How Do You Handle Your Phone?
May 29, 2007 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
Over in our forum we got into a brief discussion about telephones and how we use them. My stance has always been that since I pay for my phone, I can decide when to answer it. Way back when, not answering a phone meant just ignoring the ring, but today, with answering machines, caller ID and the ability to turn a ringer off, we really have choice.
I turn off my phone’s ring a lot. Since I work at home, I don’t want to deal with clients early in the morning or over dinner or later. Then there are times during the day when I don’t want to be disturbed. Maybe I’m concentrating on a piece of writing or maybe I’m taking a nap.
I actually warn my clients that I’m not always available, but I do it in a fun way. I tell them they are welcome to call me any time, and then I warn them that I turn off my phone when I don’t want to take calls.
Incidentally, my friends get roughly the same treatment and it seems to work for me. How do you handle your phone?
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This is a good discussion! Initially, I had a separate phone line for business calls which I turned off when I was really busy or after working hours.
After a while, I realized that almost every one of my clients prefers to contact me through e-mail. I discontinued the extra phone and haven’t missed it at all.
BTW, I charge clients for telephone consultations over 15 minutes. That might be why they’d rather e-mail.
I look forward to seeing other responses.
Since my phone is my home phone too, I simply screen the calls. I don’t take calls after the computer is turned off (and sometimes that’s well beyond 7 p.m.). I liken the computer switch to my brain’s switch – they go off simultaneously. :)
I hate the phone. I do not get phone calls for work, but if I did I would have to get call display, because I practically refuse to answer the phone at all anymore. I don’t have friends who call me anymore, nor do I have anyone that I call. Every time that I do give in and answer the phone (which isn’t often, I have the answering machine to go on at the 4th ring) it’s a telemarketer. Every time. If people we actual know call us, it’s usually because they want something. I only make it a habit to answer the phone during the holidays due to parties etc.
We only have one receiver in the house and it is located in the kitchen while my office is clear across the other side of the house.
I make it clear to my customers that phone conversations are fine, provided that they are preceded by an email to arrange the time of the call.
When I am on the phone, I am not able to write. If I cannot write, I am not making money. This cuts down on the “chatty calls” and reserves phone time for conversations which are strictly business related.
that’s right… I have my clients make phone appointment by email too… they dont’ always follow instructions, but then, I don’t always answer the phone ;)
I almost never answer my phone during the day, unless like you said, Anne, I’ve arranged a call or am actually expecting one. But I’m totally brutal about getting off the phone quickly, even with friends. I think that you have to be if you expect a home-based business to a) be taken seriously by others and b) to work!!