Perceptions about mobile phones

Peterdalkey

terryhobdell wrote: »

Porsche?

There was a time when my other Porsche was blue!

Red Nissan

It's like this, I have two phones, and 087 and an 083. The 087 gets used first by people trying to contact me, some weeks the 083 number never rings.

My contract is well up and am seriously considering replacing it with another 087.

terryhobdell

Peterdalkey wrote: »

There was a time when my other Porsche was blue!

Ah I remember it well as I use my bus pass

DubTony

Peterdalkey wrote: »

But of course Dear Boy! iPad/iPhone(s) Kindle, Apple TV, , Polo Tommy, Gant , Tag Heuer ... the list goes on and on... it is all about the brand. If you have it flaunt it, time is no longer on our side :-(

:D:D

I own an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, 2 Apple computers (one is a dog), a Kindle (Paperwhite no less), a Breitling Chronomat, a Tag Heuer and an 086 number issued in 2008 but looks like an older one (now on the TescoMobile "network"); I had to let go of the 15 year old 087 number I originally had ...now that was credibility !!!).

Meanwhile I buy clothes in M&S and Penneys , hide the ROKU in the bedroom, don't have cable TV, shop in Aldi and Lidl (in disguise of course), and complain that coconut milk is twice the price in SuperValu.

Oh, and I drive a two and a half litre BMW coupe. OK, so it's 14 years old, but it still goes like the clappers from one discount petrol station to the next.

Life is ... interesting.

jimmii wrote: »

What!! No Barbour jacket?

Barbour? Isn't that Marks & Spencer's brand.
Wait, let me check.

...

Sorry. I was thinking of Blue Harbour.

Reedsie

Thought about this before and I suppose it does ring through to a percentage of the population.


I wonder if the numbers presentation might alter perception? ie:

089 4969298

or

0894 969298

Peterdalkey

Vodafone and O2 must be loving this!!

jimmii

Paddy_R wrote: »

Thought about this before and I suppose it does ring through to a percentage of the population.


I wonder if the numbers presentation might alter perception? ie:

089 4969298

or

0894 969298

Yeh the 0894 place would definitely be a better place to go no question about it.

hfallada

I know some landlord used to never answer 085 numbers as they tended to be students and non-nationals. As most irish people had 086/087 numbers. But its the same in NYC. Manhattan has 212 prefix and brooklyn is a 414 prefix I think. A lot of New Yorkers hated losing their 212 numbers when they moved to Brooklyn.

Reedsie

jimmii wrote: »

Yeh the 0894 place would definitely be a better place to go no question about it.

Would probably be worth putting a little Irish flag next to it to quash any doubts about it being an Irish number (if the surrounding information didn't make it obvious).

It may be perceived as a premium number which people might be reluctant to call from a mobile.







How about this on the business card:


Paddy_R | me@email.com
Phone: 0894 969298
Mobile: 089 4969298




Cheeky?

terryhobdell

DubTony wrote: »

:D:D

I own an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, 2 Apple computers (one is a dog), a Kindle (Paperwhite no less), a Breitling Chronomat, a Tag Heuer and an 086 number issued in 2008 but looks like an older one (now on the TescoMobile "network"); I had to let go of the 15 year old 087 number I originally had ...now that was credibility !!!).

Meanwhile I buy clothes in M&S and Penneys , hide the ROKU in the bedroom, don't have cable TV, shop in Aldi and Lidl (in disguise of course), and complain that coconut milk is twice the price in SuperValu.

Oh, and I drive a two and a half litre BMW coupe. OK, so it's 14 years old, but it still goes like the clappers from one discount petrol station to the next.

Life is ... interesting.



Barbour? Isn't that Marks & Spencer's brand.
Wait, let me check.

...

Sorry. I was thinking of Blue Harbour.

Yes the good thing is that life is interesting. Does this flippancy break the rules?

EIREHotspur

Need to get in on this tech boasting here.....my last computer cost more than my first two cars....I have spent about 25k on software in 10 years and I do not or ever have I had a mobile phone.

Hate them with a passion.

