This is directed more towards the builders or remodelers.
What I want to know is what hours of the day are you accessable to your customers? Do you take calls from customers on Saturdays? What about Sunday?
All my customers have my cell # and that is the main number they use even though I have an office number. But some customers think nothing of calling at 9:30 – 10:00 p.m. or later. I rarely take there calls past 9 and I just let the voicemail get it and then I listen to hear if it is an emergency or not, which it never has been so far, and I call them back in the morning. Also it’s not like that is the only time they can call, since they all talk to me during the day by phone or in person. Saturdays I take there calls because I am usually working anyhow. Sundays I refuse that’s my day with my family.
Why do some customers seem to think we should be available to them 24 hours a day 7 days a week? Am I the only one feeling this way?
Replies
I don't give customers my cell number. I give them my office number, and my message says if it's after 7pm, I will return their call the next day.
Saturday/Sunday are hit and miss. If I feel like talking to them, I'll pick up. If not I let the machine get it, and call them on Monday morning.
Dial *67 before the number you are calling, and your number won't show up on caller ID.
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It's only satisfying if you eat it.
I also don't give out my cell number. Not to customers and rarely to suppliers. If I give it out I tell them not to call me unless it is really important. I have an answering service answer during the day and a machine at night unless I am in the office. We make a policy of returning all calls within 24 hours max. Usually the same day or evening. In my mind controling phone time is a big time management issue. DanT
I was considering an answering service. I think it's better when a real person answers. I still might do it, but when things pick up in the spring.--------------------------
It's only satisfying if you eat it.
About 40% of my customers are seniors. They typically hate automation and about half won't leave a message so I got the service. Since we live in a small area it I paid an extra 30 a month and got a private forward line (whatever the hell that is) and they answer it "Dan's Maintenance Service". Cheerfully of course.
Most of the people tell me they talked to my wife or my secratary so it must work as far as adding the personal touch. She does a good job only saying it is a service if she must. DanT
A couple of people I know use a service... an attorney... the lady who cuts my hair. Honestly, it's totally annoying to get a real person who's not the real person you want to talk to. If I can't talk to you I want to talk to your machine, not try to leave some detailed message with a person who's trying to write it down.
"not try to leave some detailed message with a person who's trying to write it down."and no doubt mis-interpreet it and scramble the details. When I reah a service i leave less of a message than a voice mail - "Call me"I can see some professions where a sercie can be indispensable, like plumbers who tend to a lot of repair emergencies and part of their model, or doctors whose personal assistant has tpo be able to recognioze and prioritize ( telephone triage)Shortly after my cardiac procedure, I had some strange things to communicate to the doc and had already had a problem a month before with the multiple levels of staff etting my message through, so I not only left a message to call me, but I sat down and typed out a detailed description of point by point symptoms and questions...and faxed it to his attention.
When he called me back that PM, he started right off with - "I like your letter!"
I replied that I thought that might be the best way to get through his layers of isolation staff. He sighed - and I think I could see him smile over the phone - and said, "I don't know what is the best way to do that, but THIS worked!"
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I do not own the company however I am in a position of being the front man with customers on most jobs. I try to be as accessable as I can be, I don't mind meeting with people on Saturdays on a few conditions. Sundays are off limits. I give all customers my cell # and do not mind them calling "after hours" with in reason, if I'm busy I'll listen to the message as soon as possible and call back as quickly as the message warrants. Most people won't/don't call past 6ish anyway.
Caller ID is one of the greatest recent inventions in my opinion, I usually recoganize the number of who's calling and deterine if I want to talk them.
We did have one recent customer, a complete PITA, who would call at 8 or 9 at night and I simply wouldn't return the call until the next day, he actually pulled a bit of an attitude over my not answering in the evenings and is was always something minor importance.
Other then that I encourage people to call if they have questions over some aspect of the job or a problem, as long I'm available I would rather answer there questions or deal with their problem as soon as possible, the less they focus on what ever is bothering them the better for me, so the quicker I can resolve a problem or question the happier they seem to be. It's usually something minor and takes but a few minutes to sort out.
