Deviations in 0870 by the End of 2007

Like most countries, the UK has had free phone numbers for several decades that use the 0800 prefix. They also had the 0845 which charges the same value as a local call even if your call is actually outside the limits set for local calls.

These numbers enabled communication between what is known as the north-south divide. 08 numbers were used to span this tendency towards insularity.

Then in the mid-nineties British Telecom decided to try out what were represented as national value numbers that, as the name entails, charged callers the same rate as for a national call. The experiment was immediately prosperous with hundreds of thousands of calls being received within the first few weeks of the campaign.

The 0800 numbers became the preferred number to employ for sales and the 0870 for customer service. All went well for numerous years until the big users started to abuse the system by putting callers on hold for long periods. The main complaint was that they were paying just to get placed on hold. What annoyed them further was that calls to 0870 numbers were not included in the calling discount plans of the phone companies and mobile companies made an overcharge. Of course, the corporations using these numbers said it wasn’t calculated; they had just misjudged consumer response. Of course, that’s what they’ll say. The big corporations weren’t the only ones who took advantage of the 0870 numbers. Government departments and charities also became key users of 0870 numbers, attracted by the rebates as well as the number routing facilities.

As time went by, Ofcom, the UK regulatory body, received an ever increasing number of charges from the populace. Radio phone-ins and newspaper columns soon remarked on this dissatisfaction and Ofcom was driven to enforce a research. As expected, the phone companies and promoters protected themselves. The final decision was that the price of calling a 0870 number would be decreased to that of a normal call. There will also be no more discounts.

This incident does not indicate the demise of 0870. It will serve more as a makeover. By the end of 2007, the consumers will be billed with a lease fee although the call routing will still be operational. Since great quantities have already been expended by companies for the 0870 number, they’ll likely think twice before changing it.

Just like most things in life it is the few that mar things for the many. Numerous small businesses in the UK availed of this 0870 numbers because of their call routing feature even if the calls that they receive is small in number. They answer their calls readily and don’t put callers on hold. They are also very meticulous when it comes to designating a replacement in manning the phone if the person normally in-charge is absent. One benefit for small businesses is the ease of reconnecting the 0870 number to a new phone in case they shift their place of business. And 0870 virtual switchboards make it easy for small businesses to enjoy the same facilities as a much larger company.

These small and medium size businesses will go on utilizing 0870 numbers for the foreseeable future and continue to enjoy the number routing facilities. Except from the end of 2007 their clients will be able to call them for the cost of a local call.