Phone Calls While Working

[CanYouHemiNow]

For the new guy who has to answer his own phone when working, what do you guys think is the best method if Mrs Piffleton is watching: Stop working and take the call in front of her, go outside, or let it go to voice mail?

 

[damion68]

I let it go to voicemail then return it asap after job.

 

[roro]

Answer it - be brief - tell them you are out on a job or on the road and will ring them when you are back in the office.

Worked for us and was much more productive (higher strike rate with new customers) than using a professional answering service.

roro

 

[Bjorn]

hummmmmmmmmm could be hard


errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr answer your cell phone and say hello for starts?

 

[Jim Nelson]

Hand her the phone and tell to take a massage.

 

[Jim Martin]

Hand her the phone and tell to take a massage.

a make sure the hand writing is ledge-able....last client that took notes and booked a job.. I could not read a damn thing they wrote down........

 

[Heathrow]

I have a message on my phone that says if I'm cleaning I may not be able to answer, and will call back within 30 minutes or so. If they don't leave a message I'll call back on the number if it wasn't a hidden number.
Otherwise if I'm not extracting I'll take calls but make them brief - most people don't mind being called back later or even that evening. I agree with Ross, many people dislike answering services. I've never had the feeling that a customer was upset by me taking a call in their house.
I now have someone manning my phone 2-3 days a week and it's bloody great

 

[GeneMiller]

I answer the phone as long as I'm not engaged with the customer otherwise they get a message saying I'm currently with another customer and can't take the call. The tech is running the wand so cleaning continues. It was tougher when I was by myself. Always use your judgement and go with it.

Gene

 

[Gary Taylor]

If a customer is home, the phone stays in the truck. I think it is rude to talk on the phone while working for the customer.

 

[steve r]

he who answer the phone first gets the job.

but i will say it varies from customer to customer but most of my customers know im a one man show and understand im trying to make a living.if they dont like that then ill replace them.

)

also if its a number i know like my apt complexes or personal i let them go only numbers that might be potential customers and again it depends on who im working for too.

 

[Able 1]

I let it go to voice mail.. Unless they don't leave a message or it comes up blocked. Blocked calls I answer, if they don't leave a message I call them back quick. Most leave a message and return the call within an hour.

 

[joeynbgky]

its rude to answer the phone in front of a customer. I dont clean carpet any more, got a tech. and sales went up. Cause if you calls omeone back even 5 minutes later they could have caleld someone else already.