Mobile tech's and personal safety - how?

[pamper yourself]

Hi geeks

I wasn't sure where to post this, but I think this is the best place to get your advice.

I unfortunately found myself in a situation where my personal safety may be at risk. :cry::irked: Anyways, I just finally put myself out to the public with some advertising and 2 days later this happens.

My question is this: how do you check out new clients? I'm worried about this individual finding out I'm a mobile tech and calling up for home service. I'm at the point where I may have to refuse home service unless I know the person.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you always

 

[newbee603]

hi, i've just set up as mobile tech and this is something i'm worried about too. it was suggested by one of my trainers that i take someone with me but this isn't always possible so my sympathies to you and hopefully techs like us can find a way around it with help of other geeks. good luck with your business!

 

[MissOwen]

I'm a bit confused. Is your personally safety at risk from a client or is it a personal issue and you are concerned that someone will use the fact that your a mobile tech as some sort of lure or trap??

If you're worried about a personal issue i think the only thing to do is contact the police.

If you are concerned about furture clients, then there has been another thread about this recently and the most popular ways to try and protect yourself were, taking a landline phone number for the client and calling them back to confirm the appointment, which also means you can check they are who they say they are, always telling someone where you were going and when, contacting somebody when you arrive and leave a clients house.

Hope this helps a bit :hug:

 

[pamper yourself]

I'm a bit confused. Is your personally safety at risk from a client or is it a personal issue and you are concerned that someone will use the fact that your a mobile tech as some sort of lure or trap?? That's it exactly.

If you're worried about a personal issue i think the only thing to do is contact the police. The police know. Since this is public I can't give too much detail.

If you are concerned about furture clients, then there has been another thread about this recently and the most popular ways to try and protect yourself were, taking a landline phone number for the client and calling them back to confirm the appointment, which also means you can check they are who they say they are, always telling someone where you were going and when, contacting somebody when you arrive and leave a clients house. Great suggestions thank you. I've made a list and will use these suggestions with my clients.

Hope this helps a bit :hug:

Very much thank you so much. I was really getting worried by this and hate having to worry about going everywhere with my guard up all the time. :irked: And it's all about a stupid mistake of person, blaming me for what someone else has done.

 

[MissOwen]

Very much thank you so much. I was really getting worried by this and hate having to worry about going everywhere with my guard up all the time. :irked: And it's all about a stupid mistake of person, blaming me for what someone else has done.

:cry: its not a nice thing to have to start your new business feeling scared. Hopefully you will find your first few client come by word of mouth (i think thats how most people get alot of their work) that way you will know who recommended them and it will make you feel a little less anxious.

Good luck and i hope the personal issues you have get solved soon so you can enjoy yourself with your new business

 

[butterfly100]

I offer mobile and salon based appointments and always try to check out any new customers ringing out of the blue by confirming phone numbers / adresses as suggested above. I also find that most people will come from referral from other clients therfore I have an idea if they are genuine or not.
I know that you can never totally know for sure but that is really the risk you take when decideing to go mobile. Taking precaucions and being aware is a must and if you are really sucpicious then it's best to find an alternative venue or on that occasion say no.
Keeping credit on your phone and checking your signal as you arrive is also a good idea.......I can see that you are in Malta and if it's anything like Spain the network can be very patchy!!!
Good luck, try not to worry and appear confident. :hug:

 

[geeg]

Are you old enough to remember this person?? Suzy Lamplugh? If not .. google it. I will never forget that case.

In this day and age and with a possible threat to your safety?? I would not do mobile for all the tea in China without a personal recommendation to each client from someone you know. I'd rather rent a space .. you'd make more money as well, with allot less effort.

 

[MissOwen]

Just wondering..... all those girls and boys out there that work from a home salon. Do you have the same safety concerns?? I'm not sure i would feel any safer with someone coming to my house if i was alone, than i would going to them.

I'm still training and will be for a while yet i'm sure!! I cant decide the best route to take once i'm satisfied i can start working on full paying clients.

I have 2 small children so i dont think renting a space would be an available option for me for another 3-5 years yet as i couldnt put in the consistant hours to make it work.

