These days, people can’t remember the numbers to call their wives and children. They’re all programmed into their phone. But there’s one number most people over 40 will never forget — 867-5309. It was burned into their memories by the band Tommy Tutone in 1982. Since then, numerous businesses have used the number to grab consumers’ attention. One HVAC contractor even fought for the exclusive rights to those seven digits.
But do phone numbers even matter anymore? A number like 432-8669 (HEAT NOW) was extremely useful at the bottom of TV ads run in January up through the first decade of this century. Today, few people actually dial numbers, much less watch TV commercials. So how much should contractors invest in the phone numbers?