How do 1800 numbers work?
1800 numbers are used by Australian businesses to raise their profile to a national level and attract customers not necessarily in their local area. So, how do they work?
In this article we'll discuss...
How 1800 numbers work
Advantages of using a 1800 phone number for your business
Buying a 1800 number
1800 number costs
Types of 1800 numbers
Differences between 1800 and 1300 numbers
What is a 1800 number?
A 1800 number is a 10 digit inbound Australian business phone numbers that are free to call nation-wide. And for this very reason they are usually used by charities, not-for-profits and information-providing businesses. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. In fact, any business can use a 1800 number.
It’s important to note that 1800 numbers can only receive incoming calls. They cannot be used to dial out.
How do 1800 numbers work?
Sometimes called ‘virtual phone numbers’, 1800 numbers do not rely on a physical telephone line having to be connected. You set a 1800 number up to be answered by an existing phone service, such as a landline, mobile number or VoIP. This means that a 1800 number can be routed in a multitude of ways that a local area number can’t.
1800 numbers also give you control over such things as time-of-day settings (business hours vs after-hours) as well as Interactive Voice Response menus.
After purchasing a 1800 number, you need to nominate a destination phone number (or multiple numbers) to which calls will be routed. When a customer calls your 1800 number the nominated phones will ring. The good news is that you can route 1800 calls to multiple destination phone numbers, and choose between different call routing options that best suit your business needs.
However, rather than routing 1800 calls to a destination phone number, you can also send incoming calls directly to a voicemail or even to an IP address (such as with a PBX phone system).
Benefits of an Australian business 1800 number
There are three main reasons why Australian businesses use 1800 numbers...
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A 1800 number will make your business appear larger and therefore more professional and trustworthy than your competitors
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1800 numbers offer a single, freecall point of contact to customers nationwide
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Ability to manage call flows efficiently
Here are some typical uses a 1800 number can be put to. We’ve also explained how their call forwarding options can really benefit your business.
Solopreneur or micro businesses
The majority of Australian businesses fit into the small businesses category. Small business might choose to use a 1800 phone number to raise their profile to a national level. Using a 1800 number helps make your company appear larger and more professional than competitors.
Most small businesses will direct incoming calls to a mobile phone service. And using the Call Whisper function will identify whether the incoming call is a business or personal one.
1800 number with Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
IVR is also known as a Voice Prompt Menu system. IVR plays an audio to prompt callers to press a number on their keypad to navigate to the best option to help solve their query. Most small businesses will use an IVR similar to, “Thanks for calling My Business. Please choose from the following options. Press 1 to speak to our sales department. Or press 2 for Accounts.”
Businesses that use a 1800 number with IVR appear larger and more professional than the competition. Larger businesses may choose to use this model to help manage the flow of calls received and to provide a better overall customer experience.
Marketing insights
Call data is important information that helps reveal the efficacy of marketing strategies. Pro tip: advertising a different 1300 number on particular marketing campaigns (i.e. social media, print, TV, etc.) will let you analyse the efficacy of your marketing plans.
Take a look at the numbers of received calls for each 1300 number per marketing platform. This will then allow you to identify ROI of a particular marketing strategy thereby maximising your marketing budget.
Reviewing the call reports of your 1800 business number with an IVR helps to better understand caller behaviour. This is important information which can be used to guide your teams on the best phone answering method.
Options for business hours vs after-hours
In order to maximise the efficiency of your 1800 number, you can route incoming calls to different answerpoints (established phone services) based on whether it’s within or outside of normal business hours.
Businesses usually use this option to route incoming calls directly to an answering service outside of business hours. However, businesses which maintain longer hours than the average business day may use this feature to divert calls to different work teams, depending on when teams are on the clock.
Sales team empowerment
Route your incoming 1800 business number so as to ensure an even distribution of calls between members of your sales team. This will help ensure your salespeople are empowered to do their job by fielding calls from customers.