 

[weezie]

I can only talk from my own experience. I have been mobile for nearly 4 yrs and have had no problems. Builders, painters and decorators, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, nurses, midwifes, doctors and social workers visit peoples homes with no problems. I make sure to speak in person to the client before going to their home and to make sure there are details of where I am going left at my flat. I have only once thought twice about going into someones house and my worries were totally unfounded. I'm not sure if it makes a difference but I do have wealthy clients and so only visit affluent areas but they could still potentially be weirdos I've just not had anyone try to attack me or who made me feel uncomfortable. Also I only do male clients who a current client knows and a female has to be in the house. :hug:

When I worked in a salon I was put in a very uncomfortable position by a male client and felt very threatened. I think when these things happen they are just an unlucky incident. Just the same way someone may go on a date with someone who turns out to be a stalker and another finds the love of their life.

The Suzy Lampugh case was a one off incident, estate agents still go to visits alone as it's very unlikely this will happen again. She was also abducted in the street which could happen to anyone. We can take necessary precautions but we still have to live our lives without constantly being fearful.

If it makes you nervous please don't do it as it's not the right thing for you, but I am sure you will not put yourself in a dangerous situation. x

 

[geeg]

Builders, painters and decorators, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, nurses, midwifes, doctors and social workers visit peoples homes with no problems.

I think this is a sweeping generalization and you simply cannot base an argument on a statement like this.

Today all men and women are vulnerable in a situation where they are called to an unknown person and location. Why deliberately put yourself in HARMS WAY WHEN THERE ARE BETTER, EASIER ALTERNATIVES?

Take every precaution you can if you go the mobile route. Personally I never would, but then I never did nails paRT TIME ... I don't believe nails is a part time profession and I never have.

 

[Unique Nails09]

Its difficult to say that geeg with all the best respect, i am a 'part time' nail tech and this is because i have a 3 year old son and i wish to spend as much time as possible with him and earn a living for myself and my family - I used to work full time but the beauty of being self employed in this industry is that you can be flexible with your hours

xxx

 

[weezie]

I think this is a sweeping generalization and you simply cannot base an argument on a statement like this.

Today all men and women are vulnerable in a situation where they are called to an unknown person and location. Why deliberately put yourself in HARMS WAY WHEN THERE ARE BETTER, EASIER ALTERNATIVES?

Take every precaution you can if you go the mobile route. Personally I never would, but then I never did nails paRT TIME ... I don't believe nails is a part time profession and I never have.

Then how can you base your argument that mobile work is dangerous on the fact that an estate agent went to show someone around a house and was abducted in the street, she had the same chance of being abducted as anyone going about their usual routine. If you have never worked mobile how can you have any authority on the matter. I have worked both salon (3yrs) and mobile (nearly 4 years) and choose to do mobile full time as for me it is more profitable and enjoyable.

Being alone in a salon you can be just as vunerable, for example of armed robberies as you have a lot of cash on the premises, but again the likelihood of this happening is so disproportionately small that you can't live in fear of it.

I don't think mobile or salon is better they are different choices for different people. Just take the necessary precautions that you would in any situation.

If you go through your life worrying about the worst case scenarios you will be constantly living in fear. We are all biased to think of the worst because of bad things that have happened to us or those we love in the past or things we hear about in the media. We need to rise above these experiences and learn from them.:hug:

 

[Missy G]

Then how can you base your argument that mobile work is dangerous on the fact that an estate agent went to show someone around a house and was abducted in the street, she had the same chance of being abducted if as anyone going about their usual routeen. If you have never worked mobile how can you have any authority on the matter. I have worked both salon (3yrs) and mobile (nearly 4 years) and choose to do mobile full time as for me it is more profitable and enjoyable.

Being alone in a salon you can be just as vunerable, for example of armed robberies as you have a lot of cash on the premises, but again the likely hood of this happening is so disproportionately small that you can't live in fear of it.

I don't think mobile or salon is better they are different choices for different people. Just take the necessary precautions that you would in any situation.

If you go through your life worrying about the worst case scenarios you will be constantly living in fear. We are all biased to think of the worst because of bad things that have happened to us or those we love in the past or things we hear about in the media. We need to rise above these experiences and learn from them.:hug:

Well said!
I must say Im quite touched about this thread as Ive never actually sat down and thought about this ,so thanks for starting it,I will be more vidulant in future and beaware if Im going anywhere new.

