If you own a customer facing business, you need to make sure that your customers can get in touch with you quickly and cheaply. By offering multiple modes of communication between you and your customers, you reduce any friction that gets in between you and your customers.  This means offering phone, email and online chat support. Depending on the type of business you have, this might also mean in-person and by mail.

One of the best ways to make sure that customers can get in touch with you is by setting up a 0800 number. Getting an 0800 number means that your customers can call you during business hours without having to worry about the cost of a phone call. Believe it or not, the vast majority of phone calls are still made over land-lines despite the growing trend of cell phone usage. Your potential customers should not have to write a check to get in touch with you and offering to pay for the call via an 0800 number is the best way to make that happen.

Even if you’re not concerned about customers paying for the cost of the phone call, offering an 0800 number can speak to the professionalism of your business. Offering an 0800 number for customers to call demonstrates that you aren’t just one guy in a hole-in-the-wall office somewhere. Finally, 0800 numbers are much easier to remember than normal 10 digit phone numbers. Your customers only have to remember 7 digits when your phone number starts with 1800, making it much easier for customers to call you.

Of course, having 0800 number or 0845 numbers is just one of many ways to make it easier for your customers to contact you with. You should have a direct-to-you email address that your customers can access and offer a live-chat option if you do anything online. You should consider what other ways customers might want to communicate you as well, whether that be on a social network or in person as well.