CAG I know exactly what you mean about the PITA customer, hence my starting this thread.
You guys that don't give out the cell #. What do you say when your cell is strapped on your side and the customer asks for your number?
Hi.I stay as accessable as possible.
That menas hard stuff sometimes, especially here in a seasonal location. The customers are here in the suymmer and a couple times later on for a holiday weekend. So the holidays are when they want to see me...sometimes it works and when it doesn't, they usually understand.cell phone is a variable. I can honestly tell them from here that sometimes I am in a location or in weather that makes me out of service, and I don't have to answer. They know when they get the number that I might be up on a roof hanging on for dear life or down in a foundation hole with no service.Here's a good one on the cell mis-use;I once forgat to turn the ringer off as I started a job review process with a good customer. It rang while we were meeting and I apologized and turned it off so we could continue un-interrupted.
When I took the voice message later, I found out that it was the customer's interior designer calling for her, on my cell!
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You bring up a big pet peeve of mine, I try to always leave my cell in the truck when meeting with people and never answer the phone when actually in a meeting, I hate when other people answer the phone when I'm face to face with someone
Put your phone on vibrate when at a meeting.
I do the same as CAG, I leave it in the truck. I don't want to be distracted when I am dealing with a customer. Even on vibrate you if it is quiet everyone can hear it and they feel obligated to tell you to answer it. Simpler to leave it in the truck. DanT
My future clients-customers usually do not mind if the cell vibrates/rings (I usually set it to one ring). I simply check the caller ID to see who it is and let it go to voice mail and get back to the meeting. Some times, if a meeting is going too long, I will use the call to break away. I do not mind if the future client answers his/her cell phone. I think everyone has to get into the 21st century sometime.
nah, the twentifirst century doesn't mean we have to learn to accept rudeness.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I probably would not carry my phone into the confessional!
How 'bout the shower?;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I don't believe it has anything to do with the 21st Century, I just find it is bad customer service and rude to answer a phone when you're talking to someone else, sure if I'm informally meeting a sub, one of the guy's, or out with friends I'll answer the phone.
In front of customers or potential customers I want them to believe that they are the most important person to me at that given time. I believe it boils down to respect, or lack there of, to answer when meeting face to face. To me it says you're not as important to me as the unknown caller. I read somewhere once that the person in front of you is more important the person who isn't. Meaning if you're face to face that person should take precedent over all else. Sure there can be exceptions, say I was in a meeting and knew my wife was going into labor soon I'd answer her call, sort of that there isn't much that can not wait a little while.
I find it rude and annoying when I'm talking with someone and they answer the phone when trying to help me. I ended up not buying a car for my wife from a guy who kept answering his phone when trying to sell me a car once, turns out we found a better car at a better price later, but I'm sure that phone call cost him some money.
If I'm trying to sell someone a remodeling job, something that is going to cost them a great deal of money, be it 5,000 or 250,000 I do not want to give any impressions at all, that at that moment in time, they and their needs are not the most important thing I have going.
It's all about good customer relations and service to me. If anything leads them to believe I'm not giving them the best service and attention I can early on I have no shot at all at convincing them the company I'm representing will give them that service through out the remodeling process. I need to break that barrier down before I can convince them that our services are superior to anyone else in town and that is why they should spend the extra money with me over joe blow in his pickup who's charging less.
I'll stop my rant now
Good post. DanT
I usually don't answer the telephone when meeting with a client/future client. I merely check the caller ID. Most my clientelle, 30-50 yrs old usually encourage me to answer--I usually decline. Most my initial appointments require me to check out building structure, utility and mechanical rooms which are in basements. Sometimes I may have to contact a subcontractor on the spot. I would never leave my phone in the "truck".
We mostly do work for Architects which means that the ARchitects takes all the clients calls and then intructs me as the Builder, we have strict rules that the client doesn't ask the trades to change anything and the trades don't suggest anything to the client it all goes via the Archy then to me then to the relevant trade.My mobile is my communication and the client has that number if he/she needs to discuss something, I don't answer it on weekends or after 6.00 and most people respect this.
