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I have a seperate business line in my home workshop, despite this I am getting a considerable number of "cold calls" normally directed to the normal householder i.e. guttering, double glazing, debt management companies
I have registered with the Telephone Preference Service but this seems to make no difference, I can honestly say that I'm getting more nuisance calls that ones from customers, very annoying.
I was wondering how everyone else deals with these, I had thought about screening all my calls by directing them to my answerphone but that's not a good impression to make for legitimate customers .... any suggestions ?
Frustrated of Upminster
My real name is Adam Laver aka "Adam The Picture Framer", just in case you were unsure ; )
yes - they are a real pain - usually when you're doing something that you don't want to interrupt ! once identified as a PIA call and if its a live person rather than the recorded things i say something to the effect
'sorry, you have come through to the warehouse and we don't have any phones here'
when all is said and done - there is more said than done.
I get these all the time too. What I have done is forward calls to my mobile. You can do this easily by having BT featureline which is no extra cost to a normal line (you don't need to buy a featureline telephone, a normal phone will work). Then any calls that come in that are unkown number, a strange looking number or an "08" number, I just ignore and let the answerphone take it. Generally if it is a genuine call, they will leave a message. Most of my customers will not have unknown numbers, so I miss few.
I guess you can get call screening on your BT phone line, and have the same message, but I find it forwarding it to a mobile easier when moving around my workshop.
I have phoned BT as I had signed to stop these calls, they said if you are getting sales calls from UK companies, you can report it to them and they will contact the company. Unfortunately, they cannot do anything about sales calls from overseas.
I get these all the time too. What I have done is forward calls to my mobile. You can do this easily by having BT featureline which is no extra cost to a normal line (you don't need to buy a featureline telephone, a normal phone will work). Then any calls that come in that are unkown number, a strange looking number or an "08" number, I just ignore and let the answerphone take it. Generally if it is a genuine call, they will leave a message. Most of my customers will not have unknown numbers, so I miss few.
Thanks very much for this Nick, much appreciated. I have done this on occassion and have seen "Unknown Number" but can't this also mean that a customer is X directory ? As you say, if it's a genuine customer they will leave a message on my mobile's answerphone and those annoying b*ggers won't bother
A good idea, Thanks.
Adam/Bagpuss
My real name is Adam Laver aka "Adam The Picture Framer", just in case you were unsure ; )
TPS - or something - has worked for us, we get very few direct marketting calls.
For those trying it on with switch tactics or from overseas, we just tell them (once we have seen past the BS and/or recognised it's a call from overseas) "We are registered with TPS and ..........."
They normally butt in at that point with "Ah - but, you see ......." and at that point we butt in with (basically) "We registered because we don't accept this type of call, you may not fall within their rules, but we have our own policies ..... I'm going to put the phone down now, goodbye"
I also found the TPS service made a big difference in reducing the number of calls I get.
I use fusionframers method, the portable phone I carry round the workshop displays the callers number and if its a withheld, international, unavailable, or I just don't like the look of the number it goes to the answer phone. Sorry but I'm far too busy most of the time.
When called I tell them I am registered with TPS and could I have their name so I can report them for violating the TPS rules - They almost always hang up immediately without saying a word - Before TPS I would get calls from the same companies time after time - that doesn't seem to happen now.
The big problem with caller ID as already stated - lots of customers choose to withhold their number - I have been nearly caught out a few times by customers starting a conversation as if they were trying to sell me something.
I have done this on occassion and have seen "Unknown Number" but can't this also mean that a customer is X directory ?
Hi Adam,
X Directory numbers don't come up withheld, the only way they are withheld from a home telephone line is if you dial 141 in front the the telephone number. I also think some phones can be preset to dial 141 in front but I don't think most people don't tend to do this. The other issue is customers ringing from work phones, as these can often come up unknown.
There is a danger that you will miss some calls, but I work on the basis that if I am busy enough to lose the odd one or two who don't leave a message and go elsewhere, this beats answering the nuisance calls.
I generally ask them to hold on for a moment as the kettle is boiling, then put the phone near the radio. Generally they hang up after a minute or so but at least that might mean one or two other people won't get disturbed that day.
The other day I did that and put the phone near the radio which was tuned to a discussion about terrorist attacks on the BBC World Service. Must have been interesting because the caller was still holding on 10 minutes later.
Sales calls are a constant irritation. Most people are nice well-raised and polite individuals and being rude is fundamentally alien to their nature. So it is easy to get sucked into actually being apologetic to the callers where what what you should be doing is just hanging up.
Sometimes it is tempting to wind them up a bit. But it's your time they are wasting. I have patiently explained that I don't make all that many phonecalls and the the cost of the 20mins lost in terms of labour charge arguing the toss with them would pay my call charges for a year (which isn't a great exageration). So if they really want to save me money, don't keep calling me. Or..... ask for a billing address from their company first off and book a 'consultation' for later, giving them a quote for about £400+vat. If they ever did accept this then you would have a verbal contract and you could send them an invoice even if they don't ring back. You might also add that all calls are recorded for 'training purposes'.
Thanks for all the suggestions
Over the weekend I re-directed my workshop phone to my mobile phone, every time I see "UNKNOWN NUMBER" I press "Ignore" and let them leave a message for me, no more uncomfortable conversations with over friendly cold callers.
cheers,
Adam/Bagpuss
My real name is Adam Laver aka "Adam The Picture Framer", just in case you were unsure ; )
