1800 Numbers: Frequently Asked Auestions

The following information about Australian 1800 phone numbers (and 1300 phone numbers) is provided to help you to understand the basics, what your options are, and how to make the best choices for your business.

Getting a dream phone word number that you've always wanted may be more expensive than you think! However, getting a good numeric 1800 number (or 1300 number) can be very quick, easy and inexpensive.

Either way, we can help you

We specialise in providing cheap 1800 numbers (and cheap 1300 numbers) together with a full range of telecommunications services to businesses around Australia. It doesn't matter whether you're a small home based business or a corporate giant, we can provide you with friendly help, great advice and impressive savings.

If you can't find the answers your looking for on our website, please call us on 1800 1300 13. We'll be pleased to help.

What's the difference between 1300 Numbers and 1800 Numbers?

The only difference is in the way the calls are paid for.

1300 Numbers (also known as local call numbers): Callers dialling from any Australian fixed landline pay the cost of a local call. The business shares the cost of the call (althouth with many plans, businesses receive some minutes for free for local landline-to-landline calls).

1800 Numbers (also known as free call or toll free): Callers can dial from any Australian fixed landline for free. The business pays the entire cost of the call.

With both types of numbers, if they are dialled using a mobile phone, the rate of the call is determined by the mobile phone carrier.

If we carry your 1300 number, when you answer calls to your 1300 number on your fixed landline and the call is from a local fixed landline, your receive FREE talk time on our most popular plans.After the FREE talk time minutes, our low call rates apply. Free minutes vary depending on plans, with our most popular 1300 number plan providing 30 free minutes.

An 1800 number or 1300 number does not need a separate physical phone line. An 1800 number or 1300 number is a virtual number that is routed (redirected) to a destination number (a fixed landline or mobile) where it can be answered). Callers can still dial your normal number directly. However, when someone dials your 1800 number or 1300 number it will also be received at your normal number as if the caller had dialled the normal number directly. An 1800 number or 1300 number is only for inbound calls. Your normal phone number (and account) is used for outbound calls (dialling out).

All of your normal number features: caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail or any answering equipment all function the same as if the caller had dialled your normal number directly.

 

Do all 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers have the same functionality?

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is an Australian Government department that controls all Australian 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers. The ACMA makes these numbers available via a national pool (database). Our 1800 numbers function exactly the same way as all of the major carriers. Our customers tell us that in addition to being inexpensive, we're more helpful and provide faster connections and better customer service than other carriers they've dealth with.

Can I choose my own 1800 number?

Yes. We have plenty of free or cheap 1800 numbers to choose from. There are approximately four thousand 1800 numbers in the ACMA pool at the beginning of each month. This includes 1800 numbers that are no longer used (re-release numbers) and new-release numbers.

Each month, we hand-pick the best 1800 numbers from the ACMA lists and make them available on our website/s.

Will It be MY 1800 number?

Yes! Some carriers are phone word companies who keep the rights to the 1800 number and lease/sublease it to you. If you obtain your 1800 number (or 1300 number) from us, it's your number (providing you maintain your account in good order and keep your it attached to a destination number). If you want, you can even transfer your 1800 number to another carrier.

Under what conditions is my 1800 number or 1300 number NOT MINE?

1. When it is owned by an 1800 number provider and they lease/sublease it to you.

   Be aware that if you call some 1800 number or 1300 number providers (or use their web sites) to see whether a particular phone word is available, they record/log your request. The company then quickly purchases the number if it is available and attempts to lease it back to you at extremely high fees.

   Unfortunately, this practice is all too common. Your business phone number is the lifeline of your business. If you do business with an unethical provider, your business will then be at their mercy. For example, if you have a disagreement with that provider or fail to pay their demands, you could have your 1800 phone number withdrawn and leased to one of your competitors!

   We guarantee that we will help you to get the 1800 number you want if it is available, and that it will be your 1800 number. What do we make out of it? A happy customer, who we hope will then choose us to act as the carrier for your new 1800 number!

2. When it is a shared 1800 number

   Sharing is a common practice, particularly with 1800 phone word providers. 1800 numbers (and 1300 numbers) can be routed to multiple destination numbers (e.g. callers from NSW can be redirected to the destination number in Sydney, while callers from Victoria can be redirected to the destination number of the Melbourne office). This means the 1800 phone word provider can lease the SAME 1800 NUMBER to different businesses state by state or in other smaller, regional areas.

