required to sign up to use the Planet Numbers International Calling system.

Its very simple, you call the access numbers from your landline and the call costs you accrue are added to your normal monthly bill.

For mobile users you can call internationally using the short code numbers or by using planet numbers’ calling credit top-up system.

For over 10 years, Planet Numbers have been offering low price international calls, but we believe now is a better time than any to start saving money on your next phone bill. Please take a look and see how much money you can save by clicking here.

Planet Numbers, how far will a penny take you?

Those are the obvious benefits of 0845 numbers, and we talk about them time and again. It is the other benefits, however, the ones that don’t receive enough attention, that we’d like to talk about today. For instance, 0845 numbers give a company the ability to market as well as track and analyse those efforts. Most modern 0845 services include an interface that allows a business to collect call data in an organized manner, which they can then analyse.

Most of the time when we talk about 0845 numbers, we discuss how they are excellent long-term investments. They are also quite powerful in short-term scenarios. Consider a business that runs a seasonal promotion. They want to evaluate how successful the marketing is so they can improve on it for the next season. By using a short-term 0845, they can use the monitoring capabilities we mentioned above to achieve the information they need quickly.

Another benefit of 0845 numbers is true flexibility. When you think of an 0845, think of it as a frontend. It is simply an interface to the business, and you can point that interface wherever you like. As a small business, you may point it at the office during business hours and at a mobile during non-business hours. When the business grows, the number can point at the receptionist during the day and then at a voicemail system at night.

Consider a comparison of 0845 numbers and 0800 numbers. In many cases, there is very little difference between the two. If 0845 access is included as part of my home telephone package, then for me, an 0845 call is just the same as Freephone. Nevertheless, UK consumer studies have shown that given the choice, the caller usually opts for the Freephone, because they associate it with the concept of free.

The other great benefit is its flexibility: 0800 numbers can expand with the business. We cannot overstate the value of this. How many business tools work just as well for the corporation as they do for the small business? More importantly, how many business tools actually prove to be more cost-effective the longer you own them without any additional investment?

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t invest in your 0800 numbers. You should, aggressively, in fact. Since you can’t lose the rights to your 0800 numbers ever, you can invest without risk. And since the service can simply expand the network to meet your growing needs, there is never any concern that the business will eventually outgrow that 0800 number in which they’ve invested so much.

As a business graduates from small to medium-sized and then perhaps even goes public, they begin to have very substantial phone needs. These needs can be costly, or the service can handle meeting them at minimal upgrade costs using the very same 0800 numbers you’ve been using all along. And if you do decide to build your own phone network, it’s an easy thing to integrate any current 0800 number.

1. Inbound Call Management

Inbound call management for 0845 numbers is an array of services, including such features as basic routing, call queuing and voicemail services. Advanced inbound call management services includes virtual receptionists and the like.

2. Zone Routing

Zone routing for 0845 numbers is an advanced aspect of inbound call management that becomes very important as companies grow large and begin to handle large call volumes. A UK department store chain, for instance, may use zone routing to distribute calls to the appropriate local store.

3. Call Data Monitoring, Tracking, Logging and Analysis

These features allow a business a sophisticated database that stores all information relevant to all calls in a redundant scenario. This is important so that the business can anticipate its growing needs, and then respond to them in a timely fashion. It is also an important feature because a business can use it to meet the needs of their clients more efficiently and productively.

4. Call Recording

Call recording is a feature that allows a business to preserve copies of all calls, and to store those copies in the database. This is beneficial to assess employees, and it is beneficial in serving clients, vendors and associates because you have a history of all communication between the parties.

5. Fax to Email

Although as a society we’re phasing out the use of fax, businesses have to support it because some people still use it. With a fax-to-email service associated with your 0845 numbers, the 0845 numbers can automatically detect an incoming fax, convert it to email and then email the message to the workstation you’ve designated.

However the average calling cost per minute to Singapore from BT is around 22p. Although this may not sound like a huge amount, considering that from the UK, Singapore is over 6,700 miles away, it does mean that a 30 minute call to either a customer or loved one will end up costing you around £6.60. But what if the same call could cost you only 30p; surely you would be interested in learning more.

How can I save money on international calls?

The answer is simple, choose Planet Numbers’ dial around service via a country dedicated access number. These numbers are 0843/0872/0913 and although in the UK, we associate these prefixes with higher calling costs, in this case the opposite is true. By using an access number to call abroad you will benefit from calling costs from as little as 1p per minute.

Anyone can use the service, which can be accessed via a landline, mobile phone or even from a phone box. The prices stated on the company’s website are fixed, there is no peak and off peak calling times, so the price you see is the price you pay. The call charges are added to your normal service providers’ bill, so there is no need to set up an account and there are absolutely no sign-up fee’s to pay to use this service.

Another benefit of this service is that it allows anyone to make overseas calls, even if international call barring is attached to their phone or landline. Because the access number is based in the UK, you are technically calling the UK and then having your call routed via an internet network to your preferred destination.

How do I get started?

All you need to do is locate the desired country on the Planet Numbers website, for instance Singapore and dial the number provided (0843 715 7777). You then wait to hear another dial tone and then enter the number of the person or company you wish to speak to in that country. Calls to Singapore will cost you 1p per minute from a landline; if you have a mobile on the T Mobile, 3 or Orange network the calls will cost 3p per minute. From all other mobile providers it will cost just 8p per minute, which is a saving of 14p per minute compared to BT.

There is no registration or sign up fee and no need to have a prepayment account set-up either, you simply locate the access number for the country you wish to call and away you go. Because the internet is used to route the calls, the high calling costs that landline providers impose are avoided and in turn, the savings are passed on to you.

For example, it costs around 97p per minute to call Argentina from the UK using a BT landline, which works out at nearly £5 for a five-minute conversation. Although the internet provides alternative ways to communicate there is no substitute for speaking on the phone, but the cost of making these calls could literally finish a new company before it has even established itself. This is where a dial around service comes into its own.

What is a dial around service?

A dial around service uses what is known as an access number, which is based in the UK and instead of using the traditional phone line system it routes its calls via the internet, a system known as voice over IP or VOIP. The access numbers begin with what is generally termed a high calling cost number, such as 0872, 0843 and 0913; however, because the calls are routed via the internet prices start from as little as 1p per minute.

This service allows both corporate and residential users to make cheap international calls to any destination in the world. Also, because the number you call is based in the UK it enables people to call overseas even if international dialling is barred on their mobile phone or landline.

The service is extremely easy to use, all you need to do is check the website for the access number of the country you wish to call and dial it. There will be a short prompt followed by a secondary dial tone and this is when you enter the number you wish to be connected to. What is more, this service can be used via a landline, mobile phone or even a phone box.

What about billing?

There is no separate bill to pay; the cost of the calls is simply added to your current service provider’s monthly bill. Please be aware that your service provider will most likely charge a connection or call set-up fee and this varies from company to copy. It is advisable to check in advance, so you do not receive an unexpected charge on your next bill.

There is no need to register to use the Cheap International Calls service; there is no sign-up fee and the price you pay is what is stated on the website for the country you wish to call. The prices are set, so the time of day does not affect them; if it states 1p per minute, then that is what you will be charged. For example, calling Argentina from a landline will cost you just 1p per minute; simply dial 0843 715 7777 followed by the Argentinian number, starting with 00 first. Calls from a mobile phone on the Orange, 3 or T Mobile networks will cost 3p per minute by prefixing their call with 290377 for calls to landlines and 17p per minute to mobile phones by calling 291777. For all other mobile networks the cost is just 1p per minute.