Voice Communications

[tidyjet 14]

I don't have a "land line". My Wife and I have been getting along well fine with our cell phones and broadband connection for the web thank you very much.

However, as I work towards establishing my business, it's becoming obvious that a dedicated business line will be necessary. If for nothing else, the fax capability.

I looked into VOIP on our broadband. It's not available in my area yet *bummer* 'cause that's a great deal.

I could get a regular residential line for cheap but the Ph co. (verizon) says that's verboten and they could unplug me if I'm using it for business, not to mention the fact I wouldn't be able to have myself listed in the business/yellow pages sections.

I was looking to see how you folks have your communications established and what's practical, what's not. eg. voice mail boxes, fax lines, call fwding and what have you.

I guess the question is; what's the most efficient way to package power washing business communications for a one-man show?

paul

[Celeste 341]

Paul,

We haven't had a base line yet and have survived it for over a year. If you're out washing, you won't be home to answer anyway! We are listed (with our Nextel numbers) in the Bell South book - don't know who does your books there so that may be a mute point, but we are also in the Sprint Yellow pages in the next county over.

If you are going to advertise in a yellow page arena, I'm pretty sure they don't care if you use their service - they just want your marketing $$. Most folks are not going to look you up in a white page listing if they don't know your name.

We put our cell numbers on our truck, our signs, our cards, brochures, etc... and it has worked to our advantage. Like I said, if you're out working and your bus line is in your house - they get voice mail that you may not retrieve for several hours. Our builders like to be able to get us on the first phone call, not have to wait until the next day to speak to us. Residential customers - if they get voice mail, they may well move on to the next number that's available and again, you've possibly lost income.

There are faxing facilities opening up all over the place - you can fax from Office Depot. There is also software that will allow you to receive faxes on your computer. Before you stress yourself to death with the local phone company and add an additional expense, check out all of your options.

For the record - this is my opinion - I have had REALLY BAD EXPERIENCES with my local phone company and would slit my wrists before having another line so I'm sure my position on your question is maybe a tiny bit biased :)

Celeste

[CCPC 26]

I to run my business through my cell phone. I have my cell number on all of my advertising including my yellowpage ads. Being a one man show, it seems a little pointless to have a business line at home when I'm never there. Sure, I could always use call forwarding to route my incoming calls to my cell phone when I'm not there, but why? I run my fax machine through my home phone which has worked out just fine also.

[Celeste 341]

We have yet to have a burning need for a fax line - what's everyone faxing these days?

Just curious as to what I'm missing out on!

Celeste

[R L S 14]

I to am a one horse wagon and all I use for my business is my cell. I have a land line but thats just for internet and faxing. In fact if my land line rings I dont answer it because nobody I know has that number and I use only my cell number on all my advertising.

I have used my fax to deliver bids to companies, fax insuracnce info to customers, lately I used it a few times for tax purposes with a company I have an account with they are in P.A so faxing is easier then snail mail. I would not get a land line just to be able to fax though, just me.

Richard

[CCPC 26]

I don't use it to often, but its a nice thing to have when someone requests some information from you (estimates, invoices etc.) or if someone wants to send you some information on a job. I bought mine for 99.00 from Staples. its a fax, scanner, printer, copier all in one. I figured for 99.00 why not.

[Ptsnorth 14]

Paul, there are several VOIP providers now. In checking VOIP providers, you've checked with Vonage? I'm a Vonage user launching a new business. I'm using both a voice and fax number. The service is maybe a tad quirky compared to BellSouth, but the quality, price and flexibility seem to offset its quirkiness.

I may pay the price when it comes to getting listed in the BellSouth Yellow Pages next year.

-Scott

[Celeste 341]

In response to my faxing question - My insurance agent sends out all of my insurance info so all I have to do is make a phone call there. Internet is cable so no phone needed. For less than it would cost me to get all lan-lined up, we use a laptop and portable printer so that quotes can be prepared and left in one visit. Most all other documents can be emailed so I'm still thinking that one can definitely proceed with only the cell phones :)

Celeste

[Celeste 341]

Scott - Our BellSouth yellow page ad lists our Nextel numbers in the ad, in the column and in the white page listings. Like I said, they're the ad dept - they don't care who your phone service is through. Same with Sprint.

Celeste

[CCPC 26]

I have mine in the yellow pages, but I was told they couldn't put a cell phone number in the white pages. Maybe I should check again when I relist in a few months.

In response to my faxing question - My insurance agent sends out all of my insurance info so all I have to do is make a phone call there. Internet is cable so no phone needed. For less than it would cost me to get all lan-lined up, we use a laptop and portable printer so that quotes can be prepared and left in one visit. Most all other documents can be emailed so I'm still thinking that one can definitely proceed with only the cell phones

The only reason we have a home land line is because we have a 13 year old daughter, of which we don't allow to have a cell phone at this time. She's at home alone in the afternoons somtimes.

