Small businesses and tradespeople can give customers the option of lower-cost calls to a landline, but still have the flexibility to pick up calls on their mobiles, thanks to a new service.
The service - Virtual Number, from vendor Cloud Net can divert all calls from a UK-based geographic number to another number. This can be either a mobile phone or another landline set up by the user.
The service is aimed at individuals or small businesses on the go, such as plumbers, electricians and engineers, who rely on phone communications but are not always in the office to pick up calls.
Rather than put a mobile phone number on their adverts, the Virtual Number Service allows tradespeople to promote a standard landline number, saving customers money. But they can still take the call when on the move.
Cloud Net allows multiple numbers to be forwarded to a single destination, so if a tradesperson offers services in two cities, he or she can rent a local number in each.
The Virtual Number Service costs 10 to set up initially, with no fixed-term contract, and 2 per number that is redirected. The numbers themselves can be chosen online, and kept for life.
Cloud Net managing director Charles Chance believes the main value the service offers to small businesses is being able to target specific areas by advertising using a local number.
"Research shows that consumers opt for services that are local to them in the first instance," Chance said. "For companies based in one area targeting another, the Virtual Number Service is ideal.
"You can also change your number whenever you like and set up different locations for call diverting at different time intervals. For instance, within office hours calls can be routed to a mobile and after hours to a landline."
All redirected calls are charged at Cloud Net's standard rates, which for under four numbers is 1.2 pence per minute for landlines and 9.5 pence for mobiles.
