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I’m a fanatic about returning phone calls. Call me and I will call you back ASAP unless I’m dead. But, it seems that I am in a distinct minority about this. Some people tell me that they take so long to return a call that they get embarassed and never call because they don’t want to deal with why it took so long. For me, I can’t stand it when someone doesn’t return a call. And when they make me wait, I make them wait. What about you guys. If you don’t call back the same day, why?
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24 hour max (particularly if at night)...or, if it's a repeat customer we know, the wife will call them back and get basic information, schedule an appointment, etc. What I really like is getting ready to do a lot of work with subcontractors who never end up giving me a bid; even though they see me at the yard or whereever and ask when their next job with me is. I've got a flooring guy who can give me a bid in 24 hours for even a couple hundred bucks, but a heating guy who can't seem to find the paperwork on a 15K job. Oh well, I've always thought (and it seems to be working), if you return your calls, treat people with simple, common courtesy (don't swear in front of them during inital meetings, etc.), and don't look like an axe-murderer, you'd get all the business you can handle.
*I return all calls in 24 hours unless it is something I know about and the caller says no hurry. I take all calls on an answering machine. Funny, I don't mind returning calls but hate to answer the phone. Wife does that if we are home. DanT
*And we wonder why so called "professionals", or at least those who profess to be, are perplexed when they get blown off by their clients, whether those "clients" are consumers or GCs wating to hear from a sub.And knowing that one of the top 3 complaints consumers have about anyone is not returning calls in a timely manner, and how these contractors feel when their own calls are not returned.For years I've always felt the biggest insult to a person is to be ignored as though they are not "worthy" of a timely return call. Spit in someone's face and then wonder why they (1) don't recommend you anymore or (2) don't get any more work from you.Personally, all of my life as a contractor I've returned calls the same day I received them - even those received late in the afternoon, and even if I had nothing to give as far as info. Doing so is at the very least, an "acknowledgement" of their importance and their call.Reading about amazon.com recently I concluded they are smart. They "anticipate" the purpose of a call or inquiry and they initiate the answer before the inquiry is initiated by their customer. Smart. We should too. If we know Mrs. Smith is antsy about knowing her schedule/new faucet/call back/???? and know she will be calling about it, why not call her, even if it 's just to tell her you wouldn't be able to guarantee the start date for another couple of days, or that the faucet/cabinet/whatever still hasn't come in yet.Duh. A know brainer?Nah, we'll wait until "she" calls us, cause by the time she does make that call she's already frustrated, angry, perplexed, etc. Now there's a positive experience, and good PR! Suggestion for you who are too busy to call or return calls. Make a list of whom to call and what the message is. Each night fax it to a service with a pre-agreed arrangement for that person to make those phone calls for you. S/he will mark down any questions the clients have asked and then make one phone call to you with the list. 15 minutes later you're done and s/he is on the phone calling all of those people relieving their anxieties, acknowledging their importance to you and in the process validating your "professionalism." What can it cost - $60 - $100 a week?
*Heck Sonny, my wife charges less than that to return calls. At least I think she does...
*Sonny's suggestion is exactly what I do. When people ask me when they should get back to me, I tell them don't worry about it, I will get back to them before they even think to call me. And I do. And they are always amazed that I seem more concerned about their job then they do.It breed a sense of security and trust that they don't find anywhere else. They know that their work is important to me. They know that they are important to me.And like most other people here, when my subs don't get back to me, and therefore I can't keep people on top of their jobs, it makes me look bad. And it makes me angry because I refuse to be captive to the person who is neglectful, or procrastinates, or just doesn't care. And if anyone wants to try the excuse that they are too busy, I don't want to hear about it. I've never met a sub who doesn't have time to make a call or stop by when he wants money. It's a two way street. SHG
*it has gotten a lot easier now that i have a cell phone... but it is still frustrating that some of my customers are out of the loop...how many of you have spent hours trying to get thru.?.either their line is busy ( yak ,yak or online)..... or they are not home and have no answering machine....or.... you spend money on email...fax machines .. multiple phone lines.. cell phones... and people tell you they called.. but "they never leave messages on machines"... dreamworld.....
