Four Top Tips For Saving Money When Calling Tech Support

As computers and technology become more important in every aspect of our lives, as does the need for help when they go wrong. Many businesses have great on-line help portals and FAQ sections but sometimes there is no substitute for picking up the phone and speaking to someone. For most people, calling a tech support number is not a pleasent experiecne. They are often expensive, with long waiting times and a phone tree that takes several minutes to navigate before you get to department you actually need. As such it can end up being quite a costly call. Depending on the phone number being used by the technical support team, you can be paying up to 50ppm for the call from a landline and even more from mobiles.

Each of these tips will help you save money on your calls to tech support teams and reduce the amount of time you will need to spend on the call. These tips also apply when calling other premium rate phone numbers like booking lines, complaints lines etc.


1. Avoid calling at peak times
Like most telephone based service, technical support numbers have busy periods and quieter times. By calling during quieter times, you are less likely to get stuck in a long que listening to annoying hold music. This will significantly reduce the total call duration and therefore the cost as well as meaning you are generally less frustrated. The off peak (quieter) times for each support number will be different, however in general the quietest times and therefore the best times to call are weekdays between 10am - 11.30am or 2pm - 4.30pm.


2. Skip through the menu system
Most larger companies have a phone system with various menu options. You can often sit there for minutes (which feel like hours) pressing number buttons to get through to the right department. The most fruistrating situation is when you spend several minutes navigating the phone system menu to have a automated voice tell you that the department is currently closed. Most people are aware that if you know the various menu options in advance, you can quickly Press Ahead without haveing to wait to be told all the menu options. By pressing ahead, you can sometimes save at least a minute or two on each call. When calling premium rate tech support lines this can quickly add up in terms of both time and money.

Before calling the technical support number its worth checking http://www.pleasepress1.com to see if they can provide the various menu options for you call so you can press ahead and skip through the phone menu system.

3. Call cheaper alternative phone numbers
Many technical support departments use 0844, 0845, 0870 or 0871 non-geographic numbers (NGNs). As well as providing a 'national service' they are often used as they generate revenue for the company. Most people are hesitant to call these numbers as the costs are often not well advertised and generally cost a lot more to call than a standard 01, 02 or 03 number. However sometimes it is possible to slash the cost of calling these NGN's to zero.

For a lot of companies there is either a freephone number or a standrad geographic number (01, 02 or 03) that can be called to reach exactly the same destination. Companies don't like to advertise these as they want you to call the revenue generating NGNs but they do exist. Using websites like SayNoTo0870.com and http://smartcaller.org/ you can search their database to find the cheaper, or free to call version of the phone number.

Since 1st July 2015 calls to 0800 and 0808 "freephone" numbers are now free from mobiles as well as landlines. So if you find a freephone number do not worry about calling them from your mobile, you will not be charged. There is a lot of confusion about the 03 number prefix. There is lots of information available about the various 03 prefixes (e.g. 0345 numbers) however if you have "free minutes" as part of your phone package, then calls to all 03 numbers must (by law) be included within these and you wont pay a penny for the call (unless you run out of inclusive minutes). This applies to both landlines and mobiles.

4. Make sure you have all the information ready
Everyone has been in the situation where you spend ages in a que, only to be asked "do you have the serial number handy" and you then have to go scrabbling around to find it. Before you make the call, ensure that you have all the details and information you might need in front of you. This includes serial numbers, product make & model, software version number, warranty number etc.
Having this information to hand will prevent you either leaving the support assistant waiting on the phone or even having to call back once you have the details which will not only cost you time but also money.

By following these four simple steps and using a little common sense, you will be amazed at how much money you can save. You also wouldn't believe how less stressful the call will be when you know your not paying up to 50p per minute for the privilege of speaking to a support assistant.