Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Simon Gerrard on August 09, 2011, 06:06:03 pm

Title: No Answer
Post by: Simon Gerrard on August 09, 2011, 06:06:03 pm
I cannot believe how many cc's don't answer their phones during the day. We've had a number of people say to us recently that we were the only company that answered the phone. The others either don't answer or have an answering machine message saying they will ring people back, but don't!
And then people complain they their are quiet. :o
Staggering!
Simon
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: AshWhite on August 09, 2011, 06:21:28 pm
Quite what?

 :P

Ash
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Simon Gerrard on August 09, 2011, 06:24:30 pm
Happy now? ;D
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: mark_roberts on August 09, 2011, 06:37:52 pm
Its hard to hear and then answer and talk using a TM.  Get the same all the time too.

Was recently trying to get a spark near me.  No answer and not even a voice mail message just Mrs Orange and then a callback two days later.

Mark
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Neil Williams on August 09, 2011, 09:01:01 pm
I cannot believe how many cc's don't answer their phones during the day. We've had a number of people say to us recently that we were the only company that answered the phone. The others either don't answer or have an answering machine message saying they will ring people back, but don't!

We hear that too, and the reason they get through to us is because if we're both out then the phone goes onto divert to mobile. 
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Colin Day on August 09, 2011, 10:11:53 pm
I always ring back, even if they don't leave a message. But if I miss a call during work on my mobile, I ring back as soon as I have the opportunity... It's not rocket science....
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Mike Halliday on August 09, 2011, 10:19:18 pm
I've just bought an IPhone, the only reason i bought it was because of the volume of the ring-tone, its the only phone I've had which i can stand next the T/m and still here it ring.

I used to have 3-4 calls a day go to Vodafone answerphone
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: robert meldrum on August 09, 2011, 11:56:22 pm
Can't believe with the technology that's been around for at least a decade phones go unnoticed or unheard or not diverted .

Phones vibrate ....................and it's easy to divert domestic calls to mobiles and never miss a call and why would the sound of a t/m which is surely well away from where the operator is workingbe a problem. I'd expect the sound from some portables to be a lot louder and a lot closer.

I've used divert for years and with the phone on vibrate / loud ring never missed calls,
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: kinder clean on August 10, 2011, 12:51:13 am
Slightly off the topic, but we had 4 quotes for a replacement central heating system over a week ago now, and still not received one quote back  ??? rang them again today, got excuses ranging from, i've been very busy, I'm not very good with computers  ::) and even. . . .i'll be honest i forgot all about it - This for a £3k plus job ???

Plumbers must all be rich or bloody lazy.

Paul
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: mark_roberts on August 10, 2011, 01:21:07 am
Robert

Try standing beside the wand hooked to a TM and hear/use the phone.  Impossible.  Wand noise is way louder than a portable.

Mark
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: colin thomas on August 10, 2011, 05:51:15 am
use a bluetooth earpiece, you'll hear the 'phone ring then,

colin
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Mr Dvae on August 10, 2011, 07:04:41 am
custys like to use people who're busy
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: clinton on August 10, 2011, 07:47:12 am
Must addmit i sometimes dont hear the phone all the time etc..
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Doug Holloway on August 10, 2011, 07:53:26 am
Hi Guys

When I'm busy like the last couple of months, I filter my calls by largely letting them go to anwerphone and ring back the one's I want to.

It would be physically impossible to do all the work.

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Simon Gerrard on August 10, 2011, 08:55:48 am
That's a bit unprofessional, Douglas.
Plus, I think a touch of bragging thrown in for good measure. 'I'm so busy I can't take all of my calls and have to filter them.' What a load of cobblers!

Simon
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Steve Chapman on August 10, 2011, 09:36:02 am
I do like to answer as many calls as possible, but there are times when you pitch up at a job usually monday morning and the phone rings one call after another, i usually answer a couple and then let the others go to voice mail, i always ring back whithin the hour.

I would never get the job done otherwise and not fair on the customer if you are there on your phone when you should be cleaning thier carpet.

It would be impossible to answer every single call unless all you did was sit waiting for it to ring all day.

