Am I overreacting?

[curvygirl]

I am a home salon based nail tech/therapist. A client has texted me shortly after 6am today (it is Sunday morning) asking if i work Sundays (i dont) and if so can she can have an appointment.

Client knows this is my personal phone number and not my business number. My phone is always by my bed in case of emergencies.

To say I'm miffed is putting it mildly, I'm now wide awake (6.45am) on the only day I get a lie in!!

Am I overreacting? is it unreasonable to expect clients to send a text message at a suitably sensible hour? I could totally understand if it was a Facebook message as I get no auditory notification - but surely sending a text message to a phone that you know is a personal number at that time on a Sunday morning is inconsiderate?

What do u think?
Am I overreacting?

 

[Dexy]

No your not over reacting that's just really bad manners or someone who just has no common sense ...I would be tempted to wait until midnight tonight and text her back saying "sorry didn't get your message as you didn't text my work number ;-) " x

 

[Topsy]

Your definatly not over reacting I would be fuming !


Laura 🐶 x

 

[nikitaann]

I have a client who keeped txting me at midnight for appointments the next day. I just turn my on silent now at 9pm every night and don't turn it back up untill im up and about the following morning. People just expect you to be on call 24/7 when you're home based its ridiculous. xxx

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[w1nnie]

People should have respect when you work from home. Not sure why clients know your personal number anyway unless she's a sort of friend too ? Yes, tell her you don't respond to texts relating to work on your personal phone !

 

[Severnrose]

I don't know why people think it's ok to do this. I had someone test me just before midnight on a sat night asking for an appointment the following day (Sunday). She then text again chasing for an answer at 12.30am! Then chased AGAIN around 7am! All on a Sunday. As it happens I do work Sundays but this woman annoyed me so much that I told her I didn't x

 

[MummyCat]

Why does she even have your personal number? Is she your friend? Is this a case of friends taking liberties again?

 

[w1nnie]

I don't know why people think it's ok to do this. I had someone test me just before midnight on a sat night asking for an appointment the following day (Sunday). She then text again chasing for an answer at 12.30am! Then chased AGAIN around 7am! All on a Sunday. As it happens I do work Sundays but this woman annoyed me so much that I told her I didn't x

Good for you, she sounds a PITA , tempting not to see her EVER !!!!

I do work sundays, but I tell my clients to ask me nicely, and they do :biggrin:

 

[SJK]

I think you have to get another phone and separate your work/personal calls (I'm assuming you don't already). Clients will take liberties and you have to side-step this.

 

[twid]

Clients take liberties but it's our job to put them straight and mold them into the clients we want. In the beginning I was so over accommodating it used to drive my family mad but I felt that if I wasn't like that then people wouldn't come - I was so wrong, just like kids they like/need boundaries.

So tell her off (nicely but firmly), tell her not to use your personal number anymore and make sure she understands that Sundays and sacred to you!

Good luck
Karaxxx

 

[Lipstick Kisses]

I had this, client text at 10am Thursday to book in for Saturday morning, absolutely no problem. She then decides she wants to change so texts me at 10.30pm asking if I can do Friday, I text her back immediately asking what time and get no reply, I text again 10 mins later as I go to bed offering her my free appointment at 4 and go to sleep. I am then woken at 1.45(!!!) to a text saying 'do you not have any morning appointments?' ! 1) does she not think if I had morning appointments I would have offered it when I told her what time I am available? 2) is she hoping her text will wake me up and I will book her in at 2am for 7 hours time? (err no!) 3) she usually demands weekend appointments as apparently she works ALL day so why is she up at ridiculous o'clock on a Thursday night and why all of a sudden can she do Friday? Annoyed is not the word.

 

[Lunaberry]

I do not understand some people's logic!
My other half has his own plumbing business and he is on call 24/7 for emergencies eg gas leaks/major water leaks so must keep his phone on at all times. It still surprises me the number of people who pgone 1st thing on a sat or sun morning to book him in the week for non emergencies!
Last Sunday he was due to go to drain down someones caravan ready for the winter at 11am. He doesn't always work sundays but was being accommodating as they were leaving that day and wouldn't be back in the area until March. They asked for that time. At 7 in the morning they rang and said 'are you still coming?' He said 'yes at 11 like we agreed'. Their reply: 'well were ready now and want to go so can you come now?' At 7 on a sunday morning??! I wanted to scream down the phone do yu realise how many plumbers would charge you doule for working a sunday and would count this as a call out charge! Unbelievable!

 

[EmJ]

I've just redone my price just and underneath my opening hours I've put " please keep texts and calls within working hours"!!

 

[Twinners]

Absolutely not an overreaction! And I think I will buy a cheapy new phone in tesco that I can turn off between 10pm and 7am. That's assuming I ever get any real, paying clients


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[squidgernetball]

I promote the fact that people can contact me 24/7, but add that they may have to wait for a reply. Long ago I received a promotional text from Orange that arrived at 2 in the morning, so since then I turn my phone to silent when I go to bed. I have awoken to my alarm to find a text that arrived at 2 in the morning asking for a £40 treatment that day. My only gap was at 9am, so at 7am, I texted back to say "all fine if you can do 9am". She could!
What was my personal mobile is now my work mobile, but I have a house phone and all my family know to call it if they need me.

I live in an area with very patchy mobile reception, so a text can be thought of as sent at 6.00 at night, and arrives at 11.00 at night.

As I have said on this forum before, at a time when clients will pick and choose, and the economy is struggling for a recovery, there are many therapists on here asking how to get more clients. For those of you complaining about the clients trying to make bookings, think of your worst case scenario - no clients!!!

Just be glad that there are clients out there who want to book in with you.

Switch your mobile to silent and tell your clients that they are welcome to text anytime!!!

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

I have all of my personal contacts stored in my contact list and so If I don''t recognise the the incoming number, I don't answer. The caller then has the option of leaving a message which I can then answer at my convenience.

 

[NailsXpress]

Just because you receive a text doesn't mean you have to answer it immediately.

Silence the text messages, check at your convenient times.

If like me you need more clients, do what you can to accommodate them to increase client base.

 

[Emily S]

I have one phone for business and personal use - to be honest, if you don't want business texts/calls during unsociable hours the only thing you can do is get a phone for both.

Yes, it is annoying getting a text at that time but if you give the option of texting then people will do it at their convenience as that's what texting is, a 'convenience option' for you to reply as and when you receive it.

However, if she'd called I'd say it's rude, business or not! Anything non-emergency at that time of morning is thoughtless

 

[TPB]

She must be desperate if she contacted you on a Sunday! Grr I'd be mad, I keep my phone on silent in the nights, tough **** if anyone wanna talk to me haha!!

 

[jb78]

No you're not over reacting at all. I'm a home based salon too and I often get this - I've had a client actually phone at 7.30 on a Sunday morning (I didn't answer!!) and had a client recently text me on a Friday asking if I could do her eyebrow tint at 10pm that night!!!!! I was going out and to be quite honest, even if I hadn't have been going out, I'm not sure I'd have done it as I think that is totally disrespectful! She was quite stroppy when I said I couldn't as I was out for dinner - shame on me for having a Friday night social life!!!!! x