Gran Hermano

Thread on the Vodafone forum at the moment, looks like Vodafone look for a larger security deposit if you're porting number/moving contract to them from one of the 'less prestigious' competitors. So it is not just the consumers/general public with preconceptions.

DubTony

terryhobdell wrote: »

Yes the good thing is that life is interesting. Does this flippancy break the rules?

It seems not.

terryhobdell

DubTony wrote: »

It seems not.

Thank The Lord for that flippancy is good.

bmwguy

Everytime 089 comes up on my work phone I know its going to be a waste of time answering it, but I still have to. As soon as I quote how much we charge the customer says its too expensive and looks for discounts but we cant really, its tight as it is. Doesnt happen nearly as often with other networks, its no coincidence. I view 089 as cheapskates because of my experience dealing with them, not any other reason really.

seosamh1980

I have an 085 work number, no landline number. Has never caused me any problems. The only ones I'm slow to answer/take seriously are 083, I think they're just in my head as looking so wrong when they ring that I think it's a scam/cold calling service. I'd always answer, but there's a second where I have to think about it! I'm sure as more of them call me I'll get used to it.

Stavros Murphy

I have an 087 mobile. Wouldn't have anything else. 086 is second best. The rest are for kids. That might annoy some, but that's my perception and I'm far from alone. I also have a very old number, issued back in the late '80s when the first 088 eircell bricks came out and never changed bar when the feckers added digits to it on me. I notice peoples number. People notice mine. Judgements are made. That's reality. It'll change as time moves on, but for now.. Continuity is also important - people I dealt with last ten years ago and who kept my number ring it and damn, it answers - that brings in a lot of business. Chopping and changing is not a great thing to be at.

Ctrl Alt Del

Hi,

Just found this topic here...very strange to what happened to me recently !

I guess Vodafone Sales guys are reading it and getting training as well,otherwise i cannot explain why they request up-front payment of €400 to €800 to port my business phones on 086 format from Tesco and Lyca to thier own network ! And that on all the ports ,not my account...

Maybe we can say something that may work for us...they will listen and do it !?

Engine No.9

Ctrl Alt Del wrote: »

Maybe we can say something that may work for us...they will listen and do it !?

Ha!!!

Gloomtastic!

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

I have an 087 mobile. Wouldn't have anything else. 086 is second best. The rest are for kids. That might annoy some, but that's my perception and I'm far from alone. I also have a very old number, issued back in the late '80s when the first 088 eircell bricks came out and never changed bar when the feckers added digits to it on me. I notice peoples number. People notice mine. Judgements are made. That's reality. It'll change as time moves on, but for now.. Continuity is also important - people I dealt with last ten years ago and who kept my number ring it and damn, it answers - that brings in a lot of business. Chopping and changing is not a great thing to be at.

Ever think of changing your name to Stavros 'Troll' Murphy?

I remember being asked to a 'group research' night in 2007. Some research company pumped us full of booze and paid us to talk about our mobiles and phone companies. I was shocked with the size of people's mobile bills, some were spending €200+ every month.

What is it about Irish people and throwing away money?

kippy

What a daft concept.
I wont go into the technical side of it but as a business you have to be open to potential clients. If you are filtering clients by mobile prefix you are screwed..

FourFourRED

pajopearl wrote: »

Some tool over in After Hours decided.that people with 083/085/089 mobile numbers are just messers and come from particular social class/demographics. Most thought like me, tool, but a significant number thought that he had the right idea.

In business, does it affect the choices you make as to whether you decide to do business with someone if they have a particular mobile phone prefix? I mean, Vodafone and O2 are the "respectable" networks and Three, Meteor/emobile and Tesco should send up red flags if you're going to get involved with someone on these networks.

Does it make a difference?

I have an 085 number but I'm with Vodafone with the last number of years.

However, why should what network provider you use define who you are? In fact in relation to business, people who use a network different to Vodafone are most likely getting more bang for their buck (i.e Three all you can eat everything, saving a lot of money over Vodafone) and are people who could be seen to be getting the best from their money so would be better people to be involved with?

In recessionary times, people are looking to save money where they can but still get a great service. Judging someone as being a "messer" just because they don't want to throw money away makes no sense.

