Plumbers fight for famous phone number

Plumbers fight for famous phone number Sat May 19, 1:05 PM ET


LINCOLN, R.I. - One-hit wonder Tommy Tutone made the phone number 867-5309 famous in the band's 1982 hit single, which uses the digits over and over in its catchy refrain.
Now, a Rhode Island company and a national firm are battling over the right to use the number, which doesn't reach the "Jenny" that Tutone sings about, but could find callers a decent plumber.
Two years ago, Gem Plumbing & Heating of Lincoln, R.I., trademarked the phone number in the early 1980s hit, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Gem acquired the number in Rhode Island when its original owner, Brown University, gave up 867-5309 after growing weary of the constant prank calls.
Gem's number works in the 401 area code in Rhode Island and the 617 area code in southern Massachusetts.
But Florida-based Clockwork Home Services, also a plumbing company, uses a toll-free version of 867-5309 in New England. They argue a company can only trademark a vanity number, like 1-800-FLOWERS.
Gem won round one in its legal fight over the number when a federal judge in Boston recently barred Clockwork from using the number in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, effective this week. But Clockwork's lawyers said they would fight on.
Tommy "Tutone" Heath told The Boston Globe that he'd prefer if neither company used the number.
"It's ridiculous," said Heath. "If I wanted to get into it, I could probably take the number away from both of them."

phone number

What an assine waste of money. Who, other than some inquisitive kid who also dials phone numbers mentioned in TV series, even cares about the number. It reminds me of a company here that had the number APLUMBER, and advertised to dial APLUMBER when you had a problem. They did not last long. Having a particular phone number never overcomes poor service, and with good service you do not need a special phone number because your customers will have you in their data base.

That's true. Plus, I really hate it when someone advertises a phone number, such as: 1-800-then- the- name- of their business. There I am trying to look at my phone, look at the letter, dial that one, and usually, I make a mistake only to get: Try your number again, I start over a couple times and give up. I save myself lots of money that way.

Phone Number

Don't underestimate the power of a phone number. Anyone from Detroit will always remember the phone number Tyler 8-7100 and the slogan "We do good work!" (Belvedere Construction).

University gave up 867-5309 after growing weary of the constant prank calls.

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That right there would be enough for me to avoid anything of that nature.

It's bad enough I get sales calls daily, let alone an onslaught of prank calls just because I wanted a famous number.

I absolutely hate having to decode worded numbers; customers get frustrated as well.

My number has too many 3's in it but I can't change it now.

In my area there is a HVAC company that has a number, #4040 I think and I checked to see how much that cost.

Something like $8000 initial and a grand a month. WTF????
Talk about a phone company scam......sheesh! They made it sound like it was a complicated system, right.

We gave up the phone number we had maintained for +30 years when we moved to the county to the south.
In less than a week a competitor company snatched it up,at what price I dont know,whatever it was they felt it a worthwhile cost.
For months after that we were getting complaints about work that we had not done,appointments we failed to show up for.After a year or so it resolved itself when people got used to the new number.

phones

Letters/words in phone numbers were the standard back in the good old day, but then the letters on the dial, (not push buttons),, were big and the numbers were small.

I know of a company locally that keeps buying up failing plumbing companies *4 in the past 5 years* and they hold onto the phone numbers of the companies that went under,,,,,just redirects to the company.

So they have at least 4 different numbers to where when someone sees that old advertising or sticker/magnet on the fridge, they retain that call volume from all the companies.

That I believe was a very smart move and you get those loyal customers that were calling to spend more money. I'm sure though they get the complaints or callbacks as well; don't know how they deal with that but I'm sure it outweighs with sales.

never give up a #

I would never give up my phone numbers
even if I move to the next state.....

their are vultures out there just waiting to get
their hands on abandoned telephone numbers
and steal your customer base...

its all legal through the phone compnay to
ask them for "first dibs" on any telephone numbers
if you just abandon them


my fathers home telephone number will has gotten calls
for over 50 years still in his home.....
when something happens to him,
trust me, the number stays in the family

My home phone number is one # away from the State Mental Institution here where I live. I wouldn't change it for the world, it is too funny, and waaaay too fitting. When I get a call asking, if this is such and such a place, I cannot refrain from saying, " alot of times."

If the company in RI. is marketing to the age group that would have known the song it may be a valuable #.

Buick used a Led Zeppelin song a few years back in a marketing campaign and it opened them up to a whole new market of people who started buying their cars.

Cass,
It was Cadillac. When the surviving members of Zep were asked how they could "sell out," they replied that growing up in the 50's Cadillac had a cachet, especially among the Delta bluesmen who they idolized. Plus, the amount of money they offered was ridiculous. Next thing ya know, that monster drum roll and guitar riff of "Rock and Roll" were selling Caddies.

I must have been listening to the song and not paying attention to the ad. .