Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mike Halliday on May 15, 2008, 07:48:21 pm
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I want an answer phone which allows the caller to 'dial 1 to be redirected to my mobile'
I'm sick of missing calls and customers leaving messages on Vodafone voice mail, so I thought I might as well use an answerphone at home and just return all my calls on an evening when I get home.
people are already leaving a message on the voice mail so I can't see any difference, and hopefully the ones who don't leave a message are just the crappy price shoppers.
but......
Some people will need to speak to me urgently so it would be helpful for them to be able to press 1.......etc
can you get a machine that does this?
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all my calls are diverted to my mobile from the home phone when I leave in the morning. It costs quite a lot though.
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just like mine, but I don't hear my phone ring so the calls go to vioce mail. then I ring them back
I want to stop all the calls during the day and answer them on a night
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Set your mobile to vibrate, then put it in your pocket, never miss a call.
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I don't want to answer my phone!! I'm sick of it ringing!! I want to answer them when i get home on an evening
I'm not talking about 1 or 2 calls, I've missed 12 today, if I did answer my phone I'd never get any work done.
mike
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Mike are you still doing the 50k leaflets on your own?
Shaun
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Open a call centre in asia :D
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Shaun I farmed 15km of them to a couple of mates, Mike Toomey(newclean) and john ( ashley professional)
so I had just 30k for myself ( it worked out at 45k not 50) but I've had to takes Johns area back. Due to logistical reasons the distributor didnt want to separate the area.
that's why I'm snowed under, its getting so bad that I'm just not returning calls.
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Get caller id Mike and then when you get in ring all the numbers back
Arthur
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Have you thought of getting an answering service Mike? I think you get some pretty good deals these days. Gete a friendly professional voice answering the phone explaining to customers that you don't take calls during the day as you feel it is unprofessional to be taking calls in someones house and that you can give them your undevided attn by calling back later but could they leave some details in the meantime
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Pete I saw a presentation at alltec last year for a company in Cambridge called infactum ( I think) I was thinking of trying them, but I think an answer phone could do the same, with a good message most people will leave a message and those who don't l(like I've already said) will just be price shoppers going through the Y/Ps
mike
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Web address is uk factotum. com
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thanks Chris, thats them :)
anyone use them?
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I'd get rid of the YP next year as you are busy enough, you might as well save the £'s.
Most call centres are charging by the call but there are 2 things to think about
1. Local people may want a local voice not a southern one
2. They can book you appointments in for you so all you have to do is turn up.
Shaun
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I have used a call centre called verbatim call centre newbury
Customer service, finding new business opportunities and creating the right impression are all critical success factors and at least two of them are affected by how you answer the phone.
Maybe you have a receptionist but is he or she always there?
If you don’t have a receptionist do your calls always get answered the way you want them to be and are they always answered?
You can make sure that someone is always there and that your telephone is always answered by a real person.
Make sure that you are open for business throughout the day
Stop worrying about incoming calls when staff are late, on holiday, or at lunch
Keep your staff costs as low as possible
Provide an even better service to your clients
Easily keep track of all your telephone messages
Maintain a highly professional image
Our call answering service can answer
overflow calls when your own phone or switchboard is engaged or busy
all your telephone calls (carve out protected time so you can concentrate)
telephone calls made in response to an advertisement or for event registration
phone calls placing an order, logging a fault, asking a question or buying a subscription
Get all your messages and never worry that you’ve missed anything important - for a fraction of the cost of employing another member of staff.
Benefits include:
Never miss an important call
Screen out time wasting calls
Capture more business opportunities
Reduce overheads (less capital investment and lower staff costs)
Would you like to find out more?
If that's a "yes" call Adam Hillier on free phone 08000 787 300 or you can contact him
found them OK but in the end all they are is a answer phone and give u messages to call them.
if the customer starts asking questions then the call centre don't no answer it gets complicated.
also not cheap!!
