DDK
If it’s high tech products you’re looking for, contact DDK, the name synonymous with quality and perfection!
Phone: 716-681-6650 Fax: 716-681-8231
Proper format for U.S. telephone numbers
I keep seeing numbers on web sites and business cards in this format: 770.321.4567. Well I have been in the telecommunications business for over 35 years and can assure you that this number is absolutely NOT a properly formatted phone number within North America. This is due to the fact that dots or periods are NOT allowed in phone numbers. A number such as 392.268.9123 may be part of an IPv6 address, a product part number, an amount of currency in Europe or something else but it’s not a phone number. And no, it doesn’t look cute. I’m sorry, it’s simply incorrect. Frequently dots are used by someone who’s inexperienced or by an IT web designer who thought it looked cool. He’s wrong! And if he doesn’t know how to properly write a simple phone number, odds are, he will make many more mistakes. Move on to the next person. In addition, the dotted phone number will not be recognized as a phone number in many web browsers and software applications, meaning you won’t be able to click on it to place a call nor will you be able to migrate it to your contacts list.
Only two formats exist that are acceptable in the United States. They are (770) 321-4567 and 770-321-4567. I’m sure you’re a smart individual and I certainly don’t want you to appear unprofessional or unknowledgeable to any of your peers. Therefore, please refrain from using improper formats of numbers which may portray you as uninformed or a foreigner from outside of the US. I’ve enclosed proper formats for numbers below so that you will appear to be the well-informed individual.
Proper formats for various numbers are shown below:
14228-2514 is a zip code (NOT 1422-82.514)
228-54-2356 is a social security number (NOT 22.85,42-356)
$67,254.28 is an amount of US currency (NOT #672;54,28$)
12-25-18 or 12-25-2018 are dates in proper US format (i.e. MM-DD-YY) (NOT 12:18:11 which is Hr,mm,ss)
12/25/18 is a date in another type of US format (i.e. MM/DD/YY) (NOT 12.18.11 which is unrecognizable)
In North America, if you wish to include the country code, the proper formats are 1 (716) 234-5678 and 1-716-234-5678.
@67,823,28.685 is NOT a phone number and neither is 678.232.8685. In Europe, these dots indicate this is currency.
I think you get the idea! A number is ONLY easily recognizable in its proper format.
Sometimes little things like this can be the difference between you and your company landing that next big contract or missing out. I realize this formatting of a phone number seems like something quite insignificant but it’s amazing what another person will notice while reading a document. So please double check your work for any spelling errors or formatting errors before you print or publish something. Thanks for reading this and I’m glad I could help you out.
Daniel K. AEE, BSEE, MSIT, etc.
DDK { over 35 years of telephone and telecommunications experience }
P.S. For the few of you that think I went overboard in this letter, please read on.
Each of us will make thousands and thousands of mistakes in our lifetime. Is it better that we ignore another’s mistake for fear of hurting one’s feelings and allow that person to make the same mistake a hundred more times? I think not! I would much rather someone corrects me the first time I make an error so I don’t make the same error again. I once had a professor say to me, “When do you learn? You learn from your mistakes and learning is a good thing, right?” He was right, we are always learning. I’m glad when someone takes the time to explain something to me. It makes me realize they care about me. Also, think about it, if I gave you my email address as John Smith at yahoo:com you would know it’s wrong and may question my abilities. You would expect to see: . Taking that extra moment to double check things will depict you as the master of your profession. Now go out and have a great day!
4892 William StreetLancaster, New York14086-3206 Phone: 716-681-6650Fax: 716-681-8231