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Posted By: Dave55 Cell Phones - 12/23/04 05:46 PM
I know this has been run in another section, but I'd really like to hear from the business people. I'm thinking of answering all my incoming calls with a cell phone while working. I'd also be interested in a phone in the truck WITH a cell phone, if there is such a thing. The idea is that I could put an antenna on the truck that would have to improve reception. Poor reception or dropped calls would be a HUGE problem (and why I haven't used a cell phone for incoming calls yet).

Anyone have a good, reliable system?

Dave
Posted By: Dnkldorf Re: Cell Phones - 12/23/04 06:59 PM
I've been down that road Dave.
Tried an aswering service, that got expensive. They gave a set amount of calls per month, and then they charged me for every call after that, whether it was a customer, or "junk calls", people trying to sell you stuff.

I finally had them forwarded to my cell phone. That works the best for me. I have alot of return business so I got to know my customers numbers pretty quickly. I don't know where you are at, but between Ny and Phila, Verizon worked the best for me. Coverage is almost everywhere I need to be.
The cell phone "type" is the most important, along with coverage. Cingular and nextel were out of the question for me.


Good luck........
Posted By: Electricmanscott Re: Cell Phones - 12/23/04 08:36 PM
For me answering calls while I work would mean no work gets done other than answering calls. I vote no.
Posted By: Pat@Amber Re: Cell Phones - 12/23/04 10:30 PM
I use a cell exclusively, no land line, and answer all my calls in the field. It is a major hassle but I manage to get a ton of work done despite all the interruptions. I don't know why, but the calls tend to come waves. Ten minutes on the phone and 45 minutes of work. I carry two or three pens in my tool pouch at all times. If I'm up in the attic, I'll write names and numbers on the back of my hand until I get down and transfer them to the appointment book. I look like an idiot with ink all over my arm (business tattoos) but it works for me.
Posted By: LK Re: Cell Phones - 12/23/04 10:41 PM
Verizon, has a phone, with a memo button, when the customer calls, get all the return call,info on the memo, then let the customer know, you will return the call shortly, the button feature is great, no looking for pens or paper, works best, when in the truck or in an attic.
Posted By: Northbayec Re: Cell Phones - 12/23/04 11:26 PM
I agree with Pat@Amber. I just started buisness 8 months ago in SF Bay area and am staying very busy taking calls on a cell phone or an hour later on voicemail. It is very impressive to the clients, especially when the are just running through the phone book. If you are busy at the moment check your voicemail when you go to the truck. I've found Verizon the most reliable in my area with best coverage and hardly ever a dropped call.
Posted By: Dave55 Re: Cell Phones - 12/23/04 11:58 PM
Wjat model cell phone do you have with the Verizon service?

Dave
Posted By: Northbayec Re: Cell Phones - 12/24/04 03:12 AM
Dave
I currently have a Kyocera SE47. I don't know if it has the memo button like the one LK has but I had a Motorola before that had the memo feature which was very convenient.

John
Posted By: LK Re: Cell Phones - 12/24/04 04:36 AM
Dave,

Motorola, Mod 120C

Les
Posted By: Dave55 Re: Cell Phones - 12/24/04 04:50 AM
Thanks guys!

Dave
Posted By: Electric Eagle Re: Cell Phones - 12/24/04 02:48 PM
If you don't answer your phone, you lose business. Until I had full time office help, I forward my calls to the cell. If you're too busy to answer, let it go to voice mail and call back a few minutes later. It's been my experience that once you talk to a customer, they will wait a week for you to do the work, but if they can't get in touch with you immediately, they will call someone else.

[This message has been edited by Electric Eagle (edited 12-24-2004).]
Posted By: Active 1 Re: Cell Phones - 12/24/04 05:00 PM
Dave,

I have an office number forwarded to my cell phone. I wish I could eliminate all the telemarketers tring to sell me junk. We have more than one number so we get more than our share of telemarketers. If the number comes up unknown or out of the area I let it go to voice mail.

With the Nextel service is hit and miss. My office is in a cell phone black hole. So I turn off the forwarding when I'm around the desk. Trouble is I forget to switch it back and forth. Yesterday I was in the office and forgot to turn off the forwarding when I got a new lead calling about a large job. I got to the part about he would send the prints for us to bid when the phone 1/2 cut out. I could hear him but he could not hear me. "What's your address, hello, hello, are you still there?" We didn't have voice mail for the office phone because it's allways forwarding to the cell. So I didn't like to leave off the forwarding when I'm not around. But we just fixed that by signing up for voic email on the office.

If you get call forwarding you might want to ask about some kind of unlimited local long distance calling because you'll be charged for every forwarded call from your office to the cell phone company.

I seen a guy had a booster antenia on his truck. Did not conect to the phone at all and he said it did nothing. The do have amps and antenias you can plug into your phone.

I got a call from a local call center wanting to answer our phones. I did not get a price but I might look into it.

Tom
Posted By: Dave55 Re: Cell Phones - 12/24/04 06:52 PM
I had an answering service in the early years. The problems I had are as follows:

1. With any forwarding there can be an odd delay, as in ring...ring...... .....ring...ring. What you can get is a "double-space" between rings.
2. I was continuously training the answering service people how I wanted my call answered. It was a rapid turn-over job.
3. As they got busier my calls would get put on hold. Not quite the service I was looking for.

What I'm considering now for the next few weeks is leaving my cell number on my answering machine (as in...I'm on the job, call my cell or leave a message). Then they have the option of calling the cell, leaving a message, or both.

I looked at new cell phones yesterday and you can plug a better antenna into them. They all have a port at the base of the antenna. You might try that in the truck or office.

Dave
Posted By: Electricmanscott Re: Cell Phones - 12/24/04 06:59 PM
LK good point. I don't get work through advertising or from "strangers", nor do I need the extra work. So an answering machine does the trick for me. I am very selective with my cell #.
Posted By: Dave55 Re: Cell Phones - 01/12/05 03:16 PM
I have a cell phone that "expires" soon, so I'm giving it out on my answering machine as an axperiment. If I get a lot of sales calls I may keep the new number a secret. The rest of the family has Verizon, so I'll probably get that because we can talk to each other "free".

Dave
Posted By: Norstarr Re: Cell Phones - 01/13/05 08:02 AM
Dave, I put my cell phone number on my answering machine but included in the message that only customers were to use it. The sales people honored it, probably because they know I would be short with them.
Ron
Posted By: Dave55 Re: Cell Phones - 01/13/05 12:11 PM
Great idea, Ron.
Thanks.

Dave
Posted By: macmikeman Re: Cell Phones - 01/13/05 03:26 PM
I still carry around a digital pager and give that number out to everbody. I also have a cell phone but only use it return calls after I get paged. This way I can return calls that I want to , and ignore the ones I think are going to be time waster's (like from the wife....)
Posted By: Active 1 Re: Cell Phones - 01/13/05 06:57 PM
Even if you don't give out your cell # some people save it off the caller ID when you call them.
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