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Telephone Services |
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| 0870 National Rate Numbers |
| Least Cost Routing (LCR) |
| Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS) |
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Persons calling an 0870 number tend to be better quality prospects (since they are paying for the call at standard BT national rates), and although the number of callers will be fewer than those to an 0845 number, the sale / conversion rate will tend to be higher. Current national rate charges are 6.73p peak; 3.3p off-peak and 1.7p weekends (excl VAT). |
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Non-Geographic 0870 numbers are non-geographic. As with 0845, you can target a national audience since the telephone number stands independent of your location, and nobody knows whether you are in London or Land's End, Manchester or Milton Keynes. |
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National and International Coverage An 0870 number gives you both national and international coverage without the need to set up local branches. Today it is possible to access 0870 numbers from most overseas countries by having callers dial their international access code, followed by 44-870 xxx xxxx. |
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Portable 0870 numbers are portable which means the number stays with your business even if it moves from one end of the country to the other. Your underlying base number from BT (or other carrier) will change but as far as your customers are concerned your number remains the same. |
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For Life 0870 numbers are for life. The current geographic numbering system has been changed to meet the demands brought about by the explosive growth in internet and fax usage necessitating more and more dedicated lines. The new dialling codes being introduced across the country allow for a huge increase in capacity, but further growth could bring about more changes. London codes are expected to change again within 3 years. On the other hand non-geographic numbers will not change for many, many years. |
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Replace 0800 numbers Many companies are replacing their 0800 free phone numbers with an 0870 number. Not only are they saving thousands of pounds in telecom/call centre costs but they are also spared from mailing expensive literature to the merely curious. This inevitably means a better quality lead. |
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Gain a National Identity An 0870 number brings your business the same prestige and national identity associated with 0800 and 0845 numbers. |
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A Single Number for Advertising A standard or memorable 0870 number brings you a single number for all advertising and promotional purposes. It allows you to add new branches without having to change advertising. |
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Typical Uses 0870 numbers are very commonly used for both sales and after sales service by a wide variety of companies. Typical uses include brochure lines, claim lines, support lines, information lines, breakdown lines. The travel industry has almost uniformly adopted 0870 for primary sales lines. This gives smaller regional agents a national appearance. NOTE: This service have no set-up fee or monthly charges if ordered through Silicon Bullet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Least Cost Routing (LCR) Businesses in the UK are fortunate enough to be able to make some of the cheapest phone calls from anywhere in Europe. The British have one of the largest selections of Telecoms Companies to choose from in Europe. So now you have decided to use least cost routing, the difficult part is choosing who to use. As independent brokers we simplify this process for you. We spend much of our time vetting the companies we represent, ensuring that they offer a standard of service and a price that we are confident enough to put our name to. How Does it Work? Least Cost Routing, whether through CPS (Carrier Pre Selection) or a programmed access code, allows you to buy your telephone calls from providers other than BT. Put simply, this enables you to make far cheaper phone calls. If you choose Carrier Pre Selection we will notify BT that you wish to pass your calls through an alternative supplier. Within 2 weeks, (BT’s target time delay) your calls will automatically be passed through your chosen call operator. This is a very effective way of changing supplier and works just as well for large corporations as it does for home workers. The other re-routing alternative is to use an access code, either by manually entering a PIN number, using an auto dialler or by pre-programming your switchboard. Whilst this may seem more complicated, in certain circumstances it offers more flexibility allowing the usage of a combination of networks, obtaining the cheapest call rates for any particular type of call. Will it make a Difference? Least Cost Routing will make your phone calls cheaper. The only other difference you will notice is in the way you pay your bill. You will continue to receive a bill from BT for your line rental as before, but it will no longer show any calls. Instead you will receive a monthly invoice for your calls from your new provider. There will be no difference in the way the phones are used nor in the quality of the call. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Carrier Pre-Selection
(CPS) Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS) allows you to chose which telecommunications provider you want to carry your voice calls - Allowing you to shop around for the service that best suits your needs. There is no inconvenience involved with CPS, no auto diallers, manual prefixing or PBX reprogramming; you keep your existing number and continue to make telephone calls as usual. But that's the beauty of CPS. It offers the opportunity for true competition in the voice market, without any disruption to your telephone service. It means you can receive services from different phone companies using your existing BT line. The result? More competition, which should help to cut prices and enhance services, enabling you to pay less for your phone calls. Even if you already use other suppliers telecoms services via your BT line, CPS may provide a more convenient way. Below gives a brief outline of Carrier Pre-Selection - what it is and what it means to you. What is Carrier Pre-Selection?
Currently, organisations that take their telephone line from
incumbents, such as BT, need to dial a three or four-digit
access code in order to route calls to their chosen operator.
This is known as 'indirect access'. How Does it Work?
Carrier Pre-Selection uses network access technology, so traffic
originating from your site will be routed directly to your
chosen network with no need for prefix codes. The "selection" of
the preferred provider is done automatically at point of entry
(the local exchange) to the public voice network. Will it make a Difference?
Carrier Pre-Selection allows you to benefit from voice services
available from alternative carriers without the inconvenience of
dialling extra digits, either manually or by using or adapting
Customer Premises Equipment. Giving you the chance to move
seamlessly to a carrier offering a service that is right for
you. |