In Australia, a 1300 number is a unique type of phone service that is used by businesses. There are two main distinguishing features of 1300 numbers compared to standard telephone services: the call pricing structure; and the advanced features available.
Pricing Structure
A caller can call a 1300 number from any Australian landline for the cost of a local call. This is why 1300 numbers are sometimes called “local call numbers.” If a caller calls a 1300 number from a mobile phone, they will pay a price nominated by their mobile phone company.
The business that owns the 1300 number also pays for the calls that they receive. The price that is paid varies depending on how the caller is calling the number (locally, from another state or on their mobile phones) and where the 1300 number is being answered (whether on a landline or on a mobile).
Sometimes 1300 plans can include a certain number of minutes for free, after which the business is charged. This can be helpful to make your invoice less expensive or to make sure it is a predictable amount.
Advanced Features
This is where 1300 numbers really stick out compared to standard landline services. There are many advanced features that 1300 numbers can provide that are useful across the board, from small businesses to large companies with multiple locations per state.
Some 1300 providers have ‘call reporting’ features, which allow you to view information about the calls that you receive online. This can give you information such as where you callers are calling from, what times they are calling and comparisons of past and present call volumes. This data can help anywhere from determining staffing requirements to analysing how successful your marketing activities have been.
Another feature is state-based and region-based routing. If you have offices in multiple states, then state-based routing will allow callers calling in certain states to be connected to the office in their state. If you have multiple offices in a single state, region-based routing can go even further by connecting your callers to their nearest stores.
For smaller businesses, you can pair your 1300 number with a Live Answering service. If you miss a call (say, by not answering after 15 seconds), the call can be sent to a call-centre which will answer the call on behalf of your company and take a message which can be delivered to you by SMS or email. Be careful when buying Live Answering and make sure the call-centre is based in Australia and that the staff are professionally trained.
Do I Need A New Phone?
A common point of confusion for many businesses getting their first 1300 number is whether or not they will need to buy a new phone to answer the calls to their 1300 number. The short answer is: no!
A 1300 number works by diverting the calls you receive on your 1300 number to another phone service that you already own.
For example, for a tradesperson who usually advertises his mobile phone number, he could set up his 1300 number to send the calls to his mobile phone. Optionally, in the case he was busy and couldn’t answer his phone, the call could be sent to a call-centre automatically and a message about the call (say a new job) could be delivered to him by SMS.
On the other hand, for a retail store with a single presence in Australia, the 1300 number could simply send the calls to the main landline at the store.
Small Investment For A Big Return
As you’ve learnt, 1300 numbers are charged differently than standard phone numbers and come with a range of useful features. These include call reporting, state-based and region-based routing and Live Answering, to name just a few!
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