Out of hours replies?

[mobile-hands]

Hi Geeks

I am self employees and have clients contacting me at all hours of the day/week!
Normally I reply not matter what the time/day... However following a run down melt down today I'm wondering if I'm doing the right thing?

Do YOU reply to out of hours call/text/FB messages/WhatsApp (the list could go on!) immediately or wait for during hours to reply?

Lady has just messaged me, Saturday at 22:25pm but if I wait for opening hours to reply that would be 9am on Tuesday!?

 

[surf girl]

I'd just message back in the morning, for all they know u could be tucked up in bed sleeping now that's how I look at it, if they text at night I'll contact them in the morning and if the text or message throughout the day they have to wait till I look and got time to reply

 

[Nailsbylisa1]

I hear u!!!! I'm feeling the same way, I'm so stressed with it all. I do reply as soon as but its starting to pee me off that people have no sence of appropriate timing! I had someone message me at 3am once. I think I'm just a bit stressed over everything at the moment, I'm now struggling to fit clients in but hate turning people away!
I needed a break this weekend so I put a message on fb to say all messages will b replied to on Tuesday, still had people get in touch though!

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[lofty]

Hey hun you have to have an off switch otherwise you'll permanently have a melt down. I used to work that way years ago however now i only take appts via salon phone or email. I leave a message on salon answer phone saying that we close Sun/Mon and will get back to peeps then.

 

[jemnails]

My clients know they can message me at any time, but I'll only respond when I have time. I work in an office 8-4 weekdays and can't use my phone except on breaks but they all know this and are very understanding

It's not unreasonable to have contact hours. My mum used to be a slimming world consultant and told all her members that they could only call her between 9 am and 9 pm - they mostly stuck to it! I think as long as you're clear with them then it's no problem.

Answer that lady in the morning, it's well past work hours now and you need to rest

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[Chrysalis]

If you have an android phone you can download an app called sms lite to auto reply for you. If you have a non jailbreak iphone I would put in manually "auto-reply- the salon is now closed until 10am Tuesday when I will be able to answer your query, thank you"

She will never know you've typed it in and you can then keep using that text to anyone else just changing yr day or time to suit eventually they will get the idea.

Better still have separate business and personal phones x

 

[BannerPenguin]

It's a tough one to balance the line. There are times I leave things for the next day but there are plenty of times I work until the early hours liaising with clients, answering questions and working on websites.

With the websites I like to offer people the support they need. IE 9 times out of 10 they will get an answer to there question within an hour. Going that little bit further in my business sets me out from the rest and adds to the customer experience.

However - in the hair and beauty industry if you had salons and only the salon number available. They would leave a message or speak to someone in working hours. The great alternative is online booking helps a lot.

 

[virtues2011]

It's a tough one to balance the line. There are times I leave things for the next day but there are plenty of times I work until the early hours liaising with clients, answering questions and working on websites.

With the websites I like to offer people the support they need. IE 9 times out of 10 they will get an answer to there question within an hour. Going that little bit further in my business sets me out from the rest and adds to the customer experience.

However - in the hair and beauty industry if you had salons and only the salon number available. They would leave a message or speak to someone in working hours. The great alternative is online booking helps a lot.

I'm with you there. Often work in the early hours replying to clients emails.

No rest for the wicked BP.

What's your excuse. Ha.

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[BannerPenguin]

I'm with you there. Often work in the early hours replying to clients emails.

No rest for the wicked BP.

What's your excuse. Ha.

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Ha. My excuse is I must be barking mad!
Some people do comment when they see the time stamp of my replies and they wonder if I sleep ha.

 

[missreid]

I had someone Facebook me at 11.45pm last night asking what appointments I had available on the 29th. I have a salon so 1, I don't tend to be there through the night and 2, I don't memorise the entire months appointments! Grrrr!!!x

 

[Balance Andover]

Some people work unsociable hours, or think they may forget to contact you so do it late at night. I'm the same I'll answer at all hours, I'm busy during the day so do most of my correspondence after hours (but I do check as much as I can daytime).

I only get irritated when I get an email 'can you fit me in today'? with no contact tel number.

If you feel it's right for you to only answer during work hours do, but also bear in mind that they may have also contacted other therapists who may reply before you.