Peterdalkey

Aodhagan wrote: »

I have an 085 number but I'm with Vodafone with the last number of years.

However, why should what network provider you use define who you are? In fact in relation to business, people who use a network different to Vodafone are most likely getting more bang for their buck (i.e Three all you can eat everything, saving a lot of money over Vodafone) and are people who could be seen to be getting the best from their money so would be better people to be involved with?

In recessionary times, people are looking to save money where they can but still get a great service. Judging someone as being a "messer" just because they don't want to throw money away makes no sense.

Pretty obvious you have not taken on board the majority of comments on the topic, it is a verty real concern to business and quite clearly recognised as such by many posters. Of course there are people who are not in the slightest infuenced by the first 3 digits, most of the rest of us are just not that pure!!

FourFourRED

Peterdalkey wrote: »

Pretty obvious you have not taken on board the majority of comments on the topic, it is a verty real concern to business and quite clearly recognised as such by many posters. Of course there are people who are not in the slightest infuenced by the first 3 digits, most of the rest of us are just not that pure!!

The fact remains that anyone with an 085/083 number could easily be a Vodafone customer. As well as someone who has an 087 number could have moved to Tesco mobile. Do you think that changes their character in some way?

Engine No.9

I suppose the reason I put the question out there in the first place is that because I'm in startup mode and not actually trading yet, having seen that thread I mentioned, I was worried about how I would be perceived as a new entrant to the market. I'm not in the slightest bit interested about what number calls me, it's all business as far as I'm concerned. But I would be worried that I might be perceived as being ingenuine if I had the "wrong" mobile prefix.

Peterdalkey

Aodhagan wrote: »

The fact remains that anyone with an 085/083 number could easily be a Vodafone customer. As well as someone who has an 087 number could have moved to Tesco mobile. Do you think that changes their character in some way?

Certainly not but reality and most of the responses on here confirm, it has a very distinct effect on the way that they are perceived from a business person's perspective.

Just because some youth has a lot of tattoos and facial ironmongery does not mean he is anything other than a smashing young man, but if he arrives home with one’s darling 15year old daughter, most Dad’s perception or initial judgement is unlikely to be positive!

The OP essentially asked did it matter, he got a loud and clear answer, yes it does!

Bandara

I'm don't notice if a number is 087 or 086 but if it's a 085 etc I automatically have a concern

Probably completely wrong etc but for me all established companies that I deal with have prefixes from either 087 or 086.

It would affect my opinion of the company prior to dealing with them

FourFourRED

Peterdalkey wrote: »

Certainly not but reality and most of the responses on here confirm, it has a very distinct effect on the way that they are perceived from a business person's perspective.

Just because some youth has a lot of tattoos and facial ironmongery does not mean he is anything other than a smashing young man, but if he arrives home with one’s darling 15year old daughter, most Dad’s perception or initial judgement is unlikely to be positive!

The OP essentially asked did it matter, he got a loud and clear answer, yes it does!

Would you recommend someone about to become a business graduate in June to change his number to an 087 one, or should it even matter?

Gran Hermano

Aodhagan wrote: »

Would you recommend someone about to become a business graduate in June to change his number to an 087 one, or should it even matter?

Yes. In the early days the likes of 3 and Meteor actively targeted PAYG customers, people who oftentimes would not have passed the security checks/deposit requirements for bill phones. I'm not saying this is still the case but the perception is there.085, 083 and the likes were much more popular with students and immigrants than corporate users. I've never worked with an MNC over the last two decades that didn't use 086 or 087. 085/083 were also seen as disposable numbers for a while. Yes they have matured but I'd still go with an 087/6 and if needed port over to the others (but expect them to look for a larger deposit).

You wouldn't use a gmail/hotmail address for a corporate email account.

Peterdalkey

Aodhagan wrote: »

Would you recommend someone about to become a business graduate in June to change his number to an 087 one, or should it even matter?

I would certainly recommend using the lowest cost service but using an 087 or 086 number even if you have to buy a PAYG disposable SIM to get the number to port over.

Why risk being prejudiced against when you can sort it for a few quid, no brainer in my view!