Why your business needs a 1300 or 1800 number

1300 and 1800 numbers are special phone numbers that offer the flexibility, consistency, and reach that modern, agile organisations need to thrive in the current business landscape.

What are 1300 & 1800 numbers?

Normal landline phone numbers have their own physical phone line. But 1300 and 1800 numbers are different. When a customer dials one of these “virtual numbers”, the call is automatically and instantly routed to a any phone number of your choice such as a mobile, landline or international number and includes:

But what if a call is routed to a phone line that doesn’t get answered? Well, it’s possible to program multiple answer points. For instance, if the first number is busy or unavailable, the call can be automatically rerouted to a mobile phone, or a different landline, or your home phone. 

It’s even possible to configure different routing parameters, so that calls made from a certain location, or at a certain time of day, will automatically be routed to a specific number.

Because these virtual numbers are exclusively for inbound calls, it’s not possible to dial out from a 1300 or 1800 number. Instead, when you make an outbound call, you’ll continue to use your regular phone line (and pay your standard call charges).

What are the features of 1300/1800 numbers?

1300 and 1800 numbers have numerous features that make them attractive to businesses:

Divert calls to multiple mobiles or landlines: Incoming calls can be routed to as many mobile or landline numbers as you want.
Consecutive or simultaneous ring: Choose to divert incoming calls to multiple phones consecutively, which means the first number in your chain will ring, and after a set period of time — typically 10 seconds — it will automatically transfer to the second number, and so on. Alternatively, choose multiple phones to ring simultaneously, in which case the first person to answer will be connected and all other phones will stop ringing.
Built-in voicemail: 1300 and 1800 numbers have their own voicemail service, with the ability to send email notifications including the call details and an audio recording of the message.
Interactive Voice Response: 1300 and 1800 numbers can be paired with an Interactive Voice Response system, allowing the caller to choose where their call is directed to (e.g. “Press #1 for Accounts, #2 for Customer Service”).
Missed call alerts: Once activated, this feature will automatically email you with a caller’s detailers whenever a call is missed. If “consecutive ring” has been switched on, the notification will only be sent when the final number in the sequence fails to pick up.
Routing by location or time: Want calls originating in a certain state or postcode area, or on a certain day of the week or time of day, to be routed to a specific number? That’s easily done with 1300 or 1800 numbers.
Routing by location or time: Want calls originating in a certain state or postcode area, or on a certain day of the week or time of day, to be routed to a specific number? That’s easily done with 1300 or 1800 numbers.
Spam caller blocking: Cut down on the volume of unwanted calls you receive by barring specific IP addresses or phone numbers, or a general range of numbers, such as those from overseas.
Whisper announcements: This useful feature gives the recipient a brief audio message to identify that this is a business call, such as: “This is a 1300 call.” Particularly helpful when calls are being routed to mobile phones.
Update routing configurations in real time: Want to change your current routing setup? Do it quickly and easily via an online portal — ideal for when you’re heading to an important meeting and don’t want to be disturbed, or when someone is off sick or on annual leave.

What are the business benefits of 1300/1800 numbers?

With such a wide-ranging feature set, 1300 and 1800 numbers offer a host of benefits to businesses. Some of the biggest include:

Want to learn about all the ways a 1300 or 1800 can help your business? Explore our Business Voice Solutions offering, or contact our team to find out more.

Frequently Asked Questions