When do you stop answering the phone ?

[The Godfather]

I take your point 100% GF, but do you take mine?

I'm not here to argue an issue, my main purpose here (Along with my Boys) is to ensure the forums integrity.

However I do see fit to get involved in many of the forums discussions, where I can contribute a valid point to the benefit of all concerned.

Working 24/7 is a young mans job, working these hours takes over your life, and hopefully your partners accept this lifestyle. I also hope the financial benefits of such long hours reward all concerned. And at some point you can ease down from working such long hours and enjoy the rewards of such good hard work.

As for the size of Genny, well it only needs to provide essential power to those important services, like cooling ?

The Godfather

 

[Andy™]

slightly OT, but a few years ago (as part of my dads transport business), i had to collect a 1KA MCCB from newcastle and take it to liverpool, urgently (7pm on a friday night). they had also arranged a sparky from birmingham to go to liverpool to fit the part.

this MCCB powers all the fridge/freezers in a large drug/vaccine factory and had burnt out (or something like that)

 

[Subneural]

at least its not just me then.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

My mobile has just gone off at half five on a Saturday night from a customer I replaced a CU for back in May.When do you guys normally stop answering the phone ?

I will probably stop answering the phone when I am in a box, 6ft down, pushing up the daisies!!! ] :^O :^O

In all seriousness, for a self employed person, this is one of those questions that IMHO you have to decide upon, (and perhaps reassess occasionally), during the course of running you business.

such as:-

• How many hours per day are you willing to work?
  
• How far are your willing to travel to a job (duration & miles)?
  
• How many days per week are you willing to work?
  
• How much personal 'OFF' work time, (holidays / weekends etc..) do you need during the year?
  

They may all change during times of abundance of work and shortage of work.

With the telephone if you only want to do certain hours per day taking calls then IMHO you need some dedicated phone line(s) that you only use for business, and which go onto answer phone after certain times of the day.

(this can be more expensive for phone handsets / lines etc..)

If you are happy taking calls at any time, then use you one main mobile number & keep it with you 24/7.

Personally I have no problem with anybody ringing any time of day.... As I Do NOT provide any guaranteed contractual service response times, I am under NO obligation to go out and do anything. So worst case is will have been on the phone less than 5 mins telling someone sorry I cannot come out today. But best option I can negotiate a mutually agreeable time to undertake some new work.

From my experience a majority of callers are actually happy to wait and are just glad to know they have someone 'booked' to come out within the next couple of days. If there is a level of urgency for the work and you are happy to do it, you can verbally agree a price and make a nice little profit for a bit of out of hours work. (also some work can be very local and minimal effort for a good return.) I have done a few late call-outs within 10mins - 15mins of my home, less than 1 hours work.... "nice little earner".... But if I hadn't answered the phone call, I would not have had the option to accept of reject the work! :|

With some of my previous employers, (before self employment), I did have to go on some call-out rotas, in that situation though you were give a "call-out" allowance during your weeks on the rota... so you got money just for being available, (sober!), then addition unsociable hours allowances etc.. if you were actually called out!

Obviously with Self employment its a different sort of situation, which is really up to your own personally preferences, a bit of a "You pays your money and takes you pick" type option. Same choice as "Do you answer the phone when you are on Holiday?"

Again personally I do answer the phone when on holiday... (including on the beach!)... nothing to loose by saying yes or no to a prospective customer. I have had "beach telephone calls" that have resulted in jobs worth

 

[NozSpark]

totally agree with Specs, I too take my phone on holidays... I also try and have a pen and paper with me most times

you have everything to gain... but only if you answer it

If you are self employed then our family should understand that phone calls=work=money and they only take a few minutes (even if you say that you're on holiday and will call them when you get back)

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

totally agree with Specs, I too take my phone on holidays... I also try and have a pen and paper with me most timesyou have everything to gain... but only if you answer it

If you are self employed then our family should understand that phone calls=work=money and they only take a few minutes (even if you say that you're on holiday and will call them when you get back)

Concur 99.9% there NOZ Applaud Smiley

But the only thing I would say different to that is...

IF it is a complete stranger, new customer got me name out of yellow pages (or wherever you happen to advertise). I wouldn't actually say I am on holiday... Because it could let out the fact that you home is empty for a few days!!! and give unscrupulous persons bad ideas! :_| X(

I tend to use the phrase...

"With my existing workload and holiday commitments the earliest I would be available to help you is 'two weeks time**' "

** stick relevant duration in this bit.

Which again from my experience 60% or 70%+ are actually willing to wait, unless its a major urgent fault!

