Every business looks for ways to distinguish itself from the competition. The simple fact is that hard work and creativity are often not enough. For a company to be successful they must have a competitive advantage. In this article we are going to discuss one of the most reliable ways for a business to gain that edge.

Non-geographic phone numbers (NGNs) have been popular in the UK for a little over a decade now. These private numbers do not include an area code, which makes it impossible for potential customers to pinpoint a company's location.

Why is this important? Studies have consistently shown that customers are far more likely to purchase goods or services from a large company or chain than from a small regional store. And since they do not have area codes, many customers simply assume that businesses with NGNs are much larger than they really are. The result is a more level playing field. What about 0844 numbers?

Due to their increasing popularity, phone service providers offer dozens of different NGNs. All of them differ only in the amount that they charge customers to call the number. Why would a business want to charge its own customers for phone calls? The most obvious answer is that the company receives a cheque for half of all revenues at the end of each month. This money can then be used to improve services and pay bills.

Another reason is that most clients don't mind a nominal fee if the company provides superior customers service. The 0844 number, for instance, only charges about 5 pence per minute, which is fine with most users.