13 Numbers
Easy to remember Premium marketing tool.
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A customised 13 number is a great way to impress your customers, because it lifts your company profile.
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With just six digits – 13 followed by four digits – these numbers are easy to remember.
What are 13 Numbers?
A guide to 13 numbers in Australia
Introduction
YOU run a small or medium business and want that professional look. A customised 13 number is a great way to impress your customers, because it lifts your company profile.
With just six digits – 13 followed by four digits – these numbers are easy to remember. Six-digit numbers are short, punchy and customers can recall them in a snap. They can be matched with numerical sequences or phone words. Even large enterprises use 13 numbers to stand out from the crowd.
If you have a 13 number, a customer can get in touch with you from any fixed line in Australia and pay only the cost of a local call. However, fees apply when the customer calls from a mobile.
A 13 toll number allows your business to take control of incoming calls and direct them where you want almost in real time. With features such as call overflow, you will not miss out on calls – they will be diverted from a busy line to your selected number.
Your business gets a very professional image as callers to your 13 number are greeted with a tailored message. Your call is then routed to your mobile, your voicemail, or any designated line. Customer messages can be converted into audio files and sent to your email as attachments.
This Q & A provides a simple explanation of how 13 numbers work in Australia, what is the cost involved in establishing the service, what are the advantages to your business, and how you can go about obtaining your very own 13 number.
What are 13 numbers?
A 13 number is a four-digit number prefixed by 13. These numbers carry calls from the point they originate (the caller) to the answer point, where they terminate. These numbers are also referred to as inbound or virtual numbers or toll-free numbers.
Setting these numbers up is simple because they require no cabling system or costly infrastructure but use existing landlines and mobile networks throughout Australia. 13 numbers are said to “piggy-back” on the existing landline and mobile networks across Australia.
Customers can call your business from any Australian landline or mobile. Leading 13 provider Zintel Australia offers you flexible options like call overflow, voice to email, call announce to enable you to be in touch with your client enquiries around the clock.
We’ll find the perfect number for your business
How do 13 Numbers work in Australia?
Toll-free numbers are numbers that can be used anywhere, regardless of geography (unlike a fixed phone line). Inbound calls to these numbers are then directed to a landline or mobile service number. When a call is placed to a 13 number, the call enters the network and a search is conducted to find the relevant routing strategy that applies to the toll-free number. The routing strategy can consist of a number of options, which will determine where the call goes to. Once the routing strategy is established, the call proceeds to its destination. This all happens instantaneously, so the caller doesn’t experience any delay.
Can my 13 number be dialled from outside Australia?
You will need to research which countries can dial a 13 number in Australia. It may work for some countries, while it may not work for some others. If a caller can make contact with an Australian 13 number from overseas, they will be charged based on their home network’s rates. They will have to dial the overseas code of their country, followed by the Australian code (61), and then your 13 number.
You can approach a company such as Zintel that provides these 13 numbers. Zintel will give you access to the list of available inbound numbers, from which you can choose the combination of digits that appeals to you. You have the option of also choosing a 13 phone word which could spell out your business name or a related term. Zintel will then activate the number quickly. With Zintel, it is a simple, three-step sign-up process via their website: https://shop.zintel.com.au/
Can I port my existing 13 number to a different service?
If you already have a 13 number with one telco, you can port it across to another company offering you a deal more tailored to your requirements. Zintel can transfer or port your existing number. Thus your customers need not learn a new number.
Can I pick my own 13 number?
Ask your service for a list of available inbound numbers. You can choose your preferred 13 number from the list – a set of four digits that follow 13 which you think suits your business best and makes it more memorable to clientele. Or, if possible, you can choose a 13 phone word which could spell out your business name or a related term. At Zintel, you can choose a great new number at no additional cost.
Fill in the form on the telco’s website or call a specialist to help you through the process.
Can I get more than one 13 number for my business?
Depending on your needs, or as your business expands, additional inbound numbers can be allocated to you. Call 1800 202 090 and an Zintel specialist will help you through the simple process of setting up a new 13 number that complements your business.
We’ll find the perfect number for your business
COST
What is the cost of securing a 13 number?
There are a whole range of packages from the leading Australian 13 provider Zintel:
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Zintel even has a 30-day money back guarantee for all three packages
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You get flexibility with Zintel, which means you do not have to lock yourself into a contract.
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There are 12 customised features that Zintel provides with your virtual phone number like Call Overflow, Call Forwarding and Call Recording.
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All Zintel 13 toll number packages include these 12 key features at no additional cost and give you the flexibility to cancel at any time with no contracts.
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Zintel also offers free porting if you have an existing toll free number.
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Zintel also offers a bespoke plan to fit your business size. Larger corporate plans are available with significant discounts on call rates. You can switch between plans as your business grows.
BENEFITS
13 Number benefits that will change your business.
A 13 number is short and punchy and easy to remember. Having that recall will prove invaluable for your business. The Australian Communications and Media Authority, the government body responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, the internet, radio communications and telecommunications, gives the example of 13 CATS.