*The two problems I encounter are people who don't leave messages or don't leave phone numbers. These are problems that only happen once. I tell them, it you don't leave a message, I don't know you called. If you don't leave a number, I can't call you back because I don't carry every number for every person at all times. The response I get is usually that they don't want to bother me. Bother me, I tell them, because it is more of a problem knowing that they want to speak with me and not being able to reach them.My biggest problem is people who leave beeper numbers for me, and then call back hours later when I'm no longer at the telephone number. Again, I tell them that I don't sit at a phone all day, so if they want to talk to me, they have to leave a real phone number where I can call them or call me back immediately. If they won't, then there's nothing more I can do, and I let them know it.SHG
*The only problem I've had is with those people who say: "I hate answering machines so I don't have one."After being frustrated trying to get them I finally started telling them that's their prerogative, but that since I don't have a phone glued to my ear and I am running a business, I will call only once each day. After that it's up to them to get a hold of me. I go on to saya that they should not exxpect me to try calling them every hour during the day.What I should have said is that I don't believe in electrical saws - my own prerogative. Consequently, I cut each piece by hand and charge accordingly in my estimate for "hand" cutting.The dislike of a technology is a double edged sword!
*In the same vein of the double edge sword..........when cell phones came out, I dropped my pager and strapped one on......only to find I was interupted all day........no work.Most people were calling with questions that could wait for the end of the day........plus, I'm in the middle of a task, all set up, (on a ladder or at the sawbuck) and it drove me crazy....Solution......I have a pager, page me, I call right back unless I'm in the middle of a task, no more than 10 min. max. (I don't give out the c-phone # and tell those with caller id I don't answer it.)Much better now........
*I have a cell phone and actually that's my main business number. I have voice mail with the phone and caller ID. If it's the wife calling or sears trying to sell me an extended service plan I can chose to let it go. my biggest beef though is having a call drop out in fringe areas.
*I hate phones. Hate to hear them ringing that is. So I make sure that I call them right back so they don't have to keep calling me. The longer they have to wait for a return call, the more frustrated they become - not a good way to start off a relationship when they start thinking about holding up your money for as long as you are holding up the communications. I've lost count of how many good jobs I did because nobody else even returned the call. Seems like thirty percent of contractors return the first call to set up a meeting and half of them never show up. It is one of the first of the ten commandments of business - return all your calls before going to bed every night, unless it gets beyond 9:00PM. Especially for existing relationships.Subs need to take heed too. I've dumped good working guys 'cause they refused to return my calls. I've got a schedule to manage with lots of other subs, deliveries, etc. and someone who is so rude he needs to leave me guessing won't have to worry about it next time. I don't care if the answer is no or i don't know but just a simple reply will do.
*>Subs need to take heed too. I've dumped good working guys 'cause they refused to return my calls. I've got a schedule to manage with lots of other subs, deliveries, etc. and someone who is so rude he needs to leave me guessing won't have to worry about it next time. I don't care if the answer is no or i don't know but just a simple reply will do. Amen. So how come we all have the same experience with people not calling back, and yet everyone here calls back right away? Are the people at Breaktime better, smarter, more responsible than everyone else?
*Faster and stronger too!
*SHGlaw, you know, I'd like to think so, but that is a pretty big assumption. I can tell you that most of my peers have never heard of FH or the JLC, and certainly don't surf the internet. Which, I think, is good for me.
*Like Jason, I cna't get over the number of guys, remodelers and specialty contractors who never heard of these forums, web sites, and even their magazines. Last night I gave our trimming sub the list of our 5 main magazines and the FLC and FHB sites.Get they get so caught up in working 80 hours a week they don't have time to even inquire about these sites and mags. Even members of our own local association and RC are unaware of many of the mags and sites."Are the people at Breaktime better, smarter, more responsible than everyone else?" SHG, I guess we "are" the smartest in our respective communities. Knowing the fastest source of knowledge (here) gives one an advantage over his/her peers.
*I just leaped a tall building....I really, really, really do hate phones though. But I do try to get back within the day.
*Sonny writes:>Get they get so caught up in working 80 hours a week they don't have time to even inquire about these sites and mags. Whether they have time spend cruising the net, chatting it up online, or reading magazines is one thing. But calling back customers, those people who pay the money that gives them a reason to wake up in the morning, that's another thing.Maybe we just have too much time on our hands?
