Dave wrote on Nov 14^th, 2012 at 6:35pm:


What about 03700, which is what the BBC uses?

Dave Rado wrote on Nov 15^th, 2012 at 12:08am:

As catj says, 0370 is the prefix for users of 0870 numbers to migrate to. As Rose Theatre Kingston doesn't use such a number, I didn't mention it.

RoseTheatre wrote on Nov 26^th, 2012 at 11:59am:


Thanks for making the changes and for posting back here, much appreciated.

That's still very misleading, though. You don't mention the call set-up fee of 13.1 pence per call which everyone who rings you has to pay; or the fact that most people ringing you from landlines pay a higher charge than 5.11p per minute because the BT charge is atypical and most people use other landline providers, all of whom charge more than 5.11p per minute; or the fact that for the many people who need to ring you from mobiles, the calls are far more expensive than the amounts you quote (your website just says "mobiles may vary", which is a ridiculous euphemism for "mobiles always cost many times more than the figures we are quoting"). In summary, you are still misleadingly quoting per minute figures that are not applicable to the majority of people who ring you  (and are considerably cheaper than the rates that most have to pay), without making that fact sufficiently clear; and you are still completely ignoring the per call set-up fee that applies to everyone.

Regarding the way you chose to fund your IVR, that's very unfortunate, as it would have been much better for your customers if you'd chosen a different funding model. You could get round that problem, however, by providing a landline alternative, as most companies do.

RoseTheatre wrote on Nov 26^th, 2012 at 11:59am:
I am always amazed that organizations such as yours simply behave like sheep and follow whatever appears to be the current trend with respect to telephone numbering without apparently performing the simplest due diligence that should be almost automatic. Surely someone somewhere within your management group has called, during the last ten or so years, one of these wretched numbers from a cellular phone and examined the resulting bill and observed that the call charge is nothing short of extortion? If that is so, then surely that would translate into your group not promoting such unjust charges on your target group? Just because one theater adopts such numbering does not mean you all have to follow.

As a business, you presumably have many overheads, both fixed and variable costs. Presumably you do not directly charge your customers for your heating costs, your cooling costs, your lighting costs, your laser ink costs or similar costs incurred in running a business. Why then do you now have to charge your customers for the privilege of calling you? As with your heating, cooling, lighting and laser ink costs, telephony costs are aspects of regular business expenditure and should be treated accordingly as part of your overheads.

Have you even considered that those living outside the UK face seriousl difficulties and expense in attempting to connect to these rip-off numbers? Presumably as a theater, it is not inconceivable that you wish to encourage Johnny Foreigner to come along to your performances? If so, then provide a number that they can actually use.

Your chosen numbers show utter contempt for your audience. As catj has also alluded to, your telephone company is laughing all the way to the bank. The public is being ripped off and your organization is being ripped off and given misleading information.

0844 equates to a pathetic organization that has not had the decency to do its homework. It creams off fractions of pennies yet the telephone companies make huge chunks of revenue.

Ditch your 0844 number - it will make a difference.

RoseTheatre wrote on Nov 26^th, 2012 at 11:59am:

Of course Rose Theatre receives financial benefit from use of the number. The "benefit" covers the cost of the IVR which you say is the case!

Perhaps you meant to say was that Rose Theatre Kingston does not receive any direct payments. Such payments come from the higher termination charges (which is the benefit). Thus, the amount that the theatre's provider retains is greater than if it had passed on some revenue, and this is therefore effectively cashback.

BT practically (almost) retails these calls at cost. As Rose Theatre Kingston underestimated that cost, it must have therefore underestimated the level of benefit that it enjoys (which funds the IVR). The only other possibility is if it thought that BT is either forced to retail these calls at a loss or is a registered charity which subsidises the service of 0844 number users.


Where providers of these numbers mislead clients on how much callers pay, one could say that it is in their interest. It is surely foolish for an organisation to take the word of an interested party (the 08 number provider) rather than doing its own research.

In 2007 the 03 range of numbers was introduced. They are non-geographic, just like 0844, and give all the same technical and operational benefits. Calls are charged the same as geographic calls for all landline and mobile users. Inclusive or bundled minutes also apply.