Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

The Corporate Telephone Preference Service Two Years' On – Has The World Gone Mad?

Since the Privacy and Electronic Communications regulations were extended in June 2004 to cover all UK businesses, the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) has proven to be a disorganised ‘free-for-all’ when it comes to telephone number registration. Version One’s telemarketing team, which has access to a database of over 200,000 contacts, has found that telephone numbers for entire companies (including switchboard numbers) have been registered with the CTPS, often without appropriate consent.

The current regulations (25 June 2004), which make it illegal to cold call businesses that have registered their telephone number/s with the CTPS, are responsible for 850,000 blocked numbers in the UK. “In theory, the regulations are a great way for businesses to protect themselves from unwanted cold calls”, says Catherine Murphy, Marketing Manager at document management and imaging company, Version One.

“The big problem is that of the 200,000 telephone numbers on our database, there’s a quantity which have been registered with the preference service without the necessary internal consent. For instance, some hospitals have registered all their telephone numbers with the CTPS, including the main switchboard number, preventing telemarketing calls to all staff at the hospital. Are we to believe that every member of staff at every one of these hospitals has agreed to having their number blocked? Experience has proven that this just isn’t the case!”

Murphy continues, “Currently there's a telephone number ‘free-for-all’ in which any person can register any number. Although the CTPS states that people who register a number need to have the authority to do so, who is policing this? We have proof that some business people are missing-out on opportunities, which they are genuinely interested in, because their numbers have been blocked without their prior consent. Similarly, some people are agreeing to register their number with the CTPS without being informed of the real implications of doing so!”

“If the situation continues as it is, before too long all UK corporate telephone numbers could be unwittingly signed-up to the preference service, and then where will this leave companies who rely on telemarketing to generate business? And how will businesses ever find out what’s new in the marketplace? It may sound extreme but it’s the way things are going!”

-Ends-

Notes to Editor

About Version One www.versionone.co.uk

Version One Ltd is the author of electronic document management and imaging software. These solutions enable the automated electronic storage, retrieval, management, enhancement and delivery of business documents such as invoices, purchase orders and statements. This 'paperless office' technology is seamlessly integrated into all major ERP and accounting systems and with a typical ROI of less than six months, Version One's solutions are enabling 1000's of organisations to save dramatic amounts of time and money.

Contacts:

Liz Ebbrell, Version One
Email: Liz.ebbrell@versionone.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1625 856500 or 07917 634 705