   Another shared number variation is the 1300/1800 number extension. For this model, the provider sells extensions to the same 1800 number or 1300 number. e.g. 1800 987 789 Ext 321 or Ext 654. This product may be okay for the kids to call home reverse charges, but it is definitely NOT an appropriate format for a business phone number.

   When you obtain a 1800 number (or 1300 number) from us, you can be assured that it is YOUR number. We put our customers first and we believe this is the best way to build our business.

Is it difficult to get cheap 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers?

NO. It's actually VERY easy. All you need to do is print out and fill in our application form, choose an appropriate plan and 1800 number from the list on our website, fax the application through to us, and you'll usually have your number within 1 working day.

What charges can be applied by telecommunications companies?

Telecommunications company fees and charges can be very complicated and confusing to the average consumer. The telecommunications sector is very competitive and companies have become more and more creative and intentionally confusing when it comes to their fee structures (CAPS, Bundled/Combined packages, etc).

The following charges may be applied to virtually ANY telecommunications service (including normal outbound calls that you make, inbound 1300 or 1800 numbers, and mobiles):

• Setup Fee
• Monthly Account Fee
• Flagfall
• Minimum Call Fee
• GST (are fees GST inclusive?)
• Time-block charging methods (eg. 30 sec or per second)
• Rates for calls from Local Numbers
• Rates for calls from Regional/National Numbers
• Rates for calls from Mobile Numbers
• Rates for Calls routed to a Mobile Destination Number
• Contract Exit Fees
• Amount of Free time on 1300 numbers
• Call Charge Caps (usually have much higher rates)

A telecommunications company can structure these fees, rates and charges in any complex combination that they desire.

The rates, plans, bundles, and product packages that telecommunications companies advertise can be made to appear extremely attractive. However, they usually give in one hand and take from the other, and when everything is considered, you're not usually getting the best deal. At the end of the day (sorry: month) all that really counts is "how much is your bill?"

Other Terms & Conditions may include:

• Fixed Contract Period/s
• Exit fees if you cancel before a specified period
• Exit fees if you cancel at ANY TIME.
• The telecommunications company's ability to change their Terms & Conditions and Fees without notice to the customer.

It is important that you always read the provider's Terms and Conditions.

Most people don't have time to check their account each month. It's often too complicated to analyse your monthly call costs unless you have specialised software or have the time to create complex spreadsheets. Unless you have the time, the software, the inclination to analyse every call charge on your account, you won't know precisely what you're being charged and if that matches what was advertised or promised to you.

All businesses need to be profitable to stay in business and provide good customer service. Customer-Business relationships should be a win-win for both parties. We believe it is essential that businesses behave and compete in a professional, ethical and honest way.

Will you send me frightening bills?

No frightening 1800 bills here! Some business owners who previously had their 1800 numbers or 1300 numbers with competitor carriers have said they weren't using them because of the fear of receiving large bills. You shouldn't have one of these numbers and be afraid to use it.

We believe your 1800 number or 1300 number is a valuable marketing tool to help your business to grow. Your success means you'll stay in business and hopefully continue as our long-term customer and we'll have an ongoing win-win business relationship.

We want you to be enthusiastic about advertising and using your 1800 number or 1300 number. It should provide you with a valuable return on investment. We provide our business services to you at no fear prices. Anything else would not be in your interest (or ours).

Naturally, the amount of your 1800 bill depends on a number of factors:

• The number of calls you receive. Obviously, the more you receive, the more business you should be doing.
• Where your incoming calls originate from: local, regional/national or from mobile callers.
• The average length of incoming calls. Remember: 1300 numbers receive free talk time if it's from a local landline caller. However, if you redirect your 1800 number or 1300 number to your mobile phone (as your destination number) and talk for half an hour, then naturally you can expect that call cost to be higher.

With our cheap 1800 number charges, we're confident you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how inexpensive it is to have your own 1800 number or 1300 number.

Do you have a range of CHEAP 1800 number monthly plans to suit my needs?

We understand that every business is different and has different needs. We purposely designed a range of low-cost 1800 plans to suit every business from small to large. Many people ask us how we're able to provide such a wide range of plans with such low rates. There are several reasons:

1. Our focus is to provide customers with what they want. Our business is structured to allow us to be flexible and respond quickly to market requirements and industry changes.
2. The major carriers have higher overheads and advertising costs than we do.
3. Our telecommunications business runs on a highly sophisticated computer program which automates our administration, call logging and customer accounts.
4. Our customers are happy, which means they don't keep calling us with problems and we don't get complaints. This means we can provide excellent customer service with lower staff levels and lower costs.
5. Our system is paperless. Your monthly account is sent to you by email, saving printing and postage costs.
6. Your account is paid by direct debit, reducing our account administration costs.
7. We buy in bulk at wholesale rates from large behind-the-scenes carriers.
8. Our highly efficient business system enables us to pass on the savings to our customers and provide exceptionally low rates.