Franchises
The good news is that 1300 numbers can be set up to reveal a caller’s geographic locality. This is great for businesses that operate within different cities, and especially for franchises. Business owners can then route customers’ phone calls to the right local office.
Buying a 1800 number made easy
Buying a 1800 number is a great option if you want to attract customers nation-wide whilst simultaneously presenting a more professional image.
Let’s show you how simple it is to buy a 1800 number online so that your business can start taking calls immediately.
1800 costs to consider
Four simple steps to buy a 1800 number for your business...
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Research the best 1800 number provider
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Using the advertised rates of your 1800 number provider of choice, calculate what your monthly spend will be and then choose your pricing plan accordingly
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Select the features you wish to activate
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Set up your new 1800 number so incoming calls are forwarded to your existing landline, VoIP or mobile phones
Choosing the right provider is the hard bit. And we’d like to think that we have lightened the workload for you by providing our FAQs. Once you are happy with your service provider, it should only take a few minutes to purchase and set up your new 1800 number and get it working for your business.
Read more about our services
1800 number costs
Different service providers use different pricing structures when it comes to selling you a 1800 number. Many service providers use outdated, and frankly unfair, price points. However, typically all 1800 number plans have four main elements...
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A monthly hosting fee
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Call rates (you can either pay per incoming call received or opt for an unlimited call plan)
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Fees to use optional features (again, you can either pay per feature or choose to have bundles of features included in the cost of your monthly 1800 number hosting fee)
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An initial set up fee (of usually $20)
Some 1800 number providers charge minimum monthly fees, plus call rates, fees for optional features as well as support fees if you need to change your number’s routing or cancel your number. That’s why it is essential that you carefully read you 1800 number provider’s Critical Information Summary which outlines all their costs for hosting your 1800 number.
On the other hand, at Telephonic, we sell 1800 numbers very differently. Yes, our monthly fees might appear to be higher than the competition, but all calls are included FREE of charge to our customers! We think this is a fairer way of delivering not only value but also peace of mind and great customer satisfaction to our clients.
Find the best plan for your business
The variety of 1800 number providers on the market
Weighing up the pros and cons of 1800 numbers for your business needs can be quite tricky due to the variety of service providers on the market. And to make matters worse, each provider seems to use slightly different terminology!
You may have come across the following...
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ACMA 1800 number
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1800 Flashnumbers
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Vanity 1800 numbers
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Gold and Platinum 1800 numbers
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Telstra 1800 numbers
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Free 1800 numbers
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1800 fax numbers
All these 1800 numbers function exactly the same way. The different terminology is simply for branding and advertising purposes. In other words, they're just using different marketing terms.
Free 1800 numbers
Usually 1800 number providers have a range of 1800 numbers in stock and ready to sell to a business with sans the usual purchase price. The good news is that some of these stock 1800 numbers feature ‘memorable, repeating digits. So, rather than having to pay for one, it’s worth trying to find a great free 1800 number from a service provider.
ACMA 1800 Smartnumbers
A Smartnumber is a 1800 number that spells out a word when typed into a phone keypad, such as 1800 PIZZAS (1800 749 927). All 1800 numbers are actually overseen by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The ACMA distributes 1800 Phonewords directly to 1800 service providers or they are sold to the public using The Numbering System.
The ACMA sets the cost for one-off purchases of a 1800 Smartnumber. If you do go down this route, you will still need to contact a 1800 number service provider like Telephonic. Reason being, you need to activate your new 1800 Phoneword on a network in order to start receiving calls. Activation usually only takes 1 business day.
Flash numbers and Vanity 1800 numbers
You might see the terms ‘1800 Flash numbers’ and ‘Vanity 1800 numbers’ being advertised. These are really just re-branded 1800 Phonewords.
The businesses selling these branded 1800 numbers usually only offer to lease the 1300 number to you (instead of you owning it). The downside of this is that your 1800 number is not portable. You can’t transfer your 1800 number to another provider if you don’t like the service you’re currently receiving or the price you’re paying.