A six-digit easy-to-recall number could become a marketing tool for your business if you have it on the side of a van or if a potential customer hears it on TV or the radio or sees it on your website. It gives your enterprise a professional look, branding it with a local and national appeal. Having a 13 number encourages customers all over the country to call at a low, local rate, thus helping give your business more reach.
How you manage your incoming call traffic is important to your operation. A 13 number allows you to redirect your inbound calls to other numbers or areas within your office. It also offers you the facility of diverting calls during times of busy call traffic. You can take your number with you wherever you move in Australia, thus increasing your mobility. You can also have audio voicemails sent to multiple emails of your choosing.
Are 13 numbers free?
13 numbers are not free to call.
Are 13 numbers free to call from a landline?
No. 13 numbers are not free to call.
A call to a 13 number from a landline within Australia will be charged at the local rate. This is often a low, untimed charge.
Can you make a call from a 13 number?
A 13 number is a virtual number. It does not have a physical location. It is not possible to make an outgoing call from a 13 number. A 13 number is a computerised, ‘virtual’ number that can only receive incoming calls and transfer them to any landline, mobile or computer.
Are 13 numbers free to call from mobiles?
Calls made to 13 numbers from mobile phones will be charged to the caller at a rate determined by their mobile phone carrier.
Calling from a mobile involves a higher rate, and this charge varies across different service providers.
If I get a 13 number, do I have to transfer my landlines and mobiles also to the same provider?
13 numbers do not need to be with the same telecom provider as your other phone numbers. You can take advantage of Zintel great rates and products, without having to move your other calling accounts across. Contact Zintel on 1800 202 090 to discuss what ideal package they can offer you.
What is call routing for 13 numbers?
The answers to your problems
An ‘always-on’ 13 number ensures that your business is perennially connected to potential customers. A Call Routing strategy ensures your phone calls are redirected based on your preferences ie percentages, the time or day of the call, or geographic region of the call. If, for instance, your business has staff located overseas, your 13 number can be set up to be answered in several countries across the world.
Zintel’s routing solutions for 13 numbers include:
Call Distribution – splitting calls based on percentages, i.e. 50% to one answer point and 50% to an alternative answer point.
Postcode Prompting – prompting the caller to enter a postcode, to determine where their call is sent.
Regional Routing – routing the call based on the town or city the caller is in.
State Routing – routing the call based on the state the caller is in
Customised Greeting – presenting the caller with a greeting, and then prompting the caller to select a number to determine where their call is sent.
Enjoy all these features with a 13 number from Zintel that makes your business memorable. It is a simple, three-step sign-up process for a new customer and only takes five minutes via their website: shop.zintel.com.au
WHY ZINTEL?
We are your one-stop-shop for managing your calls.
Support
Zintel has a 24/7 Australian-based service desk with an Australian-based customer service team. You can add or remove services and features at any time depending on your scalability.
Reliability
The toll free numbers are on a Tier 1 corporate grade network. You can have 24/7 access to the customer portal for account management and billing. And there are no contracts, and no cancellation, set-up or porting fees with Zintel.
Expertise
We manage over 5 million calls and over 1,500 support enquiries monthly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Simple 13 number connections with calls answered on your landline or mobile can be established within two business days.
You can add call management features like Customised Greeting, Call Distribution, Call Routing, Voice-to-Email to your service later on.
Contact Zintel to discuss what this top Australian 13 number provider can do for your business.
It takes just a few days to finalise Simple Call Routing strategies like Overflow, Time Routing and Call Distribution.
Once connected, you will be provided with login details for the Zintel portal. In the customer portal, you can lodge tickets to set up new features on your account and you can also view how they progress.
If your request is for a very complex routing product, then one of the service team members will contact you and let you know just how long your request will take.
The Call Reporting at Zintel is the best in the business. You can select from a number of different reporting packages, or you can customise a reporting set to suit your business.
These analytics reports can show you the geographic locations that your calls are coming from, the times of day when people are calling, how many calls are being missed, and much more.
Zintel specialises in 13 numbers in Australia and provides personalised service for any business – be it small, medium or large – seeking help and advice to avail of the inbound number facility.
If you can’t find an answer to your specific question above, please call Zintel on 1800 202 090.
All Zintel customers get realtime, 24/7 access to an online portal that provides detailed call and usage data for their 13 number.
You can log into your own account from anywhere and assess all the calls received by your inbound number.
The detailed level of call reporting provides your business with valuable insights about your customer reach and product appeal.
This is easily achieved via Zintel’s reliable Call Management Features. One of their Call Routing or Call Completion products will look after this for you.
If your call isn’t answered because your answer point is busy or goes unanswered for a period of time, Zintel’s Call Overflow feature will ensure the call can then be routed to a second answer point.
If there’s no one to take the call at your second answer point, their Voice-to-Email feature acts as a backup for your service. This feature sends your customer’s voice recording as an email so that all of your messages are waiting for you in your inbox.
Alternatively, Zintel also offers a Live Answering service, where one of their professional, Australia-based representatives takes the call in your business’s name, captures all of the details and then sends them to you via text or email.
1300 reasons to get your number.
We’ll help find the best plan and 1300 Number for your Business.