How can I avoid bad customer service?

Dealing with telecommunications companies can often be frustrating. They tell you they care, but to their low-paid call-centre staff (who are often not even based in Australia), you're just another number. If you have a problem, it doesn't usually get resolved: it just gets put off. You get tired of waiting in a queue or being put on-hold and so you eventually give up. That's what they want.

Because we own the business, we have a vested interest in looking after you and keeping you as a customer. That's why we focus is on giving you the best service. When you call us, you'll often get to talk directly with one of the business owners. We believe that your loyalty is directly proportional to our customer service.

What are the main benefits of 1800 numbers or 1300 numbers for my business?

The first and most obvious benefit is that 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers increase both the response rate to your advertising and your effective geographical market area. Business-wise, Australian consumers are more likely to dial local call 1300 numbers and free call 1800 numbers. Potential customers are more likely to respond to your advertising and will call from a larger geographical area if you advertise an 1800 number or 1300 number rather than a number that they can't identify as local. Potential customers also resent having to phone your mobile number or a long distance number and are more likely to call a competitor who makes it easy and inexpensive for them to call. 1300 numbers, 1800 numbers and 13 numbers are recognised and accepted everywhere throughout Australia.

Other benefits of 1800 number and 1300 numbers include the following:

Portability: Most growing businesses need to relocate at some stage. One of the most important benefits for the future growth of your business is the ability to retain your advertised phone number and web address. You can retain your advertised 1800 numbers or 1300 numbers and simply change the destination number when required. No need to reprint your marketing material or change your advertising. When you relocate your business or your needs change, it's easy to change the destination number: simply send us an email.

Professional, large company image: 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers increase your businesses public perception and create a larger more significant corporate image, even for a small home-based business. In addition, our inexpensive Virtual Office Services make it very easy to create an extremely professional large company image.

Wider market reach: If you're only a local business, a normal number will do. However if you want to market your products and services in a wider area area, an 1800 number or 1300 number is essential for your business.

Scalability: We have a range of cheap 1800 number plans to suit any level of business and call volume. This means that a new or small business with little call volume will pay very little for their service. When your business grows and your call volumes and usage increase, you can switch (for FREE) at any time to a more appropriate 1800 number plan that will continue to keep your costs low.

Ease of use: While 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers are extremely simple to use, they are also highly configurable to suit various business requirements. .

Account analysis: Our online system provides the account holder with additional caller information including the callers number (providing the callers ID information is not blocked) as well as additional tracking and measurement capabilities.

Why are 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers popular?

Businesses are using them more and more because

1. customers are more likely to call
2. these numbers are portable
3. they increase public perception and project a professional image
4. they create a more of a national presence
5. they have reporting and routing capabilities that normal numbers don't have
6. they have dropped dramatically in price and are now quite inexpensive (in fact, our 1800 numbers are so inexpensive and simple to set up that even the smallest home based business can't afford not to have one)

Consumers are using them because they're inexpensive to call.

Can I keep my 1800 number if I relocate?

YES. 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers are portable. If you relocate, you can change your destination number at no charge just by calling our customer service number or by emailing us. You won't need to reprint your stationery or notify customers as your business 1800 numbers or 1300 numbers remain unchanged.

Can I access my call records and account details online?

YES. Our sophisticated online reporting and call analysis allows you to check your account at any time and to analyse your callers: date, time, origin (local, national or mobile), partial number of caller (limited to partial number because of Privacy Laws), missed calls, busy, and the call duration of every call.

What are my payment options?

To keep your costs low and to simplify your accounting (and ours), we ask you to pay your account by Direct Debit. Early each month (on or around the 5th of the month), we send you your previous month's account by email. Then, on or around the 12th of the month, your direct debit is used to pay your account.

What are the quality differences between telecommunications companies?

Since the Australian telecommunications industry was deregulated, phone services have become just another a commodity. A few major Australian carriers have their own partial networks, but ALL telecommunications companies still use parts of the same fiber optic and cable network backbone to transport their calls and data. Some telecommunications companies claim that their service provides higher call quality, but there is actually very little difference between the carriers.

The main difference between telecos is the customer service levels that they provide. Many of the large telcos focus their customer service on large corporate customers that spend the most.