 

[JulieC]

You must give clear working times to people it makes life far easier . You still need you time & family time

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[Redduck]

I used to reply at all hours but recently I've started turning my phone and computer off at 8pm and I love it! No more checking my phone for email, Facebook and Twitter notifications. My evenings are my own again.

Any appointments are then made the next day and all my clients, regular and new, have been fine with this.

 

[Balance Andover]

After I've seen a client (and have done a consultation that includes an email address) I send them an invite to book online.

They can then book in whenever it suits without having to wait for me to respond.

 

[jujojones]

Yep its a hard one! Personally i do most of my paper work until the early hours of the morning, im often sending emails at silly oclock, but that is because im busy in work all day , then spend the evening with the littlens, then get back to work once they are in bed! I wouldnt text or phone at time , just email or facebook!

But for clients if i get an email at 2am i just reply in working hours next day (want them to think i have a life outside work lol)

I have an auto reply on my email . But will look at the auto reply on my phone!!



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[mobile-hands]

Thanks for your replies.
I turned my phone off last night and replied this morning! Sundays not a working day but at least it's now a decent hour!

 

[sarahlou09]

Its facebook that annoys me as i get people messaging me Saturday night & Sunday mornings for appointments, I no longer keep my diary at home to look in. Why cant people just pick up the phone & ring.??

 

[Balance Andover]

Its facebook that annoys me as i get people messaging me Saturday night & Sunday mornings for appointments, I no longer keep my diary at home to look in. Why cant people just pick up the phone & ring.??

You could disable the message facility on your Facebook business page if you want people to call in.

 

[squidgernetball]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't understand what the problem is with clients texting or facebooking at 2 in the morning or 11 at night. They are asking - you don't have to answer.
We actively encourage clients to contact us 24/7 and say they may have to wait until morning before they get a reply. That is totally fine.

Have a quick look at some of the "I can't get any clients" threads, then count yourselves lucky that a client is trying to contact YOU!
If you can afford to ignore a message from a client for several days, then good for you, but if you actually need clients, just turn your phone off and turn it on at a reasonable hour and reply.
I frequently do this on a Sunday or at night, but if a client sent me a text at 2am, I wouldn't know anything about it until at least 6am, and would then respond at about 8am.

A lady bought a £45 voucher from me for her friend. Neither was a client. The lady buying the voucher goes elsewhere for her nails, but said to me her therapist can sometimes be hard to get hold of, so she bought the voucher from me. I returned her email on a Sunday morning, and now have a potential new client.

A few geeks on here have written about trying to make appointments with salons/therapists and one said she contacted 3 places and none replied.
It's nice to know there are some salons that are SO busy they can afford to treat potential clients like this!

Suck it up. It's the nature of our business, and its often the way our clients want to book. Our society is so full on that people make requests when they think of them, not between 9 and 5.

When you stop receiving texts, emails and FB messages, it's time to worry!
Oh and online booking has been a lifesaver!!!

Vicki x

 

[virtues2011]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't understand what the problem is with clients texting or facebooking at 2 in the morning or 11 at night. They are asking - you don't have to answer.
We actively encourage clients to contact us 24/7 and say they may have to wait until morning before they get a reply. That is totally fine.

Have a quick look at some of the "I can't get any clients" threads, then count yourselves lucky that a client is trying to contact YOU!
If you can afford to ignore a message from a client for several days, then good for you, but if you actually need clients, just turn your phone off and turn it on at a reasonable hour and reply.
I frequently do this on a Sunday or at night, but if a client sent me a text at 2am, I wouldn't know anything about it until at least 6am, and would then respond at about 8am.

A lady bought a £45 voucher from me for her friend. Neither was a client. The lady buying the voucher goes elsewhere for her nails, but said to me her therapist can sometimes be hard to get hold of, so she bought the voucher from me. I returned her email on a Sunday morning, and now have a potential new client.

A few geeks on here have written about trying to make appointments with salons/therapists and one said she contacted 3 places and none replied.
It's nice to know there are some salons that are SO busy they can afford to treat potential clients like this!

Suck it up. It's the nature of our business, and its often the way our clients want to book. Our society is so full on that people make requests when they think of them, not between 9 and 5.

When you stop receiving texts, emails and FB messages, it's time to worry!
Oh and online booking has been a lifesaver!!!

Vicki x

Absolutely. Bloody well said Vic.

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