[Dash Dingo]

I have a company cell phone. I am a journeyman/ foreman. Normally I have one apprentice that works under me. I can have two decent size jobs running at one time or 3-6 small jobs. I consider my self a working journeyman.

Right now I am running two decent size jobs.
Between my boss, three different sales man, deliveries to the job, two different job sups, other journeymen at the shop, my other boss, secretaries from the shop, other trades on the job, the power company, and inspectors.... I took 30 calls in one day last week.
And its a normal thing for me to take 10-15 calls in one day. and thats not counting the calls I need to make for material, general job info, inspectors, etc.

I realize that its part of my job, but it seems like half the calls I get are because some lazy SOB did not want to put in any effort to get the info they needed so they just call me. Some days I cant get into working rhythm because I'm constantly being interrupted by phone calls and its frustrating because nothing is getting done.

I came into the trade in 2003 so cell phones were already being used on the job. sometimes I wonder how things got done before cell phones on jobsites.
If I forgot my phone at home one day I dont know what people would do? they wouldnt be able to call. And how would chit get done? One of these days I'm going to snap and chuck that muh****a off the wall!

 

[jza]

Answer your phone and get over it.

 

[Magnettica]

Yeah, you're not getting any sympathy from me either!

We're all the same boat when it comes to the phone!!

 

[Cl906um]

Join the club. I purposely leave mine home. It's relaxing. Take a breath. Before cell phones, you really had to think about what you needed,and used the land line in your or the generals trailer. Things were good. I wish I could work back in simpler times. It was more fun. Sometimes when the boss wants to micromanage, I want to put the phone on vibrate, and stick it up the pm's arse. Then hit redial 20 times, and wish there was a stun button.

 

[ponyboy]

Dude I know how you feel. Some days I just leave the fricking thing in my truck if i need to get stuff done and some days I don't even work. If I'm running six guys it's pretty safe to say I'm not touching the tools. I hate it, I'm in my twenties and i just want to work. Crazy right

 

[LaZyEyEdPsYcHo]

answer the phone and do the job youre being paid to do

 

[sbrn33]

I am on mine all day everyday. At least it seems that way. If I am working somewhere I will leave it in the truck and check it every once in awhile.
I hardly ever take it inside on a service call. I think it just looks bad to answer it in front of a customer. Especially when they are paying me.

 

[Magnettica]

The phone's in my pocket all the time and of course you would never answer the phone in front of the customer either. It's on but all the bells n whistles are shut off and inaudible otherwise I'd never get anything done.

 

[Rollie73]

Hmmmm....15 to 20 calls a day.......sounds like a slow day to me. Some days I leave mine in the truck and let voice mail handle it. If its important I will call you back right after lunch break.

If my guys can't find the info or fix something on their own once in a while then they can find a new job next week:laughing:

 

[captkirk]

join the crowd .... see my post about a secretary

 

[dthurmond]

Mine rings all the time . Between my boss calling or a customer it never stops .

 

[Dash Dingo]

Hmmmm....15 to 20 calls a day.......sounds like a slow day to me. Some days I leave mine in the truck and let voice mail handle it. If its important I will call you back right after lunch break. If my guys can't find the info or fix something on their own once in a while then they can find a new job next week:laughing:

See I don't like the voicemail thing, it seems like I end up in a game of phone tag that way.

 

[DIYer4Life]

I'll always walk outside to take the call. I try to never miss a call, many times the potential customer just moves on to the next contractor. That's what I do.

 

[captkirk]

I agree. Someone needs to answer the phone... its your best chance of landing the job.. even if its a executive assistant. .. people want to hear a real person on the other end or they just move on..

 

[Rollie73]

I'll always walk outside to take the call. I try to never miss a call, many times the potential customer just moves on to the next contractor. That's what I do.

For the type of business that you guys run where the sale depends on being available then it makes sense to answer every time. More than 85% of my work comes in the form of bid jobs and the project managers know that their calls always get returned within an hour or two.

The other 15% of our business comes from maintenance contracts anyway and we have guys assigned to that work anyway.......they shouldn't be calling me unless its an extreme emergency.....they get paid good money toknow the buildings they are working on and know how to fix anything in there.

The maintenance customers know to call the office for anything else.

 

[DIYer4Life]

For the type of business that you guys run where the sale depends on being available then it makes sense to answer every time. More than 85% of my work comes in the form of bid jobs and the project managers know that their calls always get returned within an hour or two.

The other 15% of our business comes from maintenance contracts anyway and we have guys assigned to that work anyway.......they shouldn't be calling me unless its an extreme emergency.....they get paid good money toknow the buildings they are working on and know how to fix anything in there.

The maintenance customers know to call the office for anything else.

That definitely makes sense.

If I am busy working and the phone rings and I see it's an existing customer, I may let it go to voicemail because I know I won't lose anything.

But if it's a new number which may be a potential customer, then I do my best to answer it.

 

[Dan Wheeler]

I have my phone with me 24/7. During the day our secretary takes calls and after that my boss usually takes them.

But I have some customers who prefer to deal with me directly and will call or text at any time. Also when my boss is out of town, the emergency calls are forwarded to me.

Usually not an issue to stop what I'm doing and taking quick calls, but a lot of times I get calls at worst times, up in the bucket truck, holding a panel to mount, or crammed into a tight attic or behind some equipment.

Which is why I prefer to text, the office will text with questions and I answer whenever I get a moment.

 

[HARRY304E]

I have a company cell phone. I am a journeyman/ foreman. Normally I have one apprentice that works under me. I can have two decent size jobs running at one time or 3-6 small jobs. I consider my self a working journeyman.

Right now I am running two decent size jobs.
Between my boss, three different sales man, deliveries to the job, two different job sups, other journeymen at the shop, my other boss, secretaries from the shop, other trades on the job, the power company, and inspectors.... I took 30 calls in one day last week.
And its a normal thing for me to take 10-15 calls in one day. and thats not counting the calls I need to make for material, general job info, inspectors, etc.

I realize that its part of my job, but it seems like half the calls I get are because some lazy SOB did not want to put in any effort to get the info they needed so they just call me. Some days I cant get into working rhythm because I'm constantly being interrupted by phone calls and its frustrating because nothing is getting done.

I came into the trade in 2003 so cell phones were already being used on the job. sometimes I wonder how things got done before cell phones on jobsites.
If I forgot my phone at home one day I dont know what people would do? they wouldnt be able to call. And how would chit get done? One of these days I'm going to snap and chuck that muh****a off the wall!

You're lucky,just think of what it was like when we all had nextel phones,every 2 minutes beebeep! WTF IS IT NOW!:laughing::laughing:

 

[Shockdoc]

Back in the 80's the large outfits I worked for were fitted with two way Motorola radios in the vehicles, we also wore a beeper. Pay phones as well as customers land lines were often used.

 

[Shockdoc]

I kinda miss the old days, it was a lot easier without constant distractions.