David Behan's Web Design Ireland Blog

David

It’s not our fault that your telephone provider doesn’t included 1850 / 1890 numbers in their “minutes”. You can hardly expect us all to fork out for 1800 calls … It would cost us a fortune!

Michele

Dave

I understand you entirely, but I think the way you worded it was a bit naive. You should have asked business to use their regional STD codes NOT demand an 1800

Michele

We’ve had a 1800 since day-1 and found it an invaluable sales tool as well as a valued support option for our customers. The cost is not insignificant (we received an average now of 250 calls per day) but the customer value is there.

Hi all i agree about the so called lost cost numbers I’m in business and my solution works for companies i provide a click to call solution for business so the customer always gets a free call to the business but need to request the call from the business website.
http://www.buttontel.ie try it out for yourself.

I agree!

Ulster Bank Telephone Banking - 01 8047475….saves me ringing the 1850 number….i’m so cheap……but it’s free on BT so why not!

I have exactly the same rant. It has cost me nearly €13 this month extra on my phone bill for 4 1890 calls to online banking, revenue department etc. Even comreg’s only phone number is an 1890. So i rang o2 to ask why and they said ‘they are premium numbers’. Oh and ‘we are always working to reduce the prices’. So I have free landline calls but not these ones. And EVERY government department seems to have a 1850/1890 and no normal landline number.

I know from working in a business which has a 1850 number, that these numbers usually redirect to a proper landline number, so it wouldn’t cost anything extra for these businesses to give out both numbers and it would make it cheaper for people on mobiles. I am so sick of paying over the top for silly things in this country.

Originally these numbers were based on cost but now they are created as a tool to judge who is ringing and from where. The providers can offer reports on who is ringing you and from where therefore giving very good information about your customer.

Hi John,

Do you pay the providers for this information

I don’t think so. I believe you can request it as you’re paying for the rental of the line.

My system can do away with lo call freephone toll free and even ivr’s that the dial one for sales 2 for service and so on, take up for buttontel.ie has started to oick up speed with some big companies in ireland testing it.

Well I love them…. saved me 1000’s of euro. I’ve family abroad and I call telesavers that gives international calls at local rates. But of course mobile networks bar this number so it doesn’t eat their profits… wonder if that’s anti competitive??

Great rant David, I hope you feel better.

Seems like Michelle may be taking the emotional approach instead of quantifying exactly how much an 800 number would cost and then estimating the customer benefit accruing from using one….do the analysis before coming back with emotional generalisations.

For the most part you can get the local STD number from the businesses which is a cost saving if you call repeatedly but I would like to see them display the STD number along with the 1850/1890 numbers.

Good Blog, keep up the good work.

Eamonn

If you’re going to try to belittle my comments at least get my name right

Michele

Hi Dave, long time no see.

It don’t think it’s feasible to ask Businesses to use a Freefone number, as they may be open to abuse from customers ringing in for Support, generally the Sales number should be freefone, while support calls (depending on SLA) may be lo-call.

David
Great, point! Have had quite a few 1890/1850 calls recently. In England, for equivalent numbers, such as 0870/0808, there is a site called saynoto0870.com. It,presumably where it can, gives you the STD number of the 0870. Could this be done here?
Martin

The 18/00/50/90 series was good for what it intended to do. People were not financially penalised for using these prefixes…but along comes Mr. Cellphone. “Mr.C.” will take a slice of whatever is ‘available’. The beef is with mobile operators who charge extra, because they can. For instance, US mobile customers pay for all incoming calls whether roaming or not, and call charges are upped to the nearest minute. Wrong incoming number? Sorry, it’s still going to cost you even for 1 second..for a full minute. Why can a consumer savvy public accept this? Don’t know the answer. But I do know BUYER BEWARE, use your skill albeit at some inconvenience. If the mobile operators notice a drop in “premium” routings they will price accordingly. These numbers are cheap when used as designed..but bad value compliments of “Mr. C”.

Does anyone know if those new VOIP 076 XXX XXXX numbers are the same as the 18XX ones, meaning not included in the ‘Minutes’ packages?

Dear All;

Almost every department and company having an additional normal landline number for customers calling from outside Ireland apart from theire 1850/1890 number, just need to check their contact option for customers calling from ourside the coutry, and make calls to that number(00353…), both your 1850/1890 and international numbers are directed to same department

Regards
Biju

Hi DAve good point. I rang Dell Tech serice today. It took me 41 minutes on their 1850 number , speaking to someone in India or similar. I’m just wondering how much this will cost me, I’m with Eircom. What’s worse the problem wasn’t solved.