I also turned off the message service I found I had to return calls which were more of a nuisance and a waste of time, so if I miss a call and know who it is I might ring back otherwise if its important they will ring me again.
Cheers,
Johnhttp://www.johnwalkerbuilders.com
I try to just leave it in the truck, it's usually vibrate anyway on my hip, my problem is other people answering there phones, sure occasionaly they may be waiting on a call that can not wait, usually that is not the case though.
Same thing when I'm at a store and the clerk answer's the phone, I'm ok with the answering part, but put the person on hold until you are done helping the person in front of you.
I keep it with me because it is an essential tool, IMO - for me anyway. I have gotten to be more of a manager thana tool wearing carpenter. I have to be two places at the same time a lot. I have to co-ordinate deliveries and have someone there to meet them. I have to clarify and interpret things. I want my people and subcontractors to be able to check in with me for clarification so it gets done right the first time. The cell is there to avoid the delays that come from catching up on stuff later.It also relieves some amt of tension for me. I used to have to rush home at four so I could get in the business calls before five when the recipients are gone home if I was working outside or at a home with the phone turned off.Overall, I hate phones and let the wife answer here at the house - most calls are for her or the daughter anyways - bvut I urge people to call me on the cell anytime during the day. Evenings - they won't get thru anyhow. It is off and charging
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I'm with you, my phone stays with me (I use it for a calendar as well) but whenever I'm meeting with a customer by myself it is on silent mode. It's not uncommon to come out of a meeting with 5 voice messages.When I'm meeting with a customer and my business partner is there, I will leave the phone on vibrate. If an important call comes in we can switch off and I don't think it's rude in that instance.I had a guy once leave me in his basment while he talked to some woman for about 15 minutes.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
If I'm meeting with a client or potential client with the boss or someone else I have answered the phone, I agree that can be acceptable. Like Piffin said, my current position has me needing to be accessible to people and often to several people at the same time.
I couldn't accomplish my job efficiently with out providing the guys or suppliers almost constant access.
I have learned not to schedule anything until after about 9:30 in the morning, up to then my phone can ring constantly as most people are startring out for the day and have the most amount of questions.
"people are startring out for the day and have the most amount of questions."Absolutely! I even get the subs in their shops call just at the same time that crews are arriving on the job
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
It's if funny that many will not answer their (cell) phones in the evenings and on Sunday's, but we will write into this forum at any hour!
Nothing funny about it from my POV. I do this for fun and it costs me nothing to make a mistake here. I come here to relax, help out, and have fun.But when a customer calls, I want to be on top of my game, make a good impression, and remember what we talked about later.Here, it is my choice wjhen I do what. I might be right in the middle of a reply when DW calls for dinner - i drop it and might come back to finish two or three hours later. I am the one in control - not the person on the other end who might simply be having a boring moment in their life and decide to fill it with me.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"You guys that don't give out the cell #. What do you say when your cell is strapped on your side and the customer asks for your number? "
I give them my business number and explain that since I work the job too that I don't always act well when bothered at a tense moment. So in order to avoid having to apologize for my behaviour later I would like them to call my business line and I will get back to them when I check my calls, usually 2-3 times a day. If they fuss a little I tell them they will always be the first call returned. Any more BS than that tells me I don't need to work there. DanT
I have a cell phone on my hip , but the phone is disconnected, just the radio works. Nextel. All calls must go through my dispatch.. 2+3=7
I tell them I don't give out my cell #. --------------------------
It's only satisfying if you eat it.
I give all my customers my office number. My answering machine gives my cell number, and also says that the cell number should be called only in an emergency. Since there are very few situations that could be considered a true emergency in the engineering & surveying profession, I shold get almost no calls on my cell, right?
