DBS offer 30 day free trial on call whisper service

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Leading telecoms company DBS offer a range of optional features to enhance their 0800, 0845, 0844 and virtual local numbers. One of these is a call whisper service, for which they have launched a free 30 day trial period offer.

                                                    

“We have a wide range of optional features to accompany our 0800, 0845, 0844 and virtual local numbers, which many people don’t really appreciate the benefits of until they’ve actually tried them” says David Clarke, Director of DBS Telecoms in Lincolnshire. “That is why we’ve launched an offer of a free 30 day trial on our call whisper service. People can cancel the service at the end of it if they choose to, but we’ve found that most of our customers find it to be an incredibly useful service and don’t want to cancel it”. So, what is it and how does it work?

It is mainly of benefit if:

• you have more than one company but have all of the telephone numbers for that company pointed at one phone.

• you have a number for your business pointed at a phone that you also use for personal calls.

• you have one company but different numbers depending on location which all point to the same phone.

If you have more than one company and therefore a variety of different 0800, 0844 or 0845 numbers, but they are all routed to the same landline or mobile, then you won’t actually know when the phone rings who the person calling wants to speak to, and therefore you won’t know how to answer the phone. If you had three different companies for example and didn’t have the call whisper, then your options would be either to answer the phone without saying a company name, and hope that the caller made it clear very early in the conversation which company they were calling, or to have three phones, one for each different company, which is hardly an ideal solution!

Likewise, if you use an 0800, 0845 or 0844 number for your business but have it pointed to your normal landline or mobile then you won’t know if the phone call you are receiving is business or personal. If personal you are most likely to just say “hello”, but that is far from ideal if the person on the end of the phone is your most important client.

Finally, if you are a company that operates in more than one area but doesn’t have premises in all of those areas, then you may have a series of virtual local numbers or “ghost numbers”, to give the impression of being a local business. These might all be pointed at the same landline or mobile. If someone was to call you, you wouldn’t know which location the caller was phoning from, and if they started to ask you something specifically location based, such as “where are you in location to us”, or “how long would it take for you to get to us”, then it could be incredibly awkward.

The DBS call whisper is an effective solution to all of these problems. The call whisper works so that every number that you have with DBS that is pointed to your phone can have a short recorded message (or “call whisper”) attached to it if you so wish. So, if you have a business called ABC Dog Grooming, and the 0800, 0845 or 0844 number for it points to your personal mobile phone, then you can have a recording attached to the number for ABC Dog Grooming so that when you get a call on your 0800, 0845 or 0844 number, as opposed to the actual mobile number, then you will hear “Call for ABC Dog Grooming” whispered in your ear, thus alerting you as to how to answer the call. If you don’t hear a whisper, then the caller is phoning your original number.

Only the recipient of the call hears the call whisper – the person dialling the number just carries on hearing the ring tone. The call whisper can be recorded to say whatever you want it to say, for example, your business name, or simply “0800 number”.

The trial is being offered to new clients as they purchase 0800, 0845, 0844 and virtual local numbers from DBS, but is also available to existing clients, who are welcome to contact DBS and request the free 30 day trial. After the free trial the service costs £5 rental + VAT per month.

Leading 0845 number provides answers to FAQs

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DBS in Lincolnshire is a leading provider of non-geographic numbers, and its Director is David Clarke, who has drawn up answers to some frequently asked questions.

“We understand that people may have a lot of questions about 0845 numbers” says DBS Director David Clarke, “so we have compiled a list of some of the questions that we are most commonly asked, but if you still have unanswered questions then don’t be afraid to give us a call”. 

What is an 0845 number?

An 0845 number is a non-geographic number (NGN) which can be pointed to any existing landline or mobile phone number.  People pay a low call rate to call an 0845 number from a landline. Costs range from between 3-5p per minute depending on the service provider. Charges vary by carrier when calls to an 0845 number are made from a mobile phone. With an 0845 number that is pointed to a landline it is free for the owner of the number to receive calls, but it costs them 8p per minute to receive the call on a mobile phone. This increases to 27p per minute if you use the 3 Mobile Network. 

What are the charges?

With an 0845 number that is pointed to a landline you pay a one off set up fee of £5 + VAT if it is pointed at a landline, and £9.99 + VAT if it is pointed to a mobile. Thereafter, you pay a monthly rental fee of £5 + VAT regardless of whether it is pointed to a landline or mobile.   

Is there any sort of long term contract?

No, there is no long term contract, all we require is 30 days written notice that you wish to cancel your number. 

Can I change the number that my 0845 number is pointed to?

Yes you can, and we don’t charge for carrying out this service.

Can the number be pointed to Skype or VOIP?

Yes, this will work the same as if you were routing it to a landline. 

If I request a number now, how soon will you be able to connect it?

If you call between 9am and 5pm between Monday and Friday then we should normally be able to connect your number within one working hour. 

Do you offer memorable 0845 numbers?

Yes. Please see our website for our current range. 

What about billing?

We provide fully itemised billing, and use per second billing so that you only pay for exactly what you use. 

Do you offer any discounts on multiple number purchases?

Yes we do – call us on 0800 046 1688 to find out more.

Do you offer the fax-to-email service?

Yes, we offer 0845 fax-to-email numbers. You have to order a separate number from your 0845 phone number. This converts faxes to PDFs and sends them directly to your email inbox, thus saving on paper, ink, toner, electricity and time. This costs £5 + VAT set up and £5 + VAT per month rental. You don’t pay anything to receive the faxes. 

