Phone number help please!

[AVC]

I'm having a debate with the wife involving 1300 Phone Words, which is relevant to a business venture we are starting.

If you saw a 1300 number on the back of a vehicle, what would be easier to remember:

(a) - A "standard 1300 number such as 1300 04 44 04 or 1300 113 331 (bearing in mind that triples like 11 22 33 or doubles like 332 332 are just not available any more unless they decide to release 1400 or 1500 numbers), or

(b) - A Phone Word such as 1300 HANDYV (which translates to an actual number of 1300 426 398, but may or may not be displayed).

AND, would a matching number plate assist with remembering it.

Mrs VC believes that no one dials number based on words, but unless you write it down, who remembers a number?

The number plate would also match part of the web address (i.e. Website currently down for maintenance)

Thanks

 

[AIRwin]

I would have said (b) as it would have been easy to remember a word and "translate" it to the number keypad on the "old" mobile phone (I don't have a fixed line at home). But with the advent of smart phones, I would say (a).

 

[moa999]

Most smartphones still have the ABC/ lettering...
But I am a numbers person, so would always be A. anyway

 

[Pollywaffle]

Number before words. In fact I always think word phone numbers are somewhat...err...I'll leave it at undesirable.

In terms of numbers I find it easier to recall xx_ xx_ than xx xx xx.

 

[JohnK]

Numbers would be easier to remember.

Are all phones consistent with the letters used for each number? I seem to recall some of the older retro phones were slightly different.

 

[casanovawa]

Yeah its easier i would think to remember xx_ xx_ than xx xx xx as you fundamentally only have to remember 2 numbers rather than 3... For me personally though i think a word might be better, if it had relevance to the service... But would there be any big issue with having the number in words and then have the number in numbers under it, so people could remember whichever way works for them???

Of all the 13 xx_x numbers out there (I'm assuming its still the number) but the only one i can remember of a company is 13 11 66 because of that silly ditty on that pizza hut add...

 

[Robert K]

i personally dont' bother remembering numbers. I google everything. I'd buy an adword that was related to your business but not often used, and have on the ad GOOGLE 'BLANK'

 

[dodgeyhack]

i personally dont' bother remembering numbers. I google everything. I'd buy an adword that was related to your business but not often used, and have on the ad GOOGLE 'BLANK'

Yep, what he said.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Numbers would be easier to remember.

Are all phones consistent with the letters used for each number? I seem to recall some of the older retro phones were slightly different.

IIRC older phones had Q & Z on the 1
key, whereas now they are on the 7 and 9 keys (respectively).

 

[drewbles]

You'll have some stiff competition if you do start it up:

Australia's Largest Range of Phone Words and 1300 Numbers

Telstra

Not a simple area to start into either if you're not familiar with the telco world. 1300 numbers are a unique beast (up there with 1900 and 13/1800 numbers; all very interesting, i've done too much cough with them in the past!).

The US is big on 1800-xx_-xx_x phonewords. It's what people know.

I see people using it here in ads and the like, and it's typical '1300 company... that's 1300 266...' etc. They still spell it out.

I'm thinking doubles/triples are easier, but they're premium 1300 numbers. There's only a million numbers in the 1300 pool.

 

[medhead]

13 cabs. Anyone

Not hard on this smart phone.

View attachment 15638

 

[NM]

Then there are those, like me, that dislike 1300/13 numbers and try to avoid using them. It costs the same for me to call a real land-line or mobile number from my mobile phone as it does to call a 13/1300 number. But from my home phone, it costs me more to call 13/1300 numbers than to call a mobile or a regular STD land-line. My home phone plan includes unlimited local calls, calls to Australian mobiles and calls to Australian land-lines, but charges me extra for each 13/1300 number I call (about 45c per call I think).

So if I have a choice, I always call the "02 xx_x xx_x" or "03 xx_x xx_x" type number. I look for things like "if calling from overseas call 02 xx_x xx_x" and use that number.

But back to the real topic, I think it all depends on what number you can get. If you can't get an easy to remember number, then having a word included is a good option.