Wrong. It's always the jerk who thinks that because they have my cell they can call it all the time. The cell usually stays in my truck 24/7 anyway, but occasionally I carry it around. One day I had the cell in my office and it rang about 1 pm. The client, an unusual pest, was calling to ask some inane question about his project. I asked if he had called the office first and left a message, and he outright lied to me and said "yeah, I just called there a few minutes ago and left you a message". Well, I'd really like to know who you called and left that information with. I told him that the cell number was for me, not his convenience, and could he please call the office since he's wasting my minutes and I'M SITTING RIGHT HERE IN MY OFFICE and the phone hasn't rang once. He hung up and called me the next day - not on the cell.
I rarely give out my cell phone #. And I never return calls on Sunday, and usually not on Saturday. And evenings I don't generally call back after 9 PM
And my cell phone is usually sitting in my van, where I can't hear it ring. I check it several times a day, and call back if necessary. I know guys that practically live with a cell at their ear while trying to work- not me.
You should have caller ID and/or get another cell phone. Verizon has good "family plans"; additional lines are available for about $10.00/month.
everyone needs a double or triple secret cell number!
Thanks for all the input guys.
Now thats a good idea. I actually have Verizon and it might be nice to have a seperate number strictly for the business.
Accessibility, definetely a hard issue.
I have an office in my home which can make it difficult to get away sometimes. Here I am now taking a break while working on business stuff. Of course, with the advent of cell phones unless you leave the phone in the truck you are always reachable whether you're at the office or not.
Since we're a relatively new company, I try to be as accessible as I can be. Sometimes I won't answer even during business hours if something important is going on and sometimes I will talk with someone at 9:30 pm.
There are times where I wish we could operate 8 to 5 and shut down, but I think of the benefits of being more available and how that may help the company grow. It seems that all issues you come across with remodeling (site access, times to meet with client, noise issues, etc.) area delicate balance between putting the "General" in general contracting and being sensitive to the needs of the customer and their most expensive posession.
Maybe someday I'll know the answers.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
EJ-
1) Cell phone # is for who you want and need to talk to. Pass it out sparingly.
2) Use a land line ( home phone, or seperate business phone #) as your main business use.
You need to and will be in touch useing this scenerio.
Nailer01, Mark
Do you TELL your customers what hours you accept phone calls? If not, what do you expect? I sometimes call people at odd hours, but I don't expect them to answer (or even hear the phone ring). I just want to leave a message. So if you answer, it's your fault.
No Bryan I don't tell people what time I accept calls. I guess I should start teaching everyone manners now.
The fact is, they have my office number and my cell number. They obviously call my cell phone expecting me to answer.
Edited 1/21/2006 3:09 pm ET by EJCinc
It seems to me that the number to give out is the office number, regardless of who it is (except for family). Then have call forwarding if you want to get the call, or use an answering machine and check for messages on whatever schedule works for you.But be sure your message tells people to LEAVE THE NUMBER THEY CAN BE REACHED AT. I'm amazed at the number of people who assume I have their number handy when in fact I do not.
EJ,
When I was on my own and very new I had a framing crew. No one needed to talk to me during the day. When I shifted gearsI had a home phone, a business phone, a cell phone and a pager. My customers were a mix of MillWork and stair shops I subbed from, homeowners and builders. Most had my Cell, office and pager number.
My homeowner customers could be a pain in the a$$ but as it turned out, less so than most of the customers who were in the business. One shop in particular caused me to change my ways.
One of my customers was a shop that provided a fair amount of work over the course of a year. Maybe $30 or $40K. Not bad for a two man operation. Anyway, this shop started a trend that caused me to change how I was available. First it was just calls in the morning and in the evening. Timed to catch me as I was in the truck coming or going to a job. And, if they didn't get me a voice mail to call soon.
Next, the calls started coming earlier and later but not at home and never too early or late.
Then it was the call and page routine. A call to the cell phone and if no one answered a page right away.
It eventually became a loop: Home Phone, Business Phone, Cell Phone, Pager and then start all over again until they got in touch with someone. All hours and seven days a week.
The thing was, It was never for anything important. It was always to talk about jobs that were two, three or four weeks out. But the need to talk to someone right now must have been overwhelming on their end.