Do you sell any extra features for the numbers?

Yes, we have 11 different extra features, including Call Whisper, IVR (Press 1 for sales etc), Voicemail, Online Call Statistics and inbound and outbound call recording. A full list with details and prices is available on our website. 

Can you tell us a bit about your company?

Yes, we are based in Lincolnshire and have been established since 1986. We are an “Investors in People” company, and are members of the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce.

0844 – FAQs

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David Clarke, Director of DBS, answers some frequently asked questions about the 0844 number.

Lincolnshire, UK: “0844 numbers are just one of the non-geographic numbers that we offer here at DBS” says its Director, David Clarke, “but it isn’t as well known as the freephone 0800 number. We’ve therefore compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions and attempted to answer them!”

Who pays for the call to an 0844 number?

With an 0844 number, the person ringing the number pays a flat rate of 5p + VAT per minute for the call, regardless of whether the number is routed to a mobile or to a landline. If the 0844 number is routed to a landline then the recipient doesn’t pay anything to receive the call, and instead receives a rebate of 1p per minute on all calls to a landline. However, this is not the case if the 0844 number is routed to a mobile, as recipients pay 8p + VAT per minute to receive the call, which increases to 27p + VAT if you are on the 3 Mobile Network.

Are there any other charges?

For an 0844 number that is pointed to a landline or a mobile, there is a one off payment of £5 + VAT to set up the number, followed by £5 + VAT monthly rental.

If we sign up with you, are we tied into any sort of long term contract?

No, you only need to give 30 days written notice to cancel your contract with us, and there are no cancellation charges.

Are you a reputable company?

Yes! DBS has been established for 25 years and are an “Investors in People” company. We are also members of the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce. 

How do 0844 numbers work? Do we have to have lots of new equipment installed?

An 0844 number is “pointed” at your landline

Can I change the phone number that the 0844 number is pointed to?

Yes, and DBS do not charge for this service.

How soon can you connect the number?

Our offices are open between 9am and 5pm Monday – Friday, so as long as you phone before 4pm during the week then we should be able to set your number up for you within an hour.

Do you offer memorable 0844 numbers?

Yes. Please check our website to see our range. These are only really beneficial if you are using TV or radio for your advertising campaigns. If it is for Yellow Pages, newspaper or directories ads then we recommend using an ordinary 0844 number. Our memorable numbers are £75 + VAT set up, and then £5 + VAT per month rental after that.

Can the 0844 number be forwarded to Skype or VOIP?

Yes, this works the same as if the number was routed to a landline.

Do you round up your call charges?

No, we use per second billing so that you only pay for what you use, and provide fully itemised billing.

Do you offer discounts on multiple numbers?

Yes – call us for further details.

Do you offer fax to email?

Yes. Your fax to email number will be a separate number from your 0844 phone number, and allows people to send you a fax which will be converted to a PDF document and sent directly to your email inbox, thus saving you on electricity, paper, toner and ink. It is an environmentally friendly alternative to having a fax machine.

Get the Best of Both Worlds with an 0845 Number

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When it comes to choosing an 08 non geographic number, David Clarke, Director of DBS Telecoms, argues that an 0845 number is a middle of the road option which keeps both the customers and  businesses happy.

Lincolnshire, UK: When companies are looking for a non-geographic number, the choice often boils down to three different options. 0800 numbers, 0845 numbers and 0844 numbers. Which option a company goes for is going to vary according to individual circumstances, wants and needs.

At one end of the spectrum is the popular 0800 number. It is mainly popular with the customer because if they are calling from a UK landline then they do not have to pay for the call. So it doesn’t matter how long they are waiting in a queue, or on hold, or how long the person on the other end of the phone takes to read out terms and conditions. They still don’t pay anything to receive the call. 

However, it is not so popular with the company because they pay to foot the bill! They pay 4p + VAT per minute to receive the call. To a small company, this might not be a feasible option if they have an incredibly tight budget, as this could push them over the edge. But, they should take into account the fact that having a freephone number is going to encourage customers and potential customers to pick up the phone and give them a call, particularly if their competitors are not using freephone numbers. The cost of receiving the call can be relatively small compared to the amount of business it can generate.

At the other end of the scale is the 0844 number. Unlike the 0800 number, where the business receiving the call pays to receive it, the business actually receives money for every call received! If your 0844 number is pointed to a landline, you receive a rebate of 1p per minute on every call received. This might not sound a lot, but if you receive a large amount of calls, and if they last a decent amount of time, then this can make a big difference to your profits – and it is certainly better than receiving a huge phone bill each month! However, this might not be so popular with the customer as the freephone 0800 number, as they pay 5p + VAT per minute to receive the call. Whilst this is still not a large amount, it is obviously more than what they would pay on an 0800 number.

“An 0845 number is effectively the third way”, says David Clarke, Director of leading telecoms company DBS in Lincolnshire. “Your customers pay low call number costs of between around 3p + VAT per minute when they ring an 0845 number from a landline. The exact charge depends on the service provider. This is a nice middle of the road charge between phoning for free and spending 5p on a call. If the 0845 number is pointed to a landline, then it is free for the owner of the number to receive the call, again a compromise between paying for the call and getting paid for the call. So, if you want a non-geographic number, can’t afford to pay to receive the calls but don’t want your customers to be put off by call charges then an 0845 number is well worth considering.”