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17
January 2007
Brand
new business startup FreeSearch118 has looked my way for good
design. Customer services assistant Lynette O'Toole, with whom I
worked at Online Turf in Ormskirk, Lancashire (the venue for my
Online Turf Diversification project), has recognised my work for Ian
Mercer and approached me to start design work on what is soon to be
her own private business venture.
All
eyes seem set on revolutionary FreeSearch118 which is set
to skyrocket as the UK's first truly free national directory
enquiries service, one to rival the popular, rooted, BT-powered
directory big boys 118500 and 118118.com. Despite the gravity of
this rather competitive business environment-to-be, Lynette has no
doubts she'll be able to pull it off. And after working with her in
person for a year, I believe she's got what it takes. With partner
Chris Smullen under her arm, that duo are ready to take on the
challenges of the call centre - with myself operating
behind-the-scenes for all their good design needs.
I've
been drafted to provide scalable graphics for the main logo-driven
identity, the website itself, and integration to an existing SQL
database-driven backend in terms of the technical implementation. The
website shall be the main focus of activities, as it will serve as
an important gateway into FreeSearch118 which is being
marketed primarily online. The website shall seamlessly operate with
the database to provide visitors and prospective Freesearch clients
the facility to add themselves to the searchable national directory.
The website shall clearly state the freephone number for the
service, which allows customers to search for businesses both
locally and nationally.
If
all goes to plan, I shall proceed with print design to provide
letterheading and corporate business cards. And if this thing really
takes off, we could even be looking at a nationwide televised
advertising campaign. Watch this space for that one.
In
the meantime, I'll sign off this exciting news story with a snippet
from the Business section of Lynette's local newspaper, the Liverpool Echo.
For a glimpse at the work-in-progress, the web address you need is www.freesearch119.co.uk
(now 119 thanks to BT's copyrighting of the number 118!).
First
UK 'free' phone queries
'Former
call centre manager Chris Smullen is aiming to make the right
connections with the UK's first "free" directory inquiries
service.
The
businessman from Tower Hill in Kirkby has set up Freesearch 118 with
his wife Lynette at Ormskirk's Malt House Business Park.
It
can be used by bus-inesses and residential customers and will
provide unlimited directory searches.
"I
have been working on this since last June," said former call
centre and telesales manager Chris, 36.
His
wife Lynette has joined him in the venture after quitting her job
with a turf company to look after the administrative duties.
"I
have call centre facilities in place now in Liverpool, Sheffield and
Bangalore in India," said Chris.
"Our
website - www.freesearch118.co.uk
- goes live this week and the whole service should go live in
March," he added.
The
venture is based on businesses paying £5 a week for their details
to be registered on his database and available for call centre
operators to provide for callers.
Access
to the 0800 3123 118 service is available via a one-off £1
fee.
Chris
explained: "People can activate their home or business phones
and can make unlimited calls to our call centres.
"The
public and bus-inesses will pay a one-off £1 charge to activate
their phone so their number will be recognised by software that will
connect them to the 118 service.
"Statistics
show on average each household in the UK will spend about £80 each
year on calls to directory inquiries.
"Our
cheapest rival works out at 67p a call. But because our service is
free, customers will not be in a rush to get off the phone and they
can also make multiple number inquiries.
"There
is no other free 118 service. This will be a vital business tool for
the small and medium-sized enterprise market and blue chip
companies." '
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