Eventually I closed the business line and got rid of the pager. I informed everyone that I would have one number from then on out. They could call from 7AM to 7 PM if it was not an emergency. Any time if it was. One thing, There is voicemail there, use it. I made it clear that chance were I would not be picking that phone up right away but would listen to my voicemail at least on e every two hours.
From then on out, no pager and the phone sat in my truck all day. I checked at regular intervals and returned the calls that needed immediate attention. The rest I got at the end of the day.
From then on I got about two more productive hours out of a day and didn't notice and slowdown in business.
I have a cellphone tht is on from 6:30am until 4:00pm, an office phone answered buy a humam lusty female voice from 9-5 weekdays unless she's doing her nails ot talking to boyfriend or deperssed about being between boyfriends.
Any other time they need to send out the police cause I don't answer work questions on my time off unless by prior appointment.
a) We teach Clients how to treat us.
b) If it has no or minimal cost, people will try anything.
c) The phone is your tool, not anyone elses.
d) When the phone rings, answering it is a choice.
I had a designer, very highend work ($$$$). She asked if she could use my phone. I allowed her. Didn't see the phone again for 2 hrs. Following day she asked again. I commented that I was expecting an important call, but ok. Didn't see the phone, or designer, for the rest of the day. Her ####'t brought it back and told me it was out of juice.
The following week she asked again. I told her that my phone is just as important to me as my hammer and I don't lend my hammer to anyone. I then apologized for misleading her the previous week. She defined herself the first week. I defined myself the second. We were clear for the rest of the project. It got published and both of us were happy.
Frankie
There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
EJC,
My office phone has been ported to my cell. I'm never in the office.
Run most everything from my laptop, from wherever I happpen to be.
I find that most people are pretty respectful of my time, and call between 7 A.M. & 7 P.M. For those who aren't, I have caller ID, and just let the calls go to my voice mail. Then deal with when I can.
The main problem I have is those #$%@&*%$# telemarketers. Talk about no respect!! Atleast I can usually tell, from the caller ID, and ignore them.
Bruce
I have several phone #'s. I have a home office phone that is directly related to Yellow page ads; since I'm rarely home, my message instructs callers to call one of my cell phones. Rarely do telemarketers call me on my cell! I don't know why. I also market in newspapers; I use my cell phone number. I also have an office # that I use so that a "person" will answer the phone--and leave me a message--since I'm not there 2/3 the time. Anyway, I'm available 12 hrs. a day--if I choose to answer the phone!
That is a point most people seem to miss, I don't understand why some people always feel the need to answer the phone when it rings, I try to answer mine as much as possible though I usually recoganize the number or name on the caller ID and if I'm in the middle of trying to get something done I can choose to not answer.
Seems to me, most people feel like they must answer the phone when it ever it rings.
I laugh at that one too.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I try to answer the phone when it rings... because if I don't they'll leave a message... and then I'll have to call them back... but they won't answer, because they don't feel like it...
Caller ID is great! I rarely have to answer the phone! All you have to do is hit the SEND button when you are able to break away and make the call. I would hope that all cellular providers include caller ID in the plan.
Interesting thread.
I just got out of the Army after 10 years and can tell you that is a world that has some very wierd rules about accessiblity.
I carried a pager for months at a time as part of a rapid deployment force. That thing followed you wherever you went. Slept with it six inches away from my face. Sat it just outside of the shower so I could hear it. Spent many months deployed where the pager would go off and I gab it, my weapons and go.
On the other side of the coin I have seen people thrown out of meetings by superior officers (usually with a lot of cussing and anger) for having their cell phone go off.
I still think that way when I sit down with my boss or a client. Phone on vibrate and unless I am expecting some critical call (wife having a baby - did it a year ago) then I don't even look until I walk out.
I agree with the concept of they are paying you for your time and they should get what they pay for.
I believe that most telemarketing software is automated so that it leaves a message if it gets an answering machine. I doesn't 'listen' to your message, so no one ever knows that you said 'call abc-defg'.