Most of the time the people who cant wait for you to get back to them are the nightmare customers any way  :(   so a good way of filtering them out  ;)



Steve
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: robert meldrum on August 10, 2011, 10:03:25 am
Forgot to add that in addition to diverting I've used an earpiece for many years and you can hear the phone through the earpiece as well as feel it vibrate in your pocket.

There have been a few suggestions recently that getting a T/M will suddenly make you extremely busy which is obviously nonesense and if you can't answer the phone how come you're so busy ?

Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: from edge2edge on August 10, 2011, 11:49:54 am
Simon i thing Dougs in a position to filter as he says and choose which one he responds to which is quite an enviable position to be in being able to cherry pick who you work for.I would like to be there one day myself.Regards Alan(swindon)
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Doug Holloway on August 10, 2011, 12:14:04 pm
Hi Guys

It's taken a long time to get in that position and I make no apologies for all the  hard work that has gone into it.

It is more professional to answer calls later, rather than keep stopping or try to answer above all the noise.

It works well, those who are old customers, recommendations or have studied my web sites and want me to carry out their cleaning will leave messages, and those that don't will ring someone else.

The beauty of being your own boss is that you can use a system which suits you.

Cheers

doug
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Colin Day on August 10, 2011, 01:02:19 pm
Even I filter phone calls out... It's usually the ones where they are enquiring about an oven clean..... ;D
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: garyj on August 10, 2011, 02:32:17 pm
It's not just this trade either. I've been trying to get hold of a glazier in Tottenham and not one has answered their phone.
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: wynne jones on August 10, 2011, 02:55:37 pm
I agree with Doug and I bet a lot of people do this too.

Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: robert meldrum on August 10, 2011, 04:58:08 pm
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so it's about professionalism

You don't often write daft posts Doug but that is extremely daft to suggest it's more professional NOT to answer the just because you're working.

My clients expect me to be working when they call and never offended when I tell them I'll call them back within the hour or in a few minutes.

It's most definitely GOOD TO TALK.
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Doug Holloway on August 10, 2011, 05:16:24 pm
Hi Guys

Robert it is most professional to answer every call as if you business depends on it but in the world of carpet cleaning, there are many times when I have to concentrate on the job in hand and cannot do that if I am answering lots of calls.

Sometimes I am just cc'd out and dont want to talk to anyone about carpets!

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: benny d on August 10, 2011, 05:29:22 pm
My call center in India takes all my calls then advises me when I get home.
Unfortunatly most of the jobs are either in Mumbai, or Dehli  ;D
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Simon Gerrard on August 10, 2011, 07:01:30 pm
quote. Simon i thing Dougs in a position to filter as he says and choose which one he responds to which is quite an enviable position to be in being able to cherry pick who you work for.I would like to be there one day myself.Regards Alan(swindon)
[/quote]
That's fair enough, but isn't it deeply disrespectful to people to have them leave a message and then because your filtering process eliminates them from your interest you simply don't return the call?  I wouldn't expect someone of Doug's calibre to be so unprofessional to people who have done nothing but register an interest in employing him. If he's that busy why not have a message saying you're not taking on new clients at the moment. At least then people won't be expecting you to call back and getting offended when you don't.

Simon
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Doug Holloway on August 10, 2011, 10:53:04 pm
Hi Guys

Simon, think about it.

If I put a message saying I wasn't taking any more work then it would not be a very effective filter as no one would leave a message.

Why anyone should be shocked that I filter calls, don't all businesses, credit checks etc

When I was less established I took almost anything , now I don't need to.

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Matt Lindus on August 11, 2011, 12:11:55 am
We had a disaster in the pool plant room last week. Chem feed, wave generator, uv, pumps and heat all out, caused by a hairline crack in an exchanger that leaked into the electrics and burned out the lot. Called five engineers last week to get this sorted asap as the kids are at home and have mates round all the time.
Only 1 got back in touch 3 days later and told us it would be 2 weeks before he could get to us.
Some people don’t need the work!!
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Colin Day on August 11, 2011, 12:30:37 am
Simon...

