I contacted (phone and email) two contractors last week. One is a heating contractor to replace my furnace, the other is an energy consultant to do an energy audit.
I need the audit done before the furnace is replaced so that I can benefit from government grants.
It took a week before the consultant got back to me. Unfortunately for him, i got tired of waiting and hired someone else.
Tomorrow I’m calling another heating contractor.
So, do you professionals respond to all queries that come your way or do you ignore some when you are too busy ?
I realise that many contractors don’t have an office with a secretary and that they can only respond when they get back to their office. If I send a query by email or leave a voice message, how long should I expect to wait before getting an answer ?
Replies
By rights, you should hear back from any business within a day.
In the real world, one man operations are notorious for not getting back promptly. If I don't hear back in two days I give a call back, if i still don't get a return call, I usually move on.
John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
Agreed. Give them a few days to respond, and a couple of calls. (Keep in mind that small operations may not be able to reply immediately because they're on a job until late.) If they still don't reply then look somewhere else -- they're probably not reliable even if you do get in touch with them.
Corporation: n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. --Ambrose Bierce
I return most calls the same day or DEFINITELY by the next morning. Its just common courtesy.
Likewise, if I call a new sub or supplier and they don't call me back after the second call over 2-3 days, I give up and move on.
If someone can't call you back in 1-2 days, they are not going to be reliable once you have them on the job either working with you or working for you.
I typically try for 24 hour response 48 at the most.... but I have to admit some messages never get returned do to the bad vibe tone assuption the call is a tire kicker.
I'm small, my customer know this. I've had customers call my house at 6:00AM Sunday morning. Send faxes at 1 in the morning, call and leave 9 messages in 6 hours.... Just last week I had 1 call and leave a message at 4 in the afternoon nice as pie only to call back at 8:15 the next morning calling me everyname in the book for not returning his call????? WTF?
Soooo..... 2 guys not calling you back...... Hmmmmm..... yea it's probably they are both busy. :-)
I call forward my office phone to my cell phone when I leave in the morning and I answer my cell phone when it rings on the job.
No more answering machines, phone tag anxiety.
It has been liberating.
Thomas
My heat guy is the last of my subs to still be busy and he answers / calls back that day.
Myself, I usually will meet with a potential client within two days of initial contact.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
I'll return any call with in 24 hours regardless of how busy we are.
I won't meet with every phone call but I'll at least be up-front and honest with anyone I speak with. If I say I'll get back to you, I will, how busy I, or anyone, is is irrelevant. It's more about good customer service then anything.
I'm guilty when I was in business, but that was when I was busy! Now I'm on the other side of the fence trying to get work done and it seems two out of five (rough guesstimate) actually want anything to do with getting work. Maybe it's the area and lifestyle. Afterall a short 20 years ago this area(North Georgia) was quite poor.
Hey I don't care. If they don't want to show up or call back I'll put it on one of my blogs. The bad ones will lose work here and there if somebody does a search on them. On the flip side, those that show up as scheduled/call back will get raving reviews and referrals from me.
Yessir, customer service.
http://cabininthemountains.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-recession-guys-are-too-busy.html
Enjoyed the abandoned buildings pics.
Thanks
I get back to prospective clients within a day.
sometimes there are messages left that start off with "I need to save a lot of money and.....blah blah blah....".
how in the world do people who leave these messages expect to get called back?