[JM SELECT SERVICES]

just wondering if any one works on there own, and what do they do about customers who call there home or office number when they are at work.
i am just getting started and i  will be working alone,  i have put my home number on flyers ,as well as my mobile, just wondered that the customer may be put off with no one answering the home number, and may not want to phone the mobile, wont seem to proffesional, i know i could set up a answer machine, or even have the call transfered to my mobile, but this again may put them off, when it says that the call is giong to be transfered. any views please, thanks again jim!!!!

[Mike Halliday]

get in touch with BT and they can remove the diversion message, so  it sounds like you have ansered the phone at home, they don't know any differance.

MIke

[mgcleaning]

i have answer machine in home but majority of callers try mobile first.(which surprises me to be honest)

[john rees]

I have my calls diverted to my mobile and have done for years... there is no message saying your call is being diverted as bt did away with it because business customers were complaining that their callers thought they were dialling a call centre abroad!
                                John

[HolmansUKLTD]

yep Johns right there is no message it made a big difference when i did it a couple of years ago

Nick

[strakercleaning]

Just started diverting calls to mobile while phone is unmanned and seems to work fine. No one knows unless you are driving or have machine going in background. You are paying for the last leg of the call so it makes no difference to the caller 

[Tony_Browning]

Do any of you folk who use this divert get sick of "telesales" people and the like calling.....or does caller ID still work, so you know who's calling, so if no number is showing, don't answer!

If this is viable I may consider...I was looking at something in the latest FSB magazine, a company advertising to answer calls in your company name, starting from £15 a month..........what d'ya think?

Rgds

[Chris Bailey]

Tony, I have call forward and caller id does work.  Problem is that not only telesales people withhold there number, some valuable customers could be lost as some also withhold there numbers.

I have also looked into a telephone service and found that on the cheaper rates the calls are answered by any one of many at the company providing the service.  I beleive this may give the wrong impression to customers ringing up. Some companys offer a dedicated person who will get to know your business and the services you provide, only that person answers calls diverted from your number and they are able to offer a more personal service - trouble is this costs about £70 per month.

And all messages past to you are charged at something like 9p each - Good service I'm sure, but a little costly.

Decided to stick with me call divert from BT at the moment.

Chris

[David_Annable]

I use BT call divert, phone number of dialer is shown.

Some office phone systems will come through as "private number" and you have no way of Knowing if its telesales or  a customer.

Dave

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys ,

I have been diverting for several years now and would strongly recommend over answer phones.

One of the biggest advantages not so far mentioned is not having to plough through a list of calls in the evening , as they have been dealt with as they came in.

I have generally found telesales people nice as pie when they initially call and pig ignorant when you say no.

Cheers,

Doug

[Ian Rochester]

I have used BT divert since started, works wonders for me.

Just today got a phone call from a woman wanting some carpets cleaned, asked where she was, said I'd be passing there in 20 mins.  Got there, priced the job £159, got it, booked in for the 21st Feb. 

She had a piece of paper on the table with 2 other CC numbers on it, that she was going to ring or maybe had rung.  However, I replied and got the job.  If a customer doesn't know any cleaners and is simply phoning around they will take anyone who answers the phone, not that I'm just anyone of course!

[Dave_Lee]

Hi All,
Diverting is definetly the answer (no pun) When I started diverting to my mobile instead of relying on my answer machine, the call pick ups trebled immediatly. I never realised so many people just hung up as soon as they were put through to the machine. I did try an answering service for 12 months, they were very professional. I had a dedicated freephone number, which I diverted my home teelphone to as I left in the morning. Any calls went through to this company, and appeared on their monitor under my business name, when a call was received. They then answered in my business name and collected the callers number after explaining that I was out on site. This worked very well, but at £1 a call, my monthly bill to the them was usually £120 and above.
Dave.

[Ken Wainwright]

Like others, I use BT Call Divert. Works well for me. A way you can cut down on the diverted call charges is to have your mobile number down in Family and Friends if you're on a residential line. This will give you 10% discount. Or you can now put a mobile in for Best Friend and receive 20% discount.

Unless it's changed, I don't think you can have Call Divert if you have a BT line but pay for the calls to a 3rd party.

As for Ansa messages, I'm able to put my own on my Orange Cell Phone, the message is a "Sorry I can't answer, I'm driving" type message. Punters generally respect/admire that. I won't use Hands Free.

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken

[SMP]

I use a call answering service - possibly the one you used Dave.  The monthly bill is quite large - can't remember when it was only £120.  Worth every penny.  They provide a 24 hour service - not one that switches to answer phone out of office hours.  They have helped me capture lots more business.

Cheers
Steve

[Dave_Lee]

Steve,
Mine was 'Message Pad', cant fault their service, at all, but I was aware that as well as their charges, it cost again to call them back and missed afair percentage as by the time I could get to return their call, they had got someone else. I do get more jobs diverting to mobile, also I get the impression people are keener when they can hear your machine roaring in the background, it makes you sound busy, and they like that. The downside is of course when you are in a signal dead area, but thats when a good voicemail message comes in handy.
Dave.