 

[geeg]

Then how can you base your argument that mobile work is dangerous on the fact that an estate agent went to show someone around a house and was abducted in the street, she had the same chance of being abducted as anyone going about their usual routine. If you have never worked mobile how can you have any authority on the matter. I have worked both salon (3yrs) and mobile (nearly 4 years) and choose to do mobile full time as for me it is more profitable and enjoyable.

Being alone in a salon you can be just as vunerable, for example of armed robberies as you have a lot of cash on the premises, but again the likelihood of this happening is so disproportionately small that you can't live in fear of it.

I don't think mobile or salon is better they are different choices for different people. Just take the necessary precautions that you would in any situation.

If you go through your life worrying about the worst case scenarios you will be constantly living in fear. We are all biased to think of the worst because of bad things that have happened to us or those we love in the past or things we hear about in the media. We need to rise above these experiences and learn from them.:hug:

First of all I haven't formed an argument nor based it on nor said anywhere that " mobile work is dangerous". I have never said that anywhere. What I have said is that one is VULNERABLE in a mobile situation (More so in my opinion than in a salon). I have said that I would never do it, and I have said to take precautions.

You said "Builders, painters and decorators, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, nurses, midwifes, doctors and social workers visit peoples homes with no problems. " And that is simply untrue ... of course all these people have faced problems at one time or another.

As you say, the likelihood of a dangerous experience may be small in a salon or home situation, but it is still there and we take precautions. In a mobile situation I believe the likelihood of is higher as I believe there is more risk going through the door into an unknown situation and one has an increased vulnerability. I only have to use common sense to know that and do not need experience to know it.

I never indicated that one should go through life terrified and timid just to take sensible measures against possible problems which I believe is the same as your own advice on this subject, weezie.

 

[barbie*]

Hello, although I am not a trained nail tech I work in estate agency, as previously mentioned we take personal safely very seriously what with what happened with Suzy Lamplough. I will did out our personal safety guidelines and have a look at the tips but the best advice I could give is to keep an appointment book, maybe consider doing this online so someone else has easy access to it, make sure you get both a landline and mobile number and call the person back to make sure it is them.

A good system we have is code words, before going into a property, we call a colleague and say 'hi i've just arrived at Smith street with Mr Smith' etc so they know we are there. Once we are there, if we feel uncomfortable we call someone and say something like 'oh i'm running late, could you just call my next appointment and tell them i'm going to be late, the number is in my BLUE FILE' this means to call back in five minutes to check we are ok.

If we need to police called out or someone to come out we would say 'RED FILE'. Also if you feel at all uncomfortable say you have forgotten something and leave immediately. You safety is the most important thing. Good luck with your business x

 

[pamper yourself]

Hello, although I am not a trained nail tech I work in estate agency, as previously mentioned we take personal safely very seriously what with what happened with Suzy Lamplough. I will did out our personal safety guidelines and have a look at the tips but the best advice I could give is to keep an appointment book, maybe consider doing this online so someone else has easy access to it, make sure you get both a landline and mobile number and call the person back to make sure it is them.

A good system we have is code words, before going into a property, we call a colleague and say 'hi i've just arrived at Smith street with Mr Smith' etc so they know we are there. Once we are there, if we feel uncomfortable we call someone and say something like 'oh i'm running late, could you just call my next appointment and tell them i'm going to be late, the number is in my BLUE FILE' this means to call back in five minutes to check we are ok.

If we need to police called out or someone to come out we would say 'RED FILE'. Also if you feel at all uncomfortable say you have forgotten something and leave immediately. You safety is the most important thing. Good luck with your business x

Thanks for the tips.

And thank you everyone for all your comments and concerns. At the moment this is part time as I have small children. Hopefully as they grow and hubby makes arrangements at work things will become more permanent and less nerve racking.

 

[deanosnana]

Are you old enough to remember this person?? Suzy Lamplugh? If not .. google it. I will never forget that case.

In this day and age and with a possible threat to your safety?? I would not do mobile for all the tea in China without a personal recommendation to each client from someone you know. I'd rather rent a space .. you'd make more money as well, with allot less effort.

I just googled Suzy Lamplugh. OMG...how very sad.

geeg, you always give great advice! A personal recommendation is a fab idea. Thank you! :hug: