At 8020 we analyse telecoms usage and expenditure on a daily
basis and it always amazes me how much money businesses spend on Directory
Enquiry Services.
Costs have continued
to creep up and up, and as all the TV show disclaimers say “calls from a mobile
may be considerably higher”.
The Directory market is very confusing with offers and
charges varying across the board. Callers
can choose a service which charges by the minute, by the second, for one number
or several, and which offer everything from cinema listings to street
directions in addition to telephone numbers.
It’s often however, the operators with the biggest or
quirkiest TV advertising that win the day, I’m sure you can recall two or three
118 numbers off the top of your head, and they’ve probably got 90% of the
market between them, but are they the best value for your business?
We have three key tips for business mobile users:
- If you have a smartphone forget phoning any 118 numbers, simply hop on the internet at www.192.com and search for the number for free (assuming you have a data bundle of course).
- Never get put through when they politely ask you if you’d like them to connect you to your requested number. This can cost a staggering amount per minute for the entire duration of the call. They text you the number at no extra cost, simply redial using your call plan minutes.
- Get to know your own networks preferred number. This is the cheapest to use whilst on your mobile. O2 – 118402, Vodafone – 118881, Orange 118000.
The spiralling costs of directory enquiries began
in 2003 when the government opened up the market, ironically to increase
competition and reduce costs to businesses and consumers.
For more information and advice on how to reduce your
business telecom costs, contact 8020 Ltd on 01387 250008.
Andrew Edgar
Managing Director
8020 Ltd
01387 250008
