Paris, 31 March 2006
With the former directory services numbers terminating their services on Monday 3rd April, ARCEP has set up a quality survey of directory services accessible via “118” numbers.
ARCEP is publishing today the results of the survey commissioned to TNS Sofres and conducted in March 2006 on eleven “118” numbers. This survey uses the same methodology as was used to measure the quality of the former directory services numbers, published in November 2005, so that the results can be compared and monitored over time.
The numbers tested
The numbers tested were “118” numbers which respect the following criteria:
- the number had been effectively opened on 20 February 2006, date at which the survey was launched
- the number received at least 2 000 calls per month. Numbers with fewer than 2 000 calls per month were surveyed only if they were the only or primary number of a service provider.
Nine numbers were included in the survey:
118000 from Le 118000
118001 from Intra Call Center
118007 from Allô Bottin
118008 from PagesJaunes
118218 from Le Numéro
118222 from 118 Teledis
118711 from France Telecom
118712 from France Telecom
118713 from Le Numéro
Two other “118” numbers were included in the survey but their results are presented separately: 118500 from Conduit, which was technically open and is therefore included in the survey, but which is processed separately because of the very low number of calls treated; and 118710 from France Telecom, which is an automatic directory services number and which therefore required the creation of a test design adapted to the capabilities of the automaton.
Overall equivalent quality between “118” and the former numbers
The results are as follows for all the 118 numbers evaluated:
| Result for all “118” | Result for old numbers (weighted average1 |
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These results show that the overall quality of the “118” numbers is equivalent to the quality of the old numbers. However, it is important to note that this overall good performance will have to be confirmed following the closure of the old numbers. On 3rd April 2006, the “118” numbers will begin handling all directory services calls, which means that some of them will receive more calls.
The availability of 118 numbers and the speed of handling requests are very good and performance in terms of precision of the services accessible via “118” numbers is equivalent to that of the old numbers, which reflects the successful entry of the new numbers on this criterion.
ARCEP plans to continue monitoring the quality of directory services after the closure of the number “12” and the old numbers, by conducting a new survey of “118” numbers in the autumn of 2006, one year after the launch of the first “118” numbers.
[1] Weighted average based on the individual results of each number and their respective market share.
[2] Availability = Percentage of calls served: Percentage of calls for which a request could be made.
[3] Rate of correct responses from among all calls served.
[4] Index calculated based on the mean time required to handle calls from all calls served. The index 100 corresponds to the weighted average of the indexes of the old numbers in October 2005.
Linked documents
Number by number results are presented in the attached document. ARCEP is also publishing a detailed description of the methodology used to assist readers in appreciating the survey results / the survey results (pdf - 103KB) 