Dennis
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Pete I saw a presentation at alltec last year for a company in Cambridge called infactum ( I think) I was thinking of trying them, but I think an answer phone could do the same, with a good message most people will leave a message and those who don't l(like I've already said) will just be price shoppers going through the Y/Ps
mike
I think you could be right there Mike. If you explain yourself you will get msgs from the custys you want and not from those you don't. Give a go mate.
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Mike didn't you say that last year you put your answer phone on and it weeded the price shoppers from the good stuff?
Shaun
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Factotum are excellent and I would be brave enough to say that they are probably the best in the uk - for carpet cleaning companies.
It is run by a guy alled Tim Gale who used to run a Safeclean franchise in the Cambridgshire area - who really knew his sales, which is why it is so good as the staff are completely in tune with the industry. They can even run diary appointments for you etc. We used them for a while and were massively impressed.
The only downside is that they are quite expensive - but you do get what you pay for!
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We used them for a while and were massively impressed.
but not so impressed that you still use them ;)
why did you stop? becuase of the cost?
how much did it work out at?
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mike
cant you get the wife to answer the calls for you....just to get the basic info from the custy??
that way it dont cost you a penny ;D
oh sorry mike thought it was shaun.. :o ;D
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I used the wife to answer the calls and she got really good money for jobs far better then me but she got board of being stuck in the house so the inconsiderate person she is had a baby.
Shaun
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ouch ...............and you lost a damn fine receptionist!!!! :o ;D
my wife gets more money for my work too.........how do they do it?
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I love Bluetooth sure you have to answer it, but I say " can I call you back later " which rarely causes a problem and I just jot down the number if it's not saved.
You will never miss a call, as it rings in your ear, some even have automatic answering so you just talk.
rob
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why did you stop? becuase of the cost?
how much did it work out at?
Mike, the reason I dont use them is because my Mrs now answers the phone full time, she used to come out with me until her tennis elbow :-\ but now have someone else with me. She is ncca & iicrc qualified and knows a lot so can answer all custy's queries so dont need a call centre ;D
I honestly cant remember exactly how much but I do know it was a lot!
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Kev, you only do inhome quotes? your Missus could be over qualified to be a receptionist SACK her and get a 21 yr old dolly bird.
Shaun
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just like mine, but I don't hear my phone ring so the calls go to vioce mail. then I ring them back
I want to stop all the calls during the day and answer them on a night
sorry Mike I misunderstood you. It sounds like you need a secretary! I would love to miss 12 calls a day!!
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Hi Shaun
Yes, 9 times out of 10 in home quotes, makes a big difference in gaining the job and upselling more services (as you know ;)). Occasionaly we do price on the phone, when we know if its come from a certain couple of sources as it is almost a certainty to get it, so saves a journey (pending full survey prior to cleaning of course).
Yeh your right, dam she is over qualified. I likes the sound of that, problem is I wouldnt want to go out to work, just spend all me time 'showing her' how to use a stapler, and dropping waste paper on the floor and asking her to pick it up LOL. Jeez, dont get me started :P
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Mike
As you all appear to work well together in your area, maybee a fellow carpet cleaner has someone who is at home most of the time answering his calls so you could divert to that line.
Perhaps you could get a stay at home pensioner for say £50 a week or £1.60 a call
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Hi Guys
I like diverting to mobile because I can deal with it there and then, if I'm busy I let it go to answer.
People that are keen will leave a message, price shoppers won't so no loss there !
I used to employ a local answering service and still use them when I go on holiday so a good back up option.
Cheers
Doug
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doug
get the network to turn off the answer phone. these network will divert quicker if you have a answer phone than trying harder to find your signal (to save their network space). plus you can get it diverted to a second number that you know will get picked up.
make sure you have a phone that's fully powered all the time and a new phone, as they work on the power to roamimg issue all the time when updating phones. low batt equals lazy phone
don't mistake price shoppers for people like me that will keep calling until i get my problem solved. there is a lot to be said about not pricing over the phone but when someone whats to know that they have that problem solved and can now focus on the next issue. its the one minute manger idea.
phone answering service are good but expensive. why not just have the first phone divert to a second with a differant network on you this way if one network is bad it will divert to the second which hopfully is good. cuts down the risk of lost calls.
respect
ian harper