With your gigantic 10 Million HP TM and all your work you're so busy doing because you own the biggest TM this side of Nagasaki Swing-Bridge, I'm surprised you don't have an answering service that tells all potential custy dudes to just F-Off.... ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: clinton on August 11, 2011, 07:45:44 am
Same here with a decorator and took one a week to get round to us.
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: PaulKing on August 11, 2011, 07:46:34 am
Hey Colin mines the biggest TM this side of theNagasaki Swing-Bridge and north of the Tyne Tunnel and don't forget it!

2.5 70 bhp V4 engine running a,
Storbuilt 5LP Blower 900 cfm
Thermo maxx 150C heat generator
uprated 4000 psi pump
160 gal recovery tank

If I turn it up it splits solution hoses and at full revs and it sticks a tile spinner to the floor with a 100 foot of vac on it so just shows there is no point in too much power.

Oh and I never answered my mobile phone in a customers house,  I wouldn't answer my phone in a friend or families house without going outside, to my mind, its just curtosey the customer is paying you good money to do the job so , being distracted by a phone is a no-no for me.

Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Simon Gerrard on August 11, 2011, 09:28:25 am
Colin,
Simon...

With your gigantic 10 Million HP TM and all your work you're so busy doing because you own the biggest TM this side of Nagasaki Swing-Bridge, I'm surprised you don't have an answering service that tells all potential custy dudes to just F-Off....   

Erm, it's the biggest both sides of the Thelwall viduct and don't you forget it.  ;D Paul's aint bad either but it aint as pretty as mine ;D
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Hilton on August 11, 2011, 09:49:46 am
quote. Simon i thing Dougs in a position to filter as he says and choose which one he responds to which is quite an enviable position to be in being able to cherry pick who you work for.I would like to be there one day myself.Regards Alan(swindon)
That's fair enough, but isn't it deeply disrespectful to people to have them leave a message and then because your filtering process eliminates them from your interest you simply don't return the call? 

Simon
[/quote]

In a word............... yes !

Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Scotyhot on August 11, 2011, 10:01:24 am
Poor customer services speak enough for a certain company... In such a case it means the others from their staff would be as much professional as the people in the call centre
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: PaulKing on August 11, 2011, 02:55:47 pm
your right Simon, its not going to win any beauty contests.
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Simon Gerrard on August 11, 2011, 03:33:13 pm
Bit like it's owner  ;D( only joking)
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Simon Gerrard on August 11, 2011, 03:44:56 pm
Douglas,
I can't understand how you can filter people without first speaking to them to find out what they want. In my experience people are very short, sweet and to the point with their answering machine messages, so if you don't call them back how do you find out what they want and what the job entails. Presumably you filter out jobs that are too small or too far.
To be perfectly honest, I think you're doing a spot of trumpet blowing, whilst throwing your professional credibility to the four winds. It's just plain rude to ask people to leave a message and then because you don't like the tone of their voice, or whatever other filtration criteria you can glean from a short message, not get back to them.

Simon.
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: wynne jones on August 11, 2011, 04:42:49 pm
Different people have different ideas about right and wrong. For instance if I was a customer talking to a tradesmen and his phone rang and he just started talking to them I'd say that's disrespectful, someone else would wonder what all the fuss was about.

Run your business the way you want to, your customers will ultimately decide whether you are right or wrong, not another carpet cleaner.
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Doug Holloway on August 11, 2011, 04:43:09 pm
Simon

I really don't need a lecture on manners from someone who posts under a false name.

As for how do I filter, on many aspects, too many to go into here but obvious to most. The vast majority will receive a return call to determine their requirements and my ability and desire to fufil them.

Sometimes as happened over the weekend when I switched the phone off Friday afternoon and back on Monday, there were 8 enquiries over the weekend, some of who did not receive a call back because of sheer volume of work.

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: No Answer
Post by: Simon Gerrard on August 11, 2011, 08:18:58 pm
I really don't need a lecture on manners from someone who posts under a false name.

Doug,
Not that old chestnut again that goes back donkeys years which you seem to bring out of the cupboard at every available opportunity. And you missed out the word, 'Allegedly!' I don't see how you can harp on about something which you as a moderator turn a blind eye to day upon day upon day, as this forum is riddled with false and double identities and like me you must know their real identities, but strangely you never seem to mention it. Tut - Tut, Douglas, double standards, hypocrisy, perhaps, old chap. ;D