Quick moan
Bit of advice for anyone thinking of running a business from home - be aware that people don’t have any concept of ‘office hours’. I think the worst we’ve had was when a client phoned us at 9pm on a Sunday, but this is closely followed by the phone call I got this Sunday lunchtime. Yes, this Sunday which was a BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND. I have to say that I’m absolutely astounded that it didn’t occur to them that it wasn’t an appropriate time to call.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Yes I have one or two clients like that, I think it is something you need to educate your clients about, especially those whose business is their life.
I always divert my office phone (I have set up a separate telephone line for my home office) to my mobile phone which displays the caller id. It gives me the option of answering the call or letting it go to the voicemail.
May 9th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Thanks for your comment Graham. A separate line is something that we’re definitely thinking about. In the long term we’re hoping to be able to move the business into some office space but meanwhile a separate line might be the solution.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
You’re kidding, right? You’ve gone all this time without anyone ringing you at the weekend? I don’t even do web design any more but I still get ex/old clients ringing me at the weekend. Just this weekend I had one ring me 10am Saturday morning. I had one ring me once at 11pm on a Sunday night. Can’t say it bothers me but then again I did it around my day job, if I’d been doing it as a “proper” business, maybe I’d think differently.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Oh, Emily, I should probably just mention that the one who phoned me 11pm on a Sunday night was the client that I passed on to you. Hee hee. Sorry. But in my defence I did warn you he was a pain. Albeit a nice pain.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:59 am
11pm on a Sunday night! That beats our 9pm incident. That’s outrageous.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I have clients like this also you end up having less free time.
May 18th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I’d be interested to know if their call was urgent- if it was a genuine emergency (web site on fire etc) I could let that pass in the interests of being seen to ‘be there for them’. Otherwise I think it is outrageous! I agree with Graham, a second line must be the obvious way to go, with an answer phone explaining your ‘open hours’ where they can leave a message. I think the issue is as much about working from home as it is having your own business- if you worked from an office you would only be there to answer the phone when you were working.
Tom
PS Did you see that item about broadband on Country File this morning? They featured a company from St Just, and for a heart-in-the-mouth-second I thought it was going to be you!
May 20th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
The call wasn’t particularly urgent. It was a problem that they’d been saving up since the Friday - if it was that urgent they could have phoned on Friday…
No, we missed St. Just’s moment on Country File. Was it Spider Eye they featured? They’re pretty high-profile.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Hiya, some funky 3D outfit based in Penlee House. Now if only they had had that when I was doing my work experience…
Tom
May 21st, 2008 at 7:34 am
Yes, that’s the ones. They’re doing pretty well for themselves by all accounts (not jealous at all, ahem).