At Alltel, we treat all customers equally and provide the same high level of customer service and care across the board.

What are the different types of 1800 number and 1300 number suppliers?

There are basically two types of companies in the 1800 number and 1300 number business:

1. Phone word companies who lease smart numbers and phone words to you
2. Telco carriers who host the 1800 numbers or 1300 numbers that YOU own

Phone word companies typically have a selection of smart numbers and phone words that they have purchased at auction from ACMA smartnumber auctions. Some will offer to sell these to you at ridiculously high prices. Most of them lease/sublease the numbers or provide them to you under a shared use agreement where they lease/sublease by area or region (e.g. a State). This arrangement can provide you with access to better phone word numbers, but you'll usually pay significantly more for both the monthly fee and the call rates. It can also limit your future growth outside that area. The phone word company also retains the ultimate ownership rights and control, which can ultimately leave you at their mercy, particularly the more you advertise and become dependent on your number.

We are a full service telecommunications company. We provide telecommunications services such as landlines, business VoIP and hosted PBX. We also offer services such as Live Answering, voice (voicemail) to email (voice2email), fax to email (fax2email), and recorded announcements. When combined, these additional services become known as Virtual Office Services.

Why does my business need a 1800 number or 1300 number?

• Most Australians accept and regularly use 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers.
• There is increasing demand for new 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers for business use.
• Experts say that 84% of current Internet users rely on electronic media to search for product or service information in order to make a purchase. The ability to find the 1800 number or 1300 number of a business on an internet advertisement or web site greatly improves its success and response rate.
• Good advertisements featuring a 1800 number or 1300 number can generate up to 30% more enquiries.
• A study by Bellcore (USA) looked at newspaper advertisements that were almost identical, where one group used a toll-free number and the others didn't. The ads that included a toll-free number received six times more calls than the regular number.
• You can increase your advertising response by as much as 50% by using a 1800 number or 1300 number on product literature.
• Fund-raising organisations have increased their overall advertising response rate approximately 25% by adding a 1800 number or 1300 number in commercials, print ads and direct mail that previously used only addresses.

What are phone word numbers (or smartnumbers)?

These are numbers that partially spell a word (e.g. 1800 PIZZAS).

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is an Australian Government department that controls all phone numbers in Australia. Virtually every 1300 number, 1800 number and 13 number that spells a word has been earmarked by ACMA. The licensing right to use these numbers is made available through an auction process at the ACMA website smartnumbers.com.au. The minimum bid required by a business is $250.

You may be lucky to get the perfect smart number that relates to your business. However, most of the generic and good phone words/smart numbers have already been purchased by phone word companies. If you want one of these numbers, the appropriate phone word company will charge you fees for the rights to use it. The number usually remains under the control of the phone word company. You only pay for the licence to use it.

Are there benefits to having a phone word number?

A good memorable phone word 1800 number or 1300 number may increase the response rate to your advertising. The main purpose of advertising is to create something that consumers remember (branding).

The most important call to action (e.g. call this number, visit this website) part of your advertising is usually your phone number or web address. Ideally, you also want the potential customer to remember who you are, what you do and how to reach you on the phone or the internet. If you can do this by having a 1300 or 1800 phone word number and domain that describes who you are and what you do, you've got it made. For TV, Radio or outdoor advertising this is probably more important.

Does my business need a phone word smartnumber?

That depends on a number of factors:

• the size of your business
• your future business plans (e.g. expansion)
• the importance of branding your business
• how much you need to pay to get the number you want
• how much difference you think it will make compared to a good numeric 1800 number or 1300 number
• the potential return on investment (ROI)

If you can go to the ACMA Smart Numbers website and get a suitable number yourself for minimal cost, go for it! That way you'll have full control over it and your ongoing costs should be about the same as a normal 1300 or 1800 number.

However, if a phone word company has the phone word that you want, then make sure consider it VERY CAREFULLY!

Can you help me get a phone word number?

YES, and we GUARANTEE that we won't steal your phone number idea in an attempt to sell or lease it back to you.

You'll likely discover that the best generic names have all been taken. However, you can usually create a variation for almost any type of business if you're creative and spend some time at it.

Call us on 1800 1300 13 and we'll help you brainstorm some ideas to get you started.

If I buy a SmartNumber, can you act as my carrier?

YES. Once you've acquired your number at auction, you'll receive the documents from ACMA. You then need to generate a ROUPIN via the smartnumbers.com.au site.

Once you've done this, you simply open an account with us, provide us with the ROUPIN and you'll have your new Smart Number operating (usually) within 7 working days.