[Celeste 341]

The only reason we have a home land line is because we have a 13 year old daughter, of which we don't allow to have a cell phone at this time. She's at home alone in the afternoons somtimes.

Children reasons are a whole different animal - land line is a must for safety.

[RyanH 14]

Paul,

check into the wireless cards or PDAs Verizon offers. The PDA has a dedicated number, can be had for about $40/month, and can be connected to a computer. you can use your computer to send/receive faxes. Hell, many PDAs can even receive a fax now, save it as an image, and upload it to your computer with ease. Just don't tell them you'll be using it for anything business. Landlines are going the way of the dinosaurs. They're just too limited. And I don't think the yellowpages will turn down advertisement income because you don't have a landline.

[newlook 265]

We have a separate phone line in our office and a separate fax line. The business warranted it because I was receiving just way too many calls on my cell. Even when I did not pick up the call...I had to set some time aside to listen to the voice mail and return their call anyway.

I have someone that screens my calls at the office. Current customers that I have ongoing contracts with have my mobile # in case they need to speak with me right away

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

The one important thing we remember is that a phone line is a company presence and is integral to presenting a sense of permanance to the customers.

It has been said "if they are not in the phone book, they must not really be in business" by many of our clients. It is not always a preferrence to use a cell phone to do business with because it is unorganized to the client. while many of us have set up the ability to be reached anywhere with cells phones, it doesnt mean that it is the right thing for the cutomers perception. Trying to make the best first impression and being on a noisey job site or talking with a current customer with distractions going on in the background can detract from the customers (on your cell phone) comfort that you are giving them 100% of your attention.

People in the white collar world use cell phones because they travel (so do we to some extent) but we are blue collar and we are in production. This is customer perspective mind you. We should have a main # for them to call which always has someone to answer their call. (we have gotten the job just because we picked up the phone and were not using some answering service).

I am sure that I am presenting some controversial stuff here, but thinking in the short term doesnt get you the long term results. My suggestion: Make the public know you are there, and easy to find. Until they get a cell phone yellow pages book, it can appear to be a fly-by-nite operator.

In the end, its presence that the client is looking for in a contractor. They want to know that you are real and will always be around.

Just something to consider going forward though, afterall, we are trying to impress the clients who call us and we want to make the best 1st impression we can.

Faxing? who still faxes to customers? Aside from the latest bans on unsolicited faxes, (unless specifically requested by the client) we stopped doing that because it misses the human element and makes us look cheap because we didnt take the time to actually visit the client. The only faxing we do these days is (BtB) business to business and government for regular correspondance and keeping up with the beauraucratic science of "What can they screw up now!" :lol:

Rod~

[Celeste 341]

There are so many different phone numbers around our area anymore, no one knows whether you have a cell phone or not - YELLOW PAGES WILL LIST YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER in your ad. As I stated above, if you're not in the yellow pages, why would you care if you're in the white pages? Folks don't look for contractors in the white pages.

Let me point this out, and I mean no disrespect to Beth & Rod or Carlos, who are clearly larger than 1-2 man operations - The original poster is a small one-man operation. If he's working by himself, chances are if he had the additional funds to hire another body, it would be to work in the field with him as opposed to sitting waiting for a phone to ring. It is feasible to maintain a professional business in the early years with just a cell phone. If the cell starts ringing 20 times an hour, you're obviously gonna be outgrowin' your 1 man operation status pretty quick and then, hire a secretary. When you get a secretary, welcome to white collar world. Blue collars are expected to be on the job site - and that's another purpose for that nice truck - quiet cab to talk in. Frankly, our callers like to know we're busy - makes them wonder when you're just sitting around the office waiting for the phone to ringaling.

Our position was to keep monthly expenses as low as possible for as long as possible and put our hard earned dollars where they could be working for us the most while we're also working.

Just my .05,

Celeste

[newlook 265]

Celeste,

You bring up some very valid points. From an "appearance" angle I do not believe that potential customers will walk away due to the fact that a business communicates via a cell phone.

If a potential customer is looking at you and you have the insurance, nice rig, decals on truck, references, chamber member, B&B member, business card w/ info. on it, nice letterhead and etc. then I would venture to say that they would not even notice whether or not your communicating with a cell.

Our business was conducted with a cell for the first year and half. I put on our business cards that the cell # was the main number. The ONLY reason that I had a main line installed was to take over the volume of calls that I would receive out in the field. I did not put much thought into as what the customer perception would be if I were to install a dedicated phone line.

