Home office

Speak for yourself Jimbo!































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Wow, it happens at home, too?

You're right. My cats just don't understand when its office time.

If I'm having some office time here at the day gig, I get noise about not 'working', too. Office time is valuable! Just because I'm sitting down doesn't mean its fair game for a panel discussion.

How else could I spend sooo much time during the day thinking up crazy things to say and not to say on TreeBuzz?

---
Suggestion for Writin' Shack:
(You may have better success installing in God's Country)

Cut a 12" hole in one corner.
When weather is acting accordingly, install at local lake.

Nothing like a walk on water for your daily commute. Lunch and cooler available through circular inlet. Quiet, away from trees. Great cell and TV reception.
 
I have a 12'x12 nice little office in my back yard. Tried it for a year and nothing got done. Moved the office in house and works out well. Do most of bills and invoices right at the kitchen table. Can be a liitle rough at times with my four kids hollering. Best was when my third youngest got a hold of my home address stamper and he went to town on the walls. I thought he would know better. Other than that I like the in home office, all calls come here any time of day usually to be answered personally.
 
And that's one of the drawbacks of a home office. You can always be at work. I admit to an admiration of people who can let the phone ring when they are "off work". It trains clients to call during your proscribed business hours and not expect you to be at there beck and call. Personally I find it tough, specially when business is slow.
 
Yes, the phone. This is perhaps one of the biggest reasons to consider an answering service. Your phone calls go somewhere else, so you at least have the good feeling that they are being fielded without you having to worry about a call being lost. I remember when I had them go to my cell phone... that was a bummer. Everywhere you went, you felt compelled to answer the phone. Now, they get answered by someone, then I get the message via text and email.

Hmmm... I do like this shed idea though
 
Kind of a catch 22, The home office, IMO, is incredibly convenient, although I have been known to take calls in the garage when my kids are out of control. I like the idea of a "shed" with a desk in it and a refrigerator, big screen, bar ,no girls aloud sign, bar, desk, file cabinets, bar, phone and a bar just for entertaining a few tree guys and maybe that one special client.
 
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If you don't mind me asking, what's the going rate for an answering service?

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I am paying around 120-150 a month, depending on call volume of course. My messages are answered live, then text and emailed to me cell phone/computer. This has been one of the smartest office moves I have made
 
I understand the principle of having a answering service...Really, I do. Convince would be nice. But, working for something has some rewards too.

The key phrase for business owners (especially small business owners): "Customer Interface."

New customer looks you up in the phone book. Sees your mug shot in the tree service add. He/she calls and hears the voice behind the mug shot (whether it is a voice mail message or live). When you show up to the door, the customer sees, hears, and even shakes your hand. --There are subtle hints of trust you are communicating. Then, you complete the job, receive the check, and they call you again. ----> Customer Interface.

The answering service is impersonal. The person on the phone is not qualified to answer tree service related questions. --And there is noting more frustrating than talking to a under qualified person on the phone. (We have all experienced it). Any negative experience with a potential customer, will not create a customer at all.

I'm at the point where I can talk to repeat customers and know what they want, the layout of their yard, a mental inventory of their trees, and know a little about their family life. All of which, I reinforce when ever I make a new contact with my customer.

I like the idea of creating customers for life. And this is one of many efforts to start that process.

"IMEO"
 
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I understand the principle of having a answering service...Really, I do. Convince would be nice. But, working for something has some rewards too.

The key phrase for business owners (especially small business owners): "Customer Interface."

New customer looks you up in the phone book. Sees your mug shot in the tree service add. He/she calls and hears the voice behind the mug shot (whether it is a voice mail message or live). When you show up to the door, the customer sees, hears, and even shakes your hand. --There are subtle hints of trust you are communicating. Then, you complete the job, receive the check, and they call you again. ----> Customer Interface.

The answering service is impersonal. The person on the phone is not qualified to answer tree service related questions. --And there is noting more frustrating than talking to a under qualified person on the phone. (We have all experienced it). Any negative experience with a potential customer, will not create a customer at all.

I'm at the point where I can talk to repeat customers and know what they want, the layout of their yard, a mental inventory of their trees, and know a little about their family life. All of which, I reinforce when ever I make a new contact with my customer.

I like the idea of creating customers for life. And this is one of many efforts to start that process.

"IMEO"

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Very valid points...... for sure.

My biggest reason was because of so many hang ups. People get antsy if they get an answering machine these days. Don't you absolutely hate the voice mail hell you get thrown into when you call someone like AT&T? I would much prefer leaving a message to a human, knowing that the info will be forwarded to the person needed, rather then spewing into a machine.

I am sure most people are aware when they call me that it is an answer service. The other way I look at this is they view it this way: We have gone through the expense of obtaining a live person to answer the phone, so we certainly place lots of value in their phone call. When I called out my regular plumber a few weeks ago, the woman ( who is an in house secretary) was not able to answer any of my plumbing questions, but she did take the message and put my info in the hands of the right person.
 
answering services have to be selected and used effectively. All those issues you've brought up are just such considerations that must be given. The answering service can't become a call screener that answers all your calls. If you have the service tell clients you'll be back to them right away then do just that (this is the same as the voice mail message).

I dealt completely by voice mail with an insurance agent once. We spoke maybe twice in about 7-8 contacts. If what is said is done then the customer will have that positive interaction that is so important to cementing the relationship. It's not saying it but doing it that counts.

We can't always be there to answer the phone so how you do deal with those times is all in the follow up.
 
What about all those telemarketing calls. It would cost you per call taken or up to so many. My phone rings off the hook all day with these. At least here we can just look at the id and see either unknown name, or an out of area call. I don't even bother to answer them. I'm even on the do not call list. It's always banks trying to lend me money or to give out credit cards. Not sure if they would be able to reconize this at an answering service. Correct me if I'm wrong though.
 
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What about all those telemarketing calls.

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back when I had my company I used this and a pager (man I'm dating my age now). They charge you by the month only, no matter how many calls. Prob was each call costed me 10cents to have it forwarded to their number.
 
Now a days I guess you would get a text message. Would be nice not to have to listen to your messages and could see if anything was urgent or could just give a buzz later.
 
Yea was Nice I had all the basic info you needed paged right to me, Name, addy, phone #, and a short mesage of what they wanted done. Getting the addy was nice cuase, sometime your right there, like the ones see your truck but wont stop instaed go home and call the #
 
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