ACCESSIBILITY
Your Business Phone
We have accessibility features to help you keep in touch, find business numbers, and make sure you don't miss that all important phone call.
Emergency Services
If you're a textphone user and you need to call the Emergency Services (police, fire or ambulance), dial 18000.
Making a call to a Text Phone
Starting a call
To start a call, dial 18002 then the full phone number of the person you want to call, including the area code (and international country code if you're calling outside the UK). Click here for international country codes (link opens in new window)
Prefix 18002 + Area code 01234 + Number xxx xxx
If the person you're calling picks up using a textphone, you will hear a recorded Text Relay greeting message while you wait for a relay assistant to join the call.
If the person you're calling picks up using a telephone, the call will be treated like a standard telephone call. However, if at any point the person you’re calling switches to a textphone, you will hear a recorded Text Relay greeting message while you wait for a relay assistant to join the call.
During the call
Each person takes their turn to speak or type. When you've finished, say 'go ahead'. For example: Hi Ryan, how's the new job going? Go ahead.
Remember to allow enough time for the relay assistant to type your side of the conversation to the person you're calling and read their response back to you.
Please note: The other person might use their own voice to speak to you, but they cannot hear your reply. If they do speak directly, don't try to reply until they have said go ahead.
Ending a call
When you want to end your call, just say 'bye' or 'goodbye' and wait for their reply – this gives them the chance to say something else, in case they don't want to end the call. For example:OK, give me a call Saturday and let me know about your week. Bye.
Receiving a call
If you receive a call from Text Relay, you will hear the following recorded message: Please hold for an operator-assisted call from a textphone user.
A relay assistant will then be connected to the call. Once connected, you will hear the relay assistant say: Hello, you have a call from a deaf or speech-impaired person and I will be relaying the call. Please say 'go ahead' when you have finished speaking. If you have not used Text Relay before, you can ask the relay assistant to explain how it works.
Directory Enquiries
If you want to contact a local business, just call 195 from your Virgin phone and we'll find the number you're looking for, free of charge, up to 10 times a day.
How to call Directory Enquiries from your Virgin Phone
Call 195 to register.
You'll be given a PIN to use whenever you dial Directory Enquiries again. Don't forget to make a note of it.
Tell us what number you're looking for and we'll find it for you. We'll even put you straight through if you like (although this will cost you a bit more).
Call 195 whenever you want to use Directory Enquiries again.
Priority Fault
We understand how important it is to be contactable and have the ability to contact others. When it comes to faults with phone or broadband, we’ll provide repair as swiftly as practicable to our customers who have an impairment or disability.
Please note: we’ll prioritise repair over standard care levels but there may be circumstances beyond our control that mean we cannot provide an immediate response. For example, weather conditions like floods or storms can stop our engineers carrying out repairs to overhead cables or working down manholes or an network outage in your area.
Priority fault repair service is available where a customer has no dial tone or cannot receive or make calls on the landline phone, or when experiencing a total loss of broadband connection with no access to the internet. This service is not available on mobile faults.
Relay UK (Text Relay) Service
If you can't speak on the phone, or prefer not to, you can use the Relay UK (previously Text Relay / Next Generation Text Relay) service.
All you have to do is type your conversation into your textphone's keypad and wait for the other person to reply, or use the handy (and free!) Relay UK app.
It doesn't matter whether the person you're talking to has a telephone or a textphone because a Relay Assistant will help you and the person you're calling.
Oh, and guess what? If you choose to use a BT Textphone,Minicom, Uniphone or similar device instead of the app, you get a discount on your calls via Relay UK with Virgin Media. Calls to UK local and national numbers, made via the Relay UK service with the 18001 prefix, get an 80% discount. Whilst calls to UK mobiles, made via the Relay UK service with the 18001 prefix, get a 20% discount.
Relay UK is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
TextNumber
To save people from dialling the 18002 prefix, you can get a TextNumber. This is a separate number that works alongside your regular phone number.
Find out more about TextNumbers
Relay UK App
Prefer an app to using a textphone? No problem. Virgin Media customers with accessibility needs can download and install the easy to use Relay UK app.
The Relay UK app works with a home, office, or mobile phone and provides a text connection in parallel with the phone call you make through the Relay UK service.
The app is available on a range of compatible devices like your laptop, tablet and smartphone, so all you need is a good WiFi connection to download it. It’s also totally free to download and available from the usual app stores. For any updates, don’t forget to check back here.
When using the app, there’s no need to add the 18002 prefix – this is done automatically for you.
How to use Relay UK
Head over to the Relay UK website for handy step-by-step guides.
STILL NEED HELP?
Talk to someone at Virgin Media Business, report faults or view our online support services.