*SH, I don't know that I have too much time on my hands, rather, I've chosen to spend a certain amount of my 80 hour weeks becoming smarter, not neccessarily running after more jobs. I spend at least 30 minutes a day researching (okay, some of it's in the bath), going through JLC, their CD, FH, and these forums, and I've learned literally tons of things about new techniques and products that I really think give me an edge over the competition. I also insist on having myself in at least two classes a year; you can't have too much education. Fortunately, there are enough huge suppliers and manufacturers around here (within a couple hours drive), that I can get a half-day or daylong class in everything from vinyl siding to laminate countertop installation to framing with I-joists. The people who stay on top of techniques, processes, business, and materials will be the ones who flourish during the next downturn, and who eventually (at least I hope), provide higher-value, higher profit services.
*Sometimes digging ourselves into a hole is the impetus to make a change and create a different "system".I remember back in '95 when I had my two sons and one other full time and another part time employee - yet I was still working on jobs. One day I keep track of how many times my pager AND cell phone went off - an average of 17 per day. That's one every 28 minutes. Plus when I got home there were up to 6-8 messages waiting for me to return. Of course I couldn't call them until I first talked to my people to get their job status reports. So it was literally "work" until close to 10 pm every night. Then the new estimates had to be done. And I couldn't get mad at my customers since they didin't know my situation. They just wanted an answer of two.After wanting to walk into a closet and not talk to anyone I realized I was about to loose it.. Most of those pages and cell phone calls were the typical "I just wanted to check on when you had my job scheduled for", or a new sales call. Or " We decided to have you go ahead with (whatever)." Typical calls that could have been left on my answering machine.It seems appropriate when I yelled to myself: "ENOUGH!!"So, I cancelled the pager, stopped giving out my cell number except to suppliers, read a book on "Time Management" and brought myself back from the brink. It was than that I also realized I had to stop letting other people control my life. Bought a new machine with remote so I could call it during lunch and return calls that were necessary and left the rest for after work.Life is nice when one does control his or her daily activities. Haven't seen that "hole" since then.
*SHG,i Amen. So how come we all have the same experience with people not calling back, and yet everyone here calls back right away? Are the people at Breaktime better, smarter, more responsible than everyone else? I am not sure if they actually ARE much smarter, better, or more reliable, but I personally think that they WANT to be. Knowledge is a powerful thing, and most here realize that. I think that is why we gather here, discuss methodologies, the why's and when's of our trades, and how we can improve our business and bottom line. This quest for knowledge is what keeps us ahead of our competition. I do think that a lot of us get stuck in some of the same old ruts that most contractors nationwide are stuck in, but we want to find ways to get out of, and stay out of those ruts.James DuHamel
*You're right James. What amazes me about "habits" and business is that unless we conciously stay alert, it's not that hard to slide back into an old bad habit or two.I know I've caught myself saying: "Oh Oh. I'm not going that route again." and immediately made a "U" turn. Again, that's another "value" of collaborating on these forums. I think these forums keep all of us sharp and on our toes.Checked my list. Double checked with Barb and our Super about the status of our jobs, made all of my calls and all is well. Time to go home, change, eat lunch and go work on the house and check on my tile installer. I love it when an extra few hours become available - especially when it's on a Friday afternoon.
*Cell phone?......you bet. I have four more I pass out to the crews so I can get them or they can get me at a moments notice.Pager?..........got two. One for me and one for the super who won't carry a phone.Answer machine and fax open 24/7.Will I call you back? As fast as my little fingers will fly. The answer machine is at home. I check those when I get off work unless my wife calls during the day with a message she thinks I might need. I don't answer the cell before 7AM or after 5PM. I never answer it on the weekends. We're closed on weekends.Cell phone business tip: Leave it in the truck for a meeting with the client. Check the messages when you leave the meeting. If you forget and it rings, turn it off and appologize. There is nothing more aggrevating to a customer than showing them that a phone call is more important than the conversation you are having with them.But........You gotta be in touch with being in business or be out of touch and out of business.Ed.
*Good points Ed. I learned that when the things first came out (back in my enginerd days). never interrupt a meeting because of a phone call. I have the silent feature on my phone. I can turn off the ringer and just look at the screen on it to see what the caller id says. when my wife was ready to deliver our son, I don't care who it was if I saw her number show up on that display I was answering. but that is about the only exception I can think of.