Rod ~ I agree with your points about customer perception and how one would want to make a good 1st impression. That is very important ~ whether it be with a cell or a regular phone line.

The suggestion that if "someone is not in the phone book, then they must not be in business" goes along with the statement I gave about to Celeste. If you a laundry list of "credentials" ~ then I also think the customer will not mention the phone book and why you are not in it. I look at phone book ads as a MARKETING decision vs. the NEED to show people that I am in business. We do not run phone book ads. We never had to so far~ knock on wood :).

With todays technology we can offer to our customers a better interaction experience vs. 5-8 years ago. And, I am quite confident that we will be able to interface with our customers even better in the future

Good thread

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Personally, I think if you update systems as you grow, it is fine to use a cell phone and grow to another system. If you answer the phone professionally and return calls promptly you are ahead of the game.

Beth

[Ptsnorth 14]

With a solution such as Vonage (perhaps like other broadband VOIP providers) I can forward the telephone number to my cell phone and if I can't answer the cell phone, the call will roll to Vonage voicemail. When I receive a voicemail message, I automatically receive an SMS or E-mail message notifying me with the caller's phone number (caller ID). There is a LOT of flexibility here. I avoid publishing my cell phone number because I don't want calls from Cold Caller Trolls interfering with my work. RyanH proposed a solution that is cool but its a little more bleeding edge.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Pacific Bell/SBC and Verizon are the 2 largest phone books here. Neither will print an add with a cell number. They may want you money, but only if they can get more. If you do not have a landline they will make you get a remote call forwarding number for an additional fee.

[RyanH 14]

Alan...

show me a company with a business model like that and I'll show you a company that won't be around 5 years from now (most likely less). I love competition!!! The monopolies are going to have to adjust and offer consumers what they REALLY want rather than consumers having to settle for what established are comfortable with offering. Adaptation and evolution at its best. I love survival of the fittest scenarios, especially when it comes to business.

What's funny is here I have Verizon reps calling me asking to buy a yellow page listing in their book. I have a cell number through Verizon Wireless but apparently they'll still put it in their regular directory. May be a difference of markets. Around here, there is some pretty heavy competition in the arena of yellow page listings. For now, it's a bittersweet arrrangement for businesses....you pretty much have to list in ALL of them or risk not being seen in certain areas. BUT, if you're trying to target a specific area, it's kinda good because you don't have to pay gobs of money for coverage that may go 100 miles away and is of no use to you.

[RyanH 14]

And companies like Vonage are great to turn the voice carriers on their ears (telephone line or wireless). I think when the laws of supply and demand work themselves out with the emerging technologies, we'll all have no problems finding exactly what we need to make our businesses work cheaper.

[Scott Stone 604]

I am juping in late here, but here goes.

I have both a cell phone and a land line. If my customer wants to get me, they need to call the cell. If they call the land line there is a more than even chance that no one will pick it up. I do have call forwarding and since all of my troll faxes recently stopped, I can now call forward with comfort.

Right now I am contemplating the idea of a Hi-Speed wireless card for my laptop. That way I would be able to access the computer at home for billing on job sites, and such. If I get much more busy I will almost have to do it. I have to do all of my own billing and such so that with the card, I can while I have a minute or two down between jobs.

As for using a fax, yes, I do EVERY day, and sometimes three times a day. I fax notifications of work completed to my customers. I also send notifications via email, and send invoices via email. I love it when I can do that!!!

Scott Stone

[CCPC 26]

Until the day that I don't spend anytime in the field and I can sit at the desk all day and answer the phone, I will always either run my business through a cell phone or have it forwarded to my cell phone. My customers don't want to speak with a receptionist that can't answer all their questions. With that kind of service, I might as well be Envirospec.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Alan...

show me a company with a business model like that and I'll show you a company that won't be around 5 years from now (most likely less).

I showed you two companies and they have been around for a long time. And despite having a Verizon cell nymber they will not put it in their printed book. You would think if you are paying, why they would care.

[RyanH 14]

I showed you two companies and they have been around for a long time. And despite having a Verizon cell nymber they will not put it in their printed book. You would think if you are paying, why they would care.

Historical existance, aside, they won't *stay* in business with the new services becoming available. Every year the number of people relying on cell phones increases. 80% of the people I know have discontinued landline service and use only wireless providers, and we're not alone. I checked around in the subdivision we're moving into...it's not uncommon to see people leaving landline service unactivated. They run the lines in the house for resale ability, but they personally won't be using them and will only use cellular connections. It's a growing trend that has really only gained steam in the recent few years, and older companies will have to change their strategies to keep up. As for Verizon not publishing in their books, that must be a regional issue. Perhaps a call or a letter to the regional office (or even national office) might get some policies changed. Go through the sales office, though, not the customer service. CS can't get their S right anyway..