Obviously, this can wreak havoc on your business not only in terms of your telecommunications, but also your marketing. That’s why reading the Critical Information Summary is important. You need to know exactly what you’re getting before signing up to any 1800 service provider.
Gold and Platinum 1800 numbers
Gold and Platinum 1800 numbers are sold by some service providers for an increased fee. This is because the provider has decided to increase the cost of a 1800 number due to the fact that it is deemed more memorable. However, this is somewhat misleading as the 1800 number you are paying extra for is probably just a number that was just sitting on the telco’s books anyway. The reality of the situation is that you can find your own memorable 1800 number without the ‘gold’ or ‘platinum’ price tag!
Telstra 1800 numbers
You might remember the huge marketing campaign Telstra ran a while ago. This was because Telstra became a 1300 number service provider. Some people still think that Telstra 1300 numbers are somehow different to, or better than, 'regular' 1300 numbers.
Pro tip: they're not! This kind of old-fashioned thinking can end up costing you more as Telstra is the most expensive provider, and their support when you need help is ...well, we all know about Tesltra's customer service.
Free and available 1800 numbers
1800 fax numbers
1800 numbers can also be used to receive faxes. The way this works is that when someone sends a fax to your 1800 number, it’s converted in the cloud to an email attachment which is then sent to you.
Sounds fantastic, right? However, some 1800 providers actually charge you for this service. If you’re not on an unlimited 1800 fax number plan then you will pay to receive faxes. Think about this: a one page fax page takes on average 1 minute to transfer. Say you receive a 10 page fax, then you will be charged as if you had received a 10 minute phone call. This can really add up!
1800 number auction
When first introduced to Australia, 1800 numbers could only be purchased at auction. And the competition was so fierce some numbers even fetched $1,000,000! Thankfully, this is no longer the case.
You can buy direct from the ACMA or you can buy your 1800 business number from a service provider who may offer you a $0 upfront purchase price when you choose one of their 1800 number plans.
Selling 1800 numbers
It is possible to sell your 1800 number. What this entails is selling the Enhanced Rights of Use (EROU) to your 1800 number to another business. Alternatively, you can also lease your 1800 number to another business whilst still retaining ownership. However, the ACMA has strict rules about trading 1800 numbers.
Essential information you need to know about buying and selling 1800 numbers.
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When leasing your 1800 number to another business, 100% of the rights must be traded as partial trading is not allowed.
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There are activation time limits in place. When buying a 1800 Smartnumber, it’s important to be aware of much of the three-year activation period remains. This is easily done by checking the original purchase date of the 1800 number. Unfortunately, number activation periods do not re-set when ownership of 1800 numbers change.
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When it comes to trading 1800 numbers, this can only be carried out on the ACMA’s The Numbering System platform where both the buyer and seller have a registered account (an account registration fee may also apply).
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Please also note that the ACMA may charge a facilitation fee for the transfer of the 1800 number.
1800 vs 1300 numbers
In terms of their functionality, 1300 and 1800 numbers operate in very much the same way. However, there are a few minor differences worth noting.
Let's explore more...
1300 vs 1800 numbers: which is right for your business?
Usually, charities and other not-for-profit businesses use 1800 numbers. The main reason being a 1800 number is a freecall phone number, whereas calls placed to a 1300 number from a landline incur the cost of a local call.
If you want to bee 100% certain that your customers don’t have to pay a fee to call you, then you should choose a 1800 number instead of a 1300 number.
Calling a 1300 number vs calling a 1800 number
Some callers may pay a small fee when dialling a 1300 number from a landline. However, most phone calls are placed from mobile phone these days and almost all mobile plans include unlimited calls to 1300 numbers. So the difference between a 1300 number and a 1800 number is negligible.
Different plan fees
Another difference between 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers is that 1800 phone number plans are usually slightly more expensive than 1300 number plans.