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Last month the Metropolitan Police Service became the latest police force in the United Kingdom to choose a new 0300 telephone number: 0300 123 1212. The Metropolitan Police Service is having the fresh number as its non-emergency phone number and up to this point, around half of the police forces in the United Kingdom now use non-geographic numbers, similar to 0300, for their non-emergency calls. This is mainly because they are easily remembered and help reduce the quantity of inappropriate 999 calls received; an issue recently brought to the fore by Commander Simon Bray from the Metropolitan Police Service:

“In an average month we get about 200,000 emergency calls and about a quarter of those are calls which do not require an emergency response. It is now easier to contact the Met when it is not an emergency as you only need to know this one memorable (0300) number.”

Ten reasons why the Met has followed in the footsteps of other United Kingdom police forces including - Durham, Essex, Northumbria and Staffordshire by choosing 0300 numbers:

1. They meet the needs of the general public as they charge a similar amount to phone as 01/02 numbers – even from a mobile phone (research by one police force found that 75% of all their incoming calls are from mobiles).

2. There is a wide variety of simple to remember 0300 numbers out there that can benefit the service (e.g. 0300 999 9333).

3. The public trust 0300 numbers as they are exclusively for public sector groups.

4. Groups can deal with callers more effectively, gain valuable data about their individual 03 number (such as the fact in point 1) and make sure all calls are dealt with by the right person, straight away.

5. It’s possible to record calls to 0300 numbers.

6. 0300 numbers can easily move with the organisation if it changes location.

7. Organisations can manage where they receive their calls, by rerouting their 03 number to any United Kingdom landline or even a mobile phone simply via the internet or telephone.

8. It’s possible to look at the geographic location of callers and the active periods of the establishment using online call statistics packages.

9. Callers can be queued, meaning that all important calls will be dealt with.

10. They can often be inexpensive to run if you seek out the supplier with the most competitive offering in the market.

Obviously 0300 numbers are becoming increasingly popular in the public and charity sector and for all other groups wishing to utilise the profits of 03, then there is the 0333 number range and 03 migration ranges which are currently being adopted by many businesses including the BBC and Absolute Radio (formerly Virgin Radio).

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