The launch of the new 0800 100 100 service signals the end of what many have called the rip-off of the 118 system which replaced the old BT 192 number. It will not charge callers from landlines, mobiles or cable networks, will be answered by real people rather than machines, and its operators will be based in UK call centres. It will be sustained through advertising. Callers will be asked to listen to a 20-second advertising pitch before they receive their number. The majority of the advertising will be relevant to the individual query. It could save callers £300 million a year, the amount currently spent on costly 118 calls. There are more than 378m calls to directory enquiries annually with an average cost of 78p.
Tags: 118 system, directory enquiries, free