Discover
Choose geography, national reach or freephone access. Gather volume, concurrency, target platform and any digit preferences. Confirm current availability with the supplier.
NUMBER KNOWLEDGE / PRACTICAL FOUNDATIONS
Make the right
connection first.
A useful agentic workflow starts with a suitable number, an agreed service and clear operating responsibilities.
THE PROCUREMENT JOURNEY
From a requirement
to a working route.
Agree
Obtain a written offer covering setup, recurring and usage charges, contract terms, porting, routing and support. An enquiry or catalogue listing is not an order.
Commission
Test inbound and outbound journeys, number presentation, busy/no-answer behaviour, provider outage and human fallback. Validate emergency access with the provider where applicable.
Keep an existing number.
Check portability and account details with the gaining provider before scheduling a move. Agree which services are affected and who authorises the transfer. Do not cancel the old service before the coordinated port is complete. Business and non-geographic number processes depend on the service; mobile PAC procedures and timing promises should not be assumed.
Be clear about caller charges.
03 calls must cost no more than 01/02 calls and count towards inclusive allowances on the same basis. 0800/0808 calls are free from UK consumer landlines and mobiles. For 084/087 numbers, callers normally pay their provider’s access charge plus the service charge; publish the applicable service charge prominently wherever you promote the number. Overseas calling and business receiving costs need separate checks.
For in-scope consumer post-contract helplines, the basic-rate rule in Regulation 41 is relevant. Select a number and customer journey suited to the service, and obtain advice about your actual obligations.
Outbound identity and trust.
Use a calling identity you are authorised to present, and confirm provider rules for CLI and return calls. Establish the appropriate contact basis, suppression process, calling hours and objection handling before outreach. Do not treat an AI agent as permission to contact people indiscriminately.
Call recordings and customer data.
Agree what information the agent needs, how identity is checked, what is recorded or transcribed, retention and access permissions. Make customer explanations and human escalation part of the service design. A local model alone does not make a workflow private or compliant.
Primary references
- Ofcom: 03 numbers
- Ofcom: call charges and number types
- Ofcom: UK calling for businesses
- Ofcom: number portability
- Consumer Contracts Regulations: Regulation 41
- BT Business: number porting
Editorial source review: 3 November 2026. Confirm current provider terms before procurement.
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