The alternative being the "Andy" suggestions of working in with another Spark in you area to cover for you whilst away!

 

[Doc Hudson]

Do these such important installations not have a backup? If they are that critical?????????

The Godfather

I think you are quite right there Don, they would. I suspect any installation or business needing essential 24hour power, would have included some form of back up power. Or 24-7 emergency call out contract, with a larger firm that can guarantee a round the clock service. I doubt they would be relying on a smaller business who may or may not be able to attend because they don't answer the phone after 7:00pm? Places like, Hospitals, Food processing plants, Air traffic control centres etc.. come to mind, but I doubt that a small business would be even considered as an option to provide call out.

I trust you and the boys have had a good Christmas & new year.

Doc H.

 

[L-E_Fault]

I got a separate phone for work so I could turn it off if I wasn't taking calls from the unknown but I could still receive invitations to go to the pub from friends on my private phone.

However I'm back to one phone know as I got fed up of taking 2 phones out with me.

 

[Andy™]

I think you are quite right there Don, they would. I suspect any installation or business needing essential 24hour power, would have included some form of back up power. Or 24-7 emergency call out contract, with a larger firm that can guarantee a round the clock service. I doubt they would be relying on a smaller business who may or may not be able to attend because they don't answer the phone after 7:00pm? Places like, Hospitals, Food processing plants, Air traffic control centres etc.. come to mind, but I doubt that a small business would be even considered as an option to provide call out.I trust you and the boys have had a good Christmas & new year.

Doc H.

ive had a few calls from other national contractors to do emergency work on their behalf. one job was about 60 miles away, and i was the closest who had answered the phone.

your right on the stuff that must have power - hospitals etc, but there are other places who dont have someone on standy 24/7, but it can be cheaper to pay someone to work through the night than loose products etc

 

[Lurch]

With the telephone if you only want to do certain hours per day taking calls then IMHO you need some dedicated phone line(s) that you only use for business, and which go onto answer phone after certain times of the day.(this can be more expensive for phone handsets / lines etc..)

VoIP. My business lines cost me nothing unless I call out on them, which I rarely do as I tend to use the mobile for all outgoing calls. Mobiles are cheap enough, I've got endless amounts of PAYG SIM's.

 

[batty]

The way I see it all depends how much you need the work and what kind of person you are. I personally will always answer the phone or ring people back if I miss a call. If you are self employed you are providing a service so should be available to help people out if you can. But if you have an abundance of work and don't want to provide an emergency service that is your prerogative. But if you then find you have no work due to a recession you cannot complain because if you give a good service always you will find generally the work is always there. Quite often I am asked to go to emergency in the day but may not be able to due to being in the middle of jobs but always offer to go after work. This way people have the choice to get another electrician if they don't want to wait. Generally I find most People can sort things out themselves with a bit of help over the phone. I will go out to emergency's in the evening but as said I have always found I have more work than I need even in a recession.

Batty

 

[binky]

Upto 7/8pm I will answer the phone, after that its answer only if I know the customer, and want to talk to them, but generally I let the answer phone take the call and phone back the next day - you have to have some family time, and most of my customers would be unhappy getting a call from work themselves.

 

[3633]

phone is answered 24/7 when not in office i call divert landline to mobile aswell you can always refuse the job but it could be that big job that will keep you busy for the next few months.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

VoIP. My business lines cost me nothing unless I call out on them, which I rarely do as I tend to use the mobile for all outgoing calls. Mobiles are cheap enough, I've got endless amounts of PAYG SIM's.

Good point Lurch, There are nowadays a multitude of options for arranging your telephonic communications.

So it is very easy to pick and choose how and when you want to speak to customers or answer calls or not..

just make your own personal choice and go with it!

9 to 5 / 24-7 whatever? SIMPLES Applaud Smiley

 

[Evans Electric]

Looks like I'm the only one then, I back the van into the garage,switch off the ignition , switch off the phone and switch off whats left of my brain.

Half of my regular industrial customers have gone bust in the past year, those who are left,if working late ,would phone the landline, which happens about once every 5 years.

Phone is also off from friday evening to Monday morning TBH, if anyone wants me on standby then I'd be charging for it .

 

[bulmer]

After the tenth Guinness :^O

 

[extension15]

Well I use to advertise 24/7 call out...

Never had 1 call after 10pm or before 7am

Most of the late calls I had, I managed to get the client to resolve any issues till the next day or if I wasn't available reccomend someone else..

As I do PAT testing these days (for the Banking sector), the unmarked computer centres, around the country, have supply backup in place for obvious reasons (including a electrician)............