Are there any good non-smartnumber 1800 numbers available?

YES. We hand-pick them from the ACMA number pool, so they're better than you can get directly from the pool. They can be ordered online and can usually be activated within 1 business day.

Even the smallest business should have a good 1800 number or 1300 number. They're inexpensive and it doesn't take many new customers or referrals to be a great investment!

We'll help you to get a great and cheap 1800 number!

Simply call 1800 1300 13.

Which telecommunications company should I trust with my business?

We offer very inexpensive, competitive prices and rates: but we're not cheap.

Our customers are professional business people. After shopping around and considering the so-called cheap options, they obviously prefer our inexpensive prices and to partner with a professional company that compliments their own business and professional attitude: a reliable company that doesn't let them down.

The number of costly complaints against telecommunications companies is staggering. Don't be misled into making a poor choice of telecommunications provider: the future of your business could depend on it.

What are the routing options for 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers?

Calls can be routed in a various ways depending on factors including the phone number being called, the location of the caller, and the time of day. Calls can be further re-directed if the first destination number is busy or not answering.

1800 number and 1300 number routing can be based on the following options:

• Origin Dependent Routing
  • Australia Wide Routing (1 area)
  • State Based Routing (8 areas)
  • Region Based Routing (208 areas)
  • Area Based Routing (2045 areas)
  • Exchange Based Routing (5283 areas)
• Time Based Routing
• Postcode Prompting
• Call Splaying
• Call Forwarding on Busy/No Answer/Congestion
• Emergency Routing Procedure

Australia-wide Routing - Standard configuration

Routes all fixed wire (landline) and mobile calls to one answering point. Note that this feature allows mobile calls (prefix 04) to be treated differently to calls from landlines in Australia (eg. barred)

State-based Routing - usually for companies with multiple State offices

Routes fixed wire (landline) calls to one of up to 8 answering points based on the state of origin of the caller and all calls from mobiles to a single answering point. States are NSW, ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory.

Region-based Routing - usually for companies with regional offices (additional setup fee applies)

Routes fixed wire (landline) calls to one of up to 208 answering points based on the region of origin of the caller and all calls from mobiles to a single answering point. Examples of regions include Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Gosford.

Area-based Routing - usually for companies with multiple regional offices (additional setup fee applies)

Routes fixed wire (landline) calls to one of up to 2045 answering points based on the area of origin of the caller and all calls from mobiles to a single answering point. Provides greater granularity than region-based routing making it ideal for businesses like franchises with multiple regional offices.

Exchange-based Routing (additional setup fee applies)

This feature provides customers with a much greater level of detail when selecting their call collection areas. It allows the customer to define call collection areas based on Telstra's Exchange boundaries where calls are routed to one answering point for each group of one or more Telstra exchange areas as designated by the Customer. With this feature customers have the ability to route calls from approximately 5300 call collection areas up to a maximum of 1000 answering points. Note that mobile originating calls can only be routed to a single answering point.

Time-based Routing

This feature allows calls to be redirected depending on the time of day and the day of week. It can be further combined with the origin dependent routing services to allow calls from different areas to be redirected across the country. *Currently we are not allowing this feature to be combined with exchange based routing. Each customer can have up to 11 time lists for their office. A time list covers a single set of 24 hours which is applied to selected days of the week and holidays of the year (both public and business-based). Each time list can provide time-based diversions for up to seven C-numbers. A common scenario would have a customer having one set of numbers for weekdays, and another set for weekends and public holidays.

Postcode Prompting

Calls are answered with a recorded message that thanks customers for calling and asks them to enter their 4-digit postcode. This provides your callers with total flexib

Call Splaying

Calls are routed to different answering points based on a pre-set ratio. Up to 20 numbers can be used. Percentages must equal 100%. Call splaying can only be combined with Call Forward. *It cannot be combined with Timed Based or Area Based routing.

Call Forward on Busy, No Answer or Congestion

With this feature if there is a failure to connect to a specified C-number it is possible to re-route the call to another phone number. This can be done using a timer. If the call is not answered within a specified number of seconds the call is re-routed to an alternative C-number. A customer may request up to three consecutive forwards for each answering point.

Emergency Routing Plan (ERP) (additional setup fee applies)

Allows a customer to quickly implement an alternative pre-set suite of phone services for their 1300 & 1800 numbers. This feature can include Origin Dependent and Timed Based routing. *It cannot include call screening. A customer may specify up to two ERPs for each 1300 or 1800 number they hold.

* All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.