Begging and Pleading
We go the extra mile and do as much as we possibly can to get the number you’ve backordered with us. For the “800″ numbers we also ask many of the carriers ahead of time if they can release them to us in the last day or days. Actually we beg and plead for them. In order to do this we need two things from you. We need you to fill out our Resporg Change Form and we need you to write a letter that we can send to the releasing phone company “Begging and Pleading” for the number.
We can only do this for “800″ numbers right now. We can’t do this for all carriers or for all numbers. Some carriers are less cooperative than others and some numbers, especially nice numeric numbers, are more valuable to the carrier and they usually want to hold onto those for their own customers. We send thank you gifts and are building up contacts with many carriers to make this go easier but it’s still not guaranteed and it probably won’t get the number very much before the drop date. It does seem to increase dramatically the probability of getting the number for you.
It pulls at their heart strings and adds a human face
We call the letter you need to write the “Begging and Pleading” letter because it’s important to put a human face and pull at the heart strings of the toll free administrator. We’re also trying to stress that this is a good thing for a real customer, not one of the phone sex companies or vanity number brokers and squatters that also try to get good numbers. Write about how important this number is to your business, how it will help your entire organization or customer base, and how long you’ve been waiting and trying to get it or one like it. Tell them a little about what you do and be as persuasive as you can. We don’t provide samples because we want them to be unique and heart felt real letters.
We don’t charge anything more if we’re able to get a number right before it drops by begging and pleading than if get it in the regular backorder process. We only do this for “800″ numbers because we get more for those and because we have a lower probability of getting those most competitive ones in the normal process.
Fax the letter and form back to us at 800-FAX-0095
You need to fax the Begging and Pleading letter and the Resporg Change Form back to us at 800-FAX-0095 at least a week before the number drops. If you have backordered more than one number, you should usually fax the letter and form for each number separately. They often go to different phone companies and come out of the aging process at different times. It’s OK to tell them what it spells, but if it’s too generic you might want to find a more obscure spelling and refer to it by that. The only exception is if they are the 800 & 888 versions of the same number and they come out of disconnect on the same day.
When you fill out the Resporg Change Form leave the middle section for the Previous Resporg blank. There are different codes and we need to make sure we have the right code which can sometimes change too. If they contact you directly and offer to help you accept it if it sounds like they can get you the number. You’ll still owe us the backorder fee if our efforts lead to you getting the number, but we don’t care what phone company you get it with as long you get what you need.
If you have any other questions about this the best way to get the answer is to post it here so we can make sure it’s clear for everyone. We want to go the extra mile and help you get the really best possible number for your business.





Peter Ridge says:
June 11, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I’m begining to write my letter pleading with the phone company as you mentioned. But can you tell me who I am writing to? The company’s address and contact person is possible.
PR
Bill Quimby (678 comments.) says:
June 11, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Peter
Just write the letter to whom it may concern. We’re not allowed to give out the resporg contact’s information.
Bill
Greg S says:
February 10, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Bill,
I’ve backordered two numbers that will be released hopefully in May. When would you suggest to send you (them) the form with the Begging and Pleading Letter? I think that if we send them the forms too early they could put it aside and possibly forget about it by the time the numbers will be released. So, I figured that a month or so would be a good time. What do you think about it?
Bill Quimby (678 comments.) says:
February 11, 2009 at 1:50 am
Greg,
You can wait, or you can send it in now. Probably the best bet if you’re thinking in that direction, is to send it now and resend it again a couple weeks before the number comes out. I guess covering your bases that way would make the most sense, although it’s really not necessary.
And I didn’t mention this before but you should probably leave the date blank on the form. It has to be within 30 days of the date it’s submitted. And since backorders are often a couple months out the date may need to be changed.
Bill