*Dallas is right. When I know I"m going to have a meeting with someone, even if it's a sub, I shut it off and when done I check it for any mail. I have voice mail. The message says "I'm sorry I can't take your call right now. I'm either doing something I can't stop (like sawing), or I'm with a client." I'll call you back shortly. Please leave a message." OK, it's not real short, but explanative and tells them I will call back shortly. Plus I can use the "Calls" format and it will tell me the last 10 numbers that called me - in order. It's a Nextel phone which also doubles as a 2-way radio with not only our own guys & Barb too, but subs and venders who use Nextel. phones. Like Dallas, I like to return calls quickly.Also like Dallas, the phone is on from the time I get up until I go home at night, but unlike him I take it with me whenever I leave the house including nights & week-ends so family and I can communicate if neccessary.Although I will admit, the person who calls Barb or I the most at night is my daughter Kristi to find out where we went for dinner so she can join us. She's no dummy. "Kristi, put your money away." But Hey, how else does a Dad treat his "Princess?"
*What do you guys do when a customer calls and doesn't leave a message?Do you call them to see what's up or wait for the next call?Thanks, Sean
*Sean, I am new in the business and haven't had that many customers but one little trick I've used is the caller id on my cell phone. not only does it show who's calling it logs calls in order. I can just scroll through and hit send. then I get a bewildered person on the other end who wonders how I knew they had called. when I explain that my phone has this feature and I was calling back to make sure everything was ok or to find out what they needed, it seems to go over rather well. the first time I did it the guy thought I was some kind of phsycic. Also, there seems to be in certain circles anyway a mentality that appreciates people who use technology as a good business tool, like you're "with it" or something
*Back to Ed's point about C-phones and meeting.......A few weeks ago, I was doing a kitchen make-over that required granite tops..........the decorator sent over "Mr Busy", a saleman for one of the local fabricators. I call him "Mr Busy 'cause that was his attitude. And he played the part, belt with 2 pagers, a Nextel, and a standard cell phone. After telling me how busy he is, he agrees to come over the look at the job.........in a couple of days..when he shows up, he tries to have a conversation with me and the Owners.......only to be interupted twice.....the idiot took the calls.....Anyway, after I read the look on the Owners face, I called the fabricator I use, he was there that afternoon, tops went in in a week and a half, ("Mr. Busy" required a lead of 4-6 weeks) This was for $14,000.00 worth of tops......One thing to add, I walk in to a meeting with my c-phone on my hip, but turned off. In todays market, your customers want to see that your wired and ready to respond.......
*In regards to returning phone calls. Do you ever get the call where the client on the phone leaves a very clear message UNTIL they get to the phone number? They its "mumble, mumble, mumble". Got one today. Listened to it 6 times to see what the number might be. Tried 3 of them. No luck. AAARGH. Enunciate and say it SLOWLY please. Thanks for listening to my rant.
*Two words, caller ID. it's pricless just for that very reason Scrapr. of course if they have it blocked you're no better off than before.
*I built my business doing two things everyone in business should be doing anyway: returning phone calls and showing up.Never made sense to me that a guy would spend money (advertising) to get the phone to ring and then when it does he doesn't pick it up.And I absolutely hate it when someone will tell me they'll call and then never do. Why even tell me that bs? That's when I call them to listen to their lame excuse. Some get real creative.
*Here's another pet peeve that follows along this line. Yesterday, I have an appointment with a sub at 8. Six phone calls went into setting up the appointment, which was made on the day that was most convenient for the sub, including a confirmatory phone call the evening before where I told the subs secretary/girlfriend that it was 8 sharp, right? Absoutely, she replied.So at 5 minutes to 8, I get a call from the girlfriend telling me that he got held up and had a crew waiting and he couldn't make it that day so he had to reschedule. No call from the sub himself. No apology, profuse or otherwise. And no appearance.I told her, sorry, no rescheduling necessary as I won't be using him. She appeared completely confused. No call from him followed.Bottom line, make an appointment and I expect it kept unless there's an emergency. Obviously, his time was valuable and mine was worthless. More importantly, if he can't show to get the job, how can I trust him to show to do the job.SHG
*Good for you, SHG.....Exactly the thing to do with with a .........
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I'm a fanatic about returning phone calls. Call me and I will call you back ASAP unless I'm dead. But, it seems that I am in a distinct minority about this. Some people tell me that they take so long to return a call that they get embarassed and never call because they don't want to deal with why it took so long. For me, I can't stand it when someone doesn't return a call. And when they make me wait, I make them wait. What about